Suns unlikely to run wild in playoffs

[SweetD]

By David DuPree, USA TODAY
The Phoenix Suns are the talk of the NBA so far this season with their up-tempo, high-scoring offense. Readers are split on whether they can keep it up all the way to an NBA title.

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Phoenix guard Steve Nash, right, bringing the ball up against Toronto's Lamond Murray, sets the pace for the up-tempo Suns.

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By Paul Connors. AP

I have my doubts, too.

This week's question: Can the Suns' style of play overcome the power, defense and half-court execution of teams such as San Antonio, Minnesota, Miami and Detroit?

Historically, the playoffs are much different than the regular season. You play the same team for up to seven games in a row, as opposed to maybe once every five weeks during the regular season. That means it's a game of adjustments and is usually played at a slower pace as coaches value every possession more. But running teams have a more difficult time adjusting to a slower pace after playing up-tempo all season.

But teams have to do what they do best, and the Suns run better than anyone else. An emphasis this season by officials to not allow defenders to impede a player's progress to the basket in any way has opened the door for finesse teams and smaller teams such as the Suns. If that officiating trend continues in the playoffs, it certainly will benefit teams such as the Suns.

"I believe that if the game was officiated from start to finish with consistent interpretation of the rules then we would see a much more enjoyable brand of NBA and the Suns or (Seattle) could go win the championship with up-tempo style of play," said John M. Lighthizer of Phoenix.

"The run-and-gun approach can carry a team to an NBA title if it sticks to that philosophy," said Darin Brooks of Murfreesboro, Tenn., who also pointed out that many running teams just stop running late in playoff games because of the importance of every possession. "Then they lose the game because their shooting percentage and quality of shots dipped so much in that final quarter when they stopped running," he said. "But if running leads you to the best record, why can't it lead you to the promised land if you just stick with it?"

Paz Haynes III of Nashville doesn't think a running team can pull it off.

"Phoenix is athletic and relatively deep, and (Amare) Stoudemire is a force in the paint," he said. "But each of the other teams seem to have great offensive balance in the half-court, and each team can both run and stop the run. Phoenix could pull it off, but each of those teams has a powerful inside-outside presence that will be tough to get by in seven games."

History doesn't favor the Suns, said Rod Story of Grand Rapids, Mich. "Name the last team over the last 10-15 years that played up-tempo to win an NBA championship," he said. "Sure, (the Suns) look good on SportsCenter highlights, but it just doesn't work in the playoffs."

Next week:

With the season about 2 months old, who would be the MVP today?

 

[SweetD]

I am sure the tone of the national writers will change if we beat the Spurs today.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I am sure the tone of the national writers will change if we beat the Spurs today.

Why? It doesn't change history...

Historically, the playoffs are much different than the regular season.

Win a title and their tone will change.

BIM

 

[Chaplin]

The key is this passage:

History doesn't favor the Suns, said Rod Story of Grand Rapids, Mich. "Name the last team over the last 10-15 years that played up-tempo to win an NBA championship," he said. "Sure, (the Suns) look good on SportsCenter highlights, but it just doesn't work in the playoffs."

He has a point, but go back 16 years, and you have the LA Lakers Showtime era. Talk about strategic quoting.

 

[newfan101]

The key is this passage:



He has a point, but go back 16 years, and you have the LA Lakers Showtime era. Talk about strategic quoting.

Ha. I was thinking the same thing.

 

[scotsman13]

heck even the bad boy pistons of the late 80's were a running team by todays standards. if you really want to find out historicly what does well in the playoffs, dont look at the 90's and early 00's look at teams like the the showtime lakers, bird celtics, doc j's 76'ers, the trailblazers of the 70's and the 11 titles of russell's cetlics. every last one of them ran at every chance. these are teams that would average over 100 in playoff games. todays playoffs scoring average of 80's or even 70's is the error in the historicly.

 

[jibikao]

I really want Suns to win to prove that small-ball, exciting b-ball can win. This will bring back more DUNKS and more excitement to NBA.

And if Suns wins this year, I think Nash has a good chance to get into Hall of Fame if he can keep playing about the same level for the next 3-4 years.


I don't understand why people keep saying shiit like this. Oh, it DOES NOT matter if Suns wins in the regular season because they WILL lose.

To me, this is the same as:

Whoever play in the MJ-Bull prime seasons should just quit playing basketball because NO ONE is going to win the championship when MJ, Pippen and Rodman are together. Why bother playing when you know MJ and the Bulls will dominate? Why not just give up?

This is the same shiit that we are hearing. Why playing small-ball when you KNEW Spurs is going to win? Well, did they win last year? I don't think so. Lakers wasn't really that good last year and they lost to them.

I am very tired of this BS.

Jimmy

 

[Chaplin]

If you think about it, they base their knowledge on the Spurs and the Lakers winning championships. The Bulls, who won championships in 6 of the 10 years in the 90s, weren't as slow-down of a team as the Spurs were, they were a pretty well-balanced fast and slow team. Same with the Rockets.

They treat this like 3 levels:

SLOW: Spurs, maybe the Lakers
MEDIUM: Bulls, Rockets
FAST: Showtime-era Lakers

Because Showtime hasn't been around in a while, they obviously think that the style can't win championships. Well, back in the 80s, did people think the bruising, slow-down style could win? Probably not. As we have seen with teams like Seattle and Phoenix, the NBA is changing--that's not to say that slow can't win championships, but that also doesn't mean that fast can't.

