Suns vs Grizzlies

[boisesuns]

i'm going to the game tonight. should be pretty interesting to see how the suns do. everyone here in memphis is pretty exited for the grizzlies. i haven't seent he suns play live in forever (actually it was Mcdyess's first game as a nugget in phoenix)

even though we are having a rough season, i'm exited!!!

 

[elindholm]

Make sure you cheer for Bo Outlaw!

 

[George O'Brien]

The last time the Suns played, Jahidi White had a big game. But with both White and Voskuhl injured, the Suns will have to really struggle to stay out of foul trouble.

 

[slinslin]

Wow the bench hardly played.

Marion, Amare, McDyess and JJ all with 40+ minutes and Barbosa with high 30s.


Everyone in the frontcourt got at least 10 boards and except JJ's shooting night all had really good games.

This is how we should lose. Play well but lose at the end.

 

[slinslin]

8-19 shooting ist still not bad though.


Amare 31pts 10reb 3ast 4blk 1stl
Marion 22pts 12reb 3ast 2stl
McDyess 16pts 11reb 3stl 2blk
JJ 17pts 3reb 11ast 2stl

Yeah tank in style!

 

[Joe Mama]

8-19 shooting ist still not bad though.


Amare 31pts 10reb 3ast 4blk 1stl
Marion 22pts 12reb 3ast 2stl
McDyess 16pts 11reb 3stl 2blk
JJ 17pts 3reb 11ast 2stl

Yeah tank in style!

as much as I like Barbosa he isn't a starter quality point guard. I know I'm not really going out on a limb here, but if he is the starting point guard next season this team will not make the playoffs. Well, let's say that if he is averaging over 30 minutes per game they will not make the playoffs. It said, I do think he would be a quality bench player.

This team really needs a good bench. And I'm not talking about Casey Jacobsen, Cabarkapa (unless he is vastly improved), little Jake, Howard Eiseley, and Lampe.

Joe Mama

 

[Phill11]

as much as I like Barbosa he isn't a starter quality point guard. I know I'm not really going out on a limb here, but if he is the starting point guard next season this team will not make the playoffs. Well, let's say that if he is averaging over 30 minutes per game they will not make the playoffs. It said, I do think he would be a quality bench player.

This team really needs a good bench. And I'm not talking about Casey Jacobsen, Cabarkapa (unless he is vastly improved), little Jake, Howard Eiseley, and Lampe.

Joe Mama

Your saying you'd rather have Eisley in there?

Barbosa is fine. Were going nowhere this year, so why not give him minutes to prove he is a quality player.

 

[boisesuns]

just got back from the game. amare played well. mcdyess was moving around very well as well. i was more impressed with him. his knee seems great and he was jumping well. we should see if we can keep him for a good price. he looks really good.

i agree with joe. barbosa is quick but, he is a terrible shooter. no one on the suns can pass into amare or to the cutter at all. johnson had a great first half then dissapeared.

our bench would be nice if we could resign some people and get some new ones. kobe would be nice. he can pass into a post player and thow the lob and backdoor cut pass. that's something that was there, the passes weren't made.

 

[Joe Mama]

Your saying you'd rather have Eisley in there?

Barbosa is fine. Were going nowhere this year, so why not give him minutes to prove he is a quality player.

No, I'm definitely not saying it would rather have Howard Eiseley in the game. I'd prefer not to see him play for the Phoenix Suns again actually. I have no problems with giving him the minutes THIS season. I'm just hoping there is someone better getting the starter's minutes next season.

Joe Mama

 

[Billythekid]

We sorely lack depth. Our bench is terrible. No wonder they never play.

 

[JS22]

They are all HURT.

 

[George O'Brien]

I watched the first quarter but only listened to the second quarter. It sounded like the Grizzlie's perimeter guys were getting away with murder on defense. It is amazing that JJ did as well as he did with the Refs refusing to call fouls on the Memphis defenders.

One of the main reasons to sign a superstar is that refs call the game differently if it is a "name" player rather than a rookie. I suppose it has always been that way, but lately it has seemed pretty blatant. Barbosa is going to have to bulk up so he can play like a linebacker if he is going to be the Suns PG of the future.

Also, I am beginning to wonder if Casey is ever going to become a real player. For a guy who was drafted as a shooter to play 23 minutes and hit only one of four shots, this is just not acceptable. I know he plays hard, but I get the impression that he is too easy to defense and the rest of his game is not strong enough to make up for his inability to creat his own shot.
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I am probably overreacting, but I'm beginning to rethink my attitude on taking Iguodala. I have resisted considering him because he lacks a good jump shot. But he is a physical defender with great hop and decent ball handling skills. Look at how much impact Pietrus is having with the Warriors. I think Iguodala could be the same kind of player. If the Suns are drafting in the #7 - #8 slot (increasingly likely), he might make sense as a replacement for Casey.

