Thunder @ Suns Friday game thread 2-24-2023

[TJ]

Nice game by ish in second half.

Ayton so checked out and bad first half. Nice turnaround second half.

Books passing looked off. Particularly first half. Improved. He’s finding his game again.

Ross is a terrible defender. I’m still waiting on his first poster dunk. It’s coming.

Okogie came out on fire and the. Reverted back to pre-flame okogie.

Thought Paul played well. But still looks pudgy.

Ugly win but I’ll take it.

Paul off the vegan diet?

 

[TJ]

Cheese is actually a zona fan. Just not a zona is infallible fan.

I know he is. And yes I like Arizona more than most.

Make sure you give your bro a few swirlies for me lol

 

[DJ Tabooh]

Nice game by ish in second half.

Ayton so checked out and bad first half. Nice turnaround second half.

Books passing looked off. Particularly first half. Improved. He’s finding his game again.

Ross is a terrible defender. I’m still waiting on his first poster dunk. It’s coming.

Okogie came out on fire and the. Reverted back to pre-flame okogie.

Thought Paul played well. But still looks pudgy.

Ugly win but I’ll take it.

I love Book but sometimes instead of forcing his shot to get into a rhythm, I wish he’d just make the simple play (all the time). He has this hero ball tendency that I think he needs to get rid of especially bringing KD in the fold. Love the 8 assists even though his 3 ball wasn’t working.

You can tell he’s not quite 100 percent. Shot is a little flat which is why again he’s not in that 40% 3 point area.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Damn it white guys it’s Turquoise not teal

Turquoise= Native American

In my defense I am color blind

 

[leclerc]

I've watched the first quarter so far. How many touches did Ayton get? How many looks at the basket or positions in the post? Can't figure out why they play so one dimensional. Mix it up, Monty.

 

[Carolinacacti]

they play so one dimensional.

All the teams do. shoot the three haff the time. I don't like it but the players and some plays still Hit it out off the Park

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I know he is. And yes I like Arizona more than most.

Make sure you give your bro a few swirlies for me lol

Lol. I’ll put them on the agenda for next family get together.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I've watched the first quarter so far. How many touches did Ayton get? How many looks at the basket or positions in the post? Can't figure out why they play so one dimensional. Mix it up, Monty.

They looked to him a few times but he just couldn’t establish position, which is awful against an OKC team with no true big defenders.

 

[Mainstreet]

I love Book but sometimes instead of forcing his shot to get into a rhythm, I wish he’d just make the simple play (all the time). He has this hero ball tendency that I think he needs to get rid of especially bringing KD in the fold. Love the 8 assists even though his 3 ball wasn’t working.

You can tell he’s not quite 100 percent. Shot is a little flat which is why again he’s not in that 40% 3 point area.

Sometimes Booker gets the ball with the shot clock winding down and needs to create. I think he has put a lot of the hero ball in the past.

 

[Mainstreet]

They looked to him a few times but he just couldn’t establish position, which is awful against an OKC team with no true big defenders.

Quick, athletic bigs always seem to give Ayton problems. I wish the Suns would design more plays where he is slashing to the basket.

 

[Mainstreet]

Mikal Bridges on Cam Payne.

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[Carolinacacti]

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Bookers Not great night

 

[Finito]

I don’t think it was a great night by anyone really, but we got the W and that’s all that matters.

That OKC team is really scrappy. I can’t wait to watch them when Chet is healthy

 

[DJ Tabooh]

Sometimes Booker gets the ball with the shot winding down and needs to create. I think he has put a lot of the hero ball in the past.

Not so much the late clock stuff. Sometimes, early in the shot clock, I think he settles for tough, contested shots. Now can he make them…yes. And maybe hero ball is the wrong word.

But I think he could be a 50-40-90 guy potentially if he didn’t force some quick ones when he’s not in rhythm. But yeah 25-8-6 is a good statline for a not so great night lol

 

[JCSunsfan]

Just yours, seeing as you have this weird, creepy obsession with me. You also have a well noted habit of embellishing and histrionics on this board.