 

[jibikao]

If the refs can stop giving star treatment to Spurs, I think we have a chance.

Jimmy

 

[Gaddabout]

The comparisons to running teams of the past bug me. The Lakers had Kareem, the 76ers had Malone, the Blazers had Walton and the Celtics had Bill Freakin Russell.

The Suns might best compare to the Sixers, but even that's a real stretch. Amare can do a great Malone comparison and it's a player he's compared to quite often (because they both came straight out of high school). I don't see a Bobby Jones coming off the bench. Marc Iavaroni is on the Suns bench in a tailored suit and tie rather than on the court throwing elbows. Honestly, I think the Suns need one more piece before they can honestly compare themselves to that team.

The difference might be the dilution of talent across the board, but getting past the Spurs in the seven game series is going to be nearly as difficult as any team the Sixers faced in the playoffs.

I'm still just enjoying the season and won't hold my breath in the playoffs.

 

[Chaplin]

I'm still just enjoying the season and won't hold my breath in the playoffs.
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Does that mean you and the rest of the people that have no confidence in the team won't mention the playoffs again?

 

[George O'Brien]

It always comes back to the same thing - how the refs call the games. When Chuck Daly and the Bad Boy Pistons beat the Lakers, they were able to do anything short of manslaughter on defense and get away with it. Very soon, everyone began copying that style.

The Bulls won six championships because they played very physical defense AND had an unstoppable offensive player. The Lakers won three straight because they had the only unstoppable player in the NBA (and his name wasn't Kobe) to go with a solid defense.

Most established NBA coaches prefer to play "physical defense" and slow ball because it is more consistent than offensive oriented teams. Great defense never has slumps, while even the best shooter will have slumps. Also, it may be easier to train a great athlete to be a top defender than it is to team someone to be a deadeye shooter. They will keep fouling because that is what they were taught to do.

It is all up to the refs.

 

[Azlen]

One thing in the article to highlight is the following:
...is usually played at a slower pace as coaches value every possession more. But running teams have a more difficult time adjusting to a slower pace after playing up-tempo all season

I just don't see D'Antoni getting conservative like that in the playoffs as other teams have done in the past. I think they will maintain their running style even in the playoffs, because the only way the other team can stop it would be to never turn the ball over and never miss a shot.

Another thing that makes it different from the past is that the number of quality centers in the league has dropped dramatically. You no longer have the Ewings, Robinsons, and Olajuwons to deal with anymore. And without the star centers, it makes it much easier for a smaller team to compete and succeed.

And lastly you have the issue of what is best for the NBA. Many of the national articles have been written stating that the Suns are an incredibly fun team to watch and it is a more exciting brand of basketball. If the NBA wants to encourage that brand of basketball, which the recent rules changes would lead you to believe that they do, then the assumption that the refs will stick their whistles in their pockets in the playoffs isn't necessarily true.

Does this mean I think the Suns will win it all, no, but it is not because of their style it is because of their lack of experience. If the core of this team remains together and healthy and Steve Nash remains at the top of his game, then an NBA title is well within their grasp.

 

[Gaddabout]

Does that mean you and the rest of the people that have no confidence in the team won't mention the playoffs again?

Nope. My life's goal is to poke holes in your confidence.

 

[Chaplin]

Nope. My life's goal is to poke holes in your confidence.

And you do a damn fine job if I say so my damn fine self...

 

[F-Dog]

This was going to be a rebuilding year for the Suns anyway.

My guess is that D'Antoni will get to see for himself how Small Ball fares in the NBA playoffs this season, and the Suns will make their adjustments next summer. Joe Johnson's RFA status gives the Suns a lot of flexibility in making over their roster next offseason, if they choose to do so.

 

[Joe Mama]

I'm tired of all of these playoff predictions based on what other teams have done in the past. Last year nobody thought Detroit could win because they didn't have they "superstar" player. Frankly I think these writers and fans are too focused on the running game. It's not the running that will make things difficult on the Suns in the playoffs. It's the defense or lack thereof.

With Steve Nash in the game the Phoenix Suns are just fine in the half-court offense. This isn't the New Jersey Nets. That team had a point guard who wasn't good at penetrating or shooting and know inside presence like Amare Stoudemire. Most people could see those Finals defeats coming a mile away.

Joe Mama

 

[George O'Brien]

I'm tired of all of these playoff predictions based on what other teams have done in the past. Last year nobody thought Detroit could win because they didn't have they "superstar" player. Frankly I think these writers and fans are too focused on the running game. It's not the running that will make things difficult on the Suns in the playoffs. It's the defense or lack thereof.

With Steve Nash in the game the Phoenix Suns are just fine in the half-court offense. This isn't the New Jersey Nets. That team had a point guard who wasn't good at penetrating or shooting and know inside presence like Amare Stoudemire. Most people could see those Finals defeats coming a mile away.

Joe Mama

Amare really does separate the Suns from the traditional run and gun team. When the Show Time Lakers were slowed down, there was always the Sky Hook. When the Suns slow down, there is always the Nash/Stoudemire pick and roll.

What if the Malone/Stockton Jazz had put Malone at center and played the running game rather than dragging Ostertag up the court? I suspect that such a team would have been better suited to playing the MJ Bulls in the late '90's.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

It always comes back to the same thing - how the refs call the games.

Exactly. The quote in the article was correct. If the officials continue this trend of officiating the suns will be the benefactors.