I still expect the Suns will take another Euro big man, but I think finding a backup SG/SF is a viable option. I say that even if they hope to sign a free agent guard. The lottery is pretty high for a defensive specialist, but at least he might contribute while the Euro would spend the next few seasons on the IR.

 

[Joe Mama]

If you are looking for a good perimeter defender out of the college ranks, Sato from Xavier could be had with a second-round draft pick. Defensively he was probably the best perimeter player I saw in college this season. He's also probably the best backcourt player on the boards as well. He is a decent ball handler, but not close to as good as Iguodala. Sato is a streaky shooter though.

Actually I was Amare Stoudemire who was getting no respect from the referees last night. He should have shot 5-10 more free throws last night. At one point, in the fourth quarter I believe after being obviously hammered two trips down the court in a row, he blew up and received a technical.

Make no mistake though. It was the Memphis grizzlies three-point shooting and depth that got the better of the Phoenix Suns last night.

Joe Mama

 

[elindholm]

At one point, in the fourth quarter I believe after being obviously hammered two trips down the court in a row, he blew up and received a technical.

Sorry, Joe Mama, but I remember that sequence and I disagree. He certainly felt that he was hammered. But on the first one, while there was contact, it was hard to tell who initiated it. And the second one looked like all ball.

Stoudemire had trouble throughout the second half (I didn't see the first half) because whoever was defending him (usually Wright or Gasol, Outlaw was less successful) knew in advance what he was going to do. They'd get position, anticipate his move, put their hands on the ball, and shut him down. I think when Stoudemire gets frustrated, he forces and falls back into his favorite patterns. That makes him only easier to defend.

 

[Joe Mama]

Eric, did you get the Phoenix or Memphis feed? On the Phoenix broadcast they replayed both fouls. I thought they were both pretty obvious. Wright didn't get anything but Amare Stoudemire's forearm on the second one. I recorded last night's game, so I'm trying to find that play again. I want to watch them first play he was complaining about. OK, I just watched the first one again. Wright got a lot of ball at the end, but he manhandled Amare the whole way to the basket.

Honestly if it had any other way around it would have said that Amare got away with some obvious fouls. In fact I thought the referees made a bad call earlier that went Phoenix's way. Of course they made up for it in the next sequence when they called Antonio McDyess for foul when he had a beautiful block really.

Overall I really didn't have a problem with the way the game was called last night. Memphis shot the ball fantastically from beyond the arc, and a have a great bench. With the right off -season moves this Phoenix Suns team could be in the same situation as the grizzlies next season. They'll need some help though.

Joe Mama

 

[Chaz]

The Suns have no bench. Casey is horrible but he is really the only decent bench player right now. I had hope he would improve but defenses have locked down on him and the offense really stagnates when Casey or Zarko are in the game.

Memphis looked good and they have some great depth that wore down the Suns. I am now concerned about tonight's game after so many minutes were played by the starters last night.

I replayed the 3 trips down the floor immed. after Stoudemire returned in the fourth. At least two of those three trips Amare was clearly hacked on the arm. That was a real pivotal point in the game IMO because those the possessions pushed Memphis' lead out over double digits.

Clearly the Suns have improved greatly from the start of the season, but they are really just to thin on the bench at this point.

 

[elindholm]

I had the Memphis feed, but I wasn't really listening, so I don't know what they said. I agree there was a lot of contact on the first one. On the second one I really felt that Stoudemire just took the ball straight into the defense.

 

[Joe Mama]

I had the Memphis feed, but I wasn't really listening, so I don't know what they said. I agree there was a lot of contact on the first one. On the second one I really felt that Stoudemire just took the ball straight into the defense.

We must be talking about different plays. The second play I am talking about is the one just before the technical. The referees actually did a good job on a play because they allowed the grizzlies to complete their fast-break before they whistled him for the technical. I hate it when they stop a fast-break for the opponent by whistling a technical. It actually ends up helping the offending team.

Anyhow, on the second play I am referring to Amare went baseline against Lorenzen Wright. Amare tried to reverse it under the basket, and Wright packed him right across the arm. He didn't hit the ball. There was minimal body contact. He just hacked Amare across his arm. I just watched it again.

Joe Mama

 

[elindholm]

Hmm, well we are talking about the same play, and I guess I didn't see the arm contact the couple of times I viewed it. But I'll take your word for it, because I watched only the one or two replays that they showed during the broadcast.

Damn refs!