You are not special. He does that with everybody. In this case, he's right and you are wrong about Mikal. And you keep repeating it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Well if you're counting on Durant to provide the toughness, good luck. That's not who he is.

well, yeah. That’s why I said even with KD it’s too soft. I’m under zero illusions this team will beat teams with great defense and toughness. It’s gonna have to lean heavily on it’s ability to have an out of this world offense that simply can’t be stopped.

 

[JCSunsfan]

well, yeah. That’s why I said even with KD it’s too soft. I’m under zero illusions this team will beat teams with great defense and toughness. It’s gonna have to lean heavily on it’s ability to have an out of this world offense that simply can’t be stopped.

Losing Jae and Mikal hurt on that front. Kinda hope we don't see Milwaukee in the finals. And I am not presuming we will be there. We have the main pieces, but injuries and Ayton are the big unknowns.

 

[TJ]

You are not special. He does that with everybody. In this case, he's right and you are wrong about Mikal. And you keep repeating it.

So I’m wrong about his disappearing act in the playoffs, getting cooked by guys like Cam Thomas, and the games where he goes 4-24?

Again, my gripe isn’t about Mikal as I actually like his overall game. It’s the pedestal he’s put on by fans as some god-like entity that can do no wrong. Historically, Suns fans have tended fall in love with role players and treat them as more than that.

BTW - Cheese is just as critical of Mikal as anyone here

 

[Cheesebeef]

Losing Jae and Mikal hurt on that front. Kinda hope we don't see Milwaukee in the finals. And I am not presuming we will be there. We have the main pieces, but injuries and Ayton are the big unknowns.

Yeah, you echoed something I said when the trade went down… the real kicker of where this team is, is the one type of player it really needs to be complete… is a Jae Crowder type. An ish-stirring attitude guy who can a bit of an enforcer.

Milwaukee is loaded for bear. If they’re healthy come playoff time, I expect them to win the title.

But if we’re healthy, I think we can give them a run. KD almost singlehandedly beat Milwaukee two years ago. And he was playing at that level before his injury this year.

 

[Covert Rain]

well, yeah. That’s why I said even with KD it’s too soft. I’m under zero illusions this team will beat teams with great defense and toughness. It’s gonna have to lean heavily on it’s ability to have an out of this world offense that simply can’t be stopped.

Well…it’s hard to believe how fast a teams identity can change. Losing Jae, McGee and now Bridges?!? That’s a pretty huge shift they are hoping is offset by KD being all world on offense and trying to replace some of what we lost in the small moves.

 

[djm75]

Ayton needs to take a masterclass from Terrence Ross on how to shoot with an arc. Terrence’s arc is a thing of beauty.

 

[leclerc]

Good job by the bench. Happy for Ish getting a contract. But why no TJ buckets and that flat earther?

 

[Mainstreet]

Ayton needs to take a masterclass from Terrence Ross on how to shoot with an arc. Terrence’s arc is a thing of beauty.

A lot of players should learn how to shoot like Terrence Ross. I like the high release and the arc he puts on his shot.

Btw, welcome aboard!

 

[Phrazbit]

They looked to him a few times but he just couldn’t establish position, which is awful against an OKC team with no true big defenders.

They've got a long of looong defenders trying to poach passes in the paint. But even so, when Ayton did the the ball in the paint he was far too content to immediately toss a 12 foot hook shot.

He goes through phases where he is scared to put the ball on the court.

 

[Phrazbit]

Yeah, you echoed something I said when the trade went down… the real kicker of where this team is, is the one type of player it really needs to be complete… is a Jae Crowder type. An ish-stirring attitude guy who can a bit of an enforcer.

Milwaukee is loaded for bear. If they’re healthy come playoff time, I expect them to win the title.

But if we’re healthy, I think we can give them a run. KD almost singlehandedly beat Milwaukee two years ago. And he was playing at that level before his injury this year.

I was hopeful we'd make a run at PJ Tucker last summer but Philly rolled through with some funny money.

May have been for the best though, Tucker is stinkin it up this year.