Where's the Portland Game Thread?

[Absolute Zero]

Wow, it must have been swallowed by the "lost interest... thread".

I was able to listen to parts of the game on the radio last night. We battled back to gain the lead in the 3rd, but then kind of got stuck in our abysmal offense thing in the 4th. Blazers put it away with 5 or so consecutive buckets by LA down the stretch though he was pretty well defended on most of them.

It seems that when we aren't running, our offense is really really predictable for other teams. They know our tendencies and can shut us down. We have no LA or Cousins to put people away. So if we aren't hitting from the outside, you can pretty much stick a fork in us in those tight games down the stretch.

Sure would be nice if we could pick up our own unstoppable PF to compliment Len down low. But there just aren't many around.

 

[82CardsGrad]

We scored 34 points in the second half! Bledsoe was a pathetic 5 of 20 shooting for the game... Just pathetic!

 

[elindholm]

I think I read somewhere that the Suns lost.

 

[slinslin]

We scored 34 points in the second half! Bledsoe was a pathetic 5 of 20 shooting for the game... Just pathetic!

He also had 7 assists and 0 turnovers and the team lost the game when Bledsoe was getting a rest. Bad shooting games happen.

Aldridge could not miss in the first quarter and in the end.

Roblin Lopez owned Alex Len.

Tucker was bad.

Shooting was overall bad once again.

AJ Price was absolutely worthless again.

 

[82CardsGrad]

He also had 7 assists and 0 turnovers and the team lost the game when Bledsoe was getting a rest. Bad shooting games happen.



Aldridge could not miss in the first quarter and in the end.



Roblin Lopez owned Alex Len.



Tucker was bad.



Shooting was overall bad once again.



AJ Price was absolutely worthless again.

Would love to know what Bledsoe's shooting % is for actual jump shots, extracting out his drives to the hoop...

Can't wait to see Len handle Lopez and everyone else 2 -3 years from now! Kid is just 21 years old... He's gonna be a beast!

AJ Price??? Seriously?? You bring up a dude who played 4 mins?? [emoji15]

 

[devilalum]

Why didn't they double team Aldridge in the 4th?!?!?!
After he made 2 of those turn arounds in a row why didn't they double team him hard instead of just watching while he did it 8 times in a row. This was the ballgame.

 

[Cheesebeef]

this team plays hard defense now, but it still has the same problem it did even when they had the glut of PGs... no closer whatsoever. Bledsoe doesn't look like that guy, regardless of what his "clutch" stats say.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

this team plays hard defense now, but it still has the same problem it did even when they had the glut of PGs... no closer whatsoever. Bledsoe doesn't look like that guy, regardless of what his "clutch" stats say.

I went to the game, it was close throughout but Aldridge just took over at the end. Bledsoe does many good things, but the Blazers were daring him to take jumpers all game, and it was a good strategy - he wasn't making anything.

Bled just isn't consistently a guy who you can go to in crunch time - no idea why Markieff wasn't getting touches at the end. I think it would be better if when Knight comes back that he takes over playmaking duties. The problem with that plan is that Bled is not as good a spot up shooter as Knight.

This team has a lot to figure out...I want to believe that the progression of Bled/Knight/Morri/Len, plus the addition of a great PF is enough of a base to work with, but can Knight/Bled compliment each other? Guess we'll find out.

 

[slinslin]

Bledsoe and Markieff both have been great at the end of close games this season.

Aldridge just was terrific yesterday down the stretch and both Markieff and Bledsoe had bad shooting nights.

 

[Mainstreet]

Why didn't they double team Aldridge in the 4th?!?!?!
After he made 2 of those turn arounds in a row why didn't they double team him hard instead of just watching while he did it 8 times in a row. This was the ballgame.

I saw the Suns double team Aldridge in the closing minutes of the 4th. When the double team came he pulled up and shot the ball over the defenders. I thought the defense was decent but he wasn't missing. Eddie Johnson kept commenting during the final minutes, when it is a close game it takes only two two good players that know how to close to win a game.

 

[slinslin]

A near 7 footer with high release making midrange jumpers and turn-around jumpers is kind of hard to defend.

 

[mojorizen7]

How many Center/PF's have the Suns had over the years that consistently demanded a double team or even could consistently win one-on-one battles? One or two? Three?

We need one.

 

[BC867]

this team plays hard defense now, but it still has the same problem it did even when they had the glut of PGs... no closer whatsoever. Bledsoe doesn't look like that guy, regardless of what his "clutch" stats say.

It is good to see the Suns defense step up. But, for a team that has always had the philosophy on offense of "score more points than the opponent", we just don't have a dominant player at any position. Bledsoe is dominant for the team, but not for the league. Hence, another non-playoff season.

POINTS PER GAME..........ASSISTS PER GAME..........REBOUNDS PER GAME
Bledsoe....17.3..............Bledsoe....6.0..................Len........6.6
Kieff........15.5..............Knight......4.5..................Tucker....6.4
Knight......14.4..............Kieff........2.2..................Kieff.......6.0
Green.......11.4.............Ennis........1.8..................Bledsoe..5.5

No post scorer..............No real Point Guard...........No dominant rebounder

I wish that Oliver Hardy were around to tell McDonough what he used to tell Stan Laurel, "This is another fine mess you've gotten me into."

 

[slinslin]

I see you continue to come up with absurd "reasons" why the Suns are not good enough.

 

[BC867]

I see you continue to come up with absurd "reasons" why the Suns are not good enough.

That's constructive! Are you implying that there is anything dominant about the Suns? Y'know, dominant as in reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009-10.

The non-dominating figures are not "reasons", they are statistics. The overall result is one description for the Suns -- mediocre.

You're right. That is absurd! For a Front Office and Coaching staff that has no direction. And disappointing for the fans.

 

[Catlover]

It is good to see the Suns defense step up. But, for a team that has always had the philosophy on offense of "score more points than the opponent", we just don't have a dominant player at any position. Bledsoe is dominant for the team, but not for the league. Hence, another non-playoff season.

POINTS PER GAME..........ASSISTS PER GAME..........REBOUNDS PER GAME
Bledsoe....17.3..............Bledsoe....6.0..................Len........6.6
Kieff........15.5..............Knight......4.5..................Tucker....6.4
Knight......14.4..............Kieff........2.2..................Kieff.......6.0
Green.......11.4.............Ennis........1.8..................Bledsoe..5.5

No post scorer..............No real Point Guard...........No dominant rebounder

I wish that Oliver Hardy were around to tell McDonough what he used to tell Stan Laurel, "This is another fine mess you've gotten me into."

He took over a 25 win franchise. I'd say he's helped take us a step forward, it just doesn't look that way because we overachieved last season.

No one knows if this rebuild will work but it isn't over yet. One of the goals was to make the playoffs and they missed that one but they missed it with all those losses to bad teams in the first 6 weeks of the season. But making the playoffs this season was never the ultimate goal, competing for a championship is. We aren't there yet, or even close, but getting to the top of the heap from the bottom of the pile rarely happens in 2 seasons. I like the focus on defense and hope it continues as we add to our talent pool over the next few seasons.

 

[slinslin]

You could argue that Atlanta does not have any of those 3 either.

You could argue that GSW at best has "a real PG" whatever that is supposed to mean.

The whole statement is the typical BC867 non-sense negativity crap. Pulling some random argument out of his ass to "prove" that the Suns are doing everything wrong.

 

[BC867]

He took over a 25 win franchise. I'd say he's helped take us a step forward, it just doesn't look that way because we overachieved last season.

No one knows if this rebuild will work but it isn't over yet. One of the goals was to make the playoffs and they missed that one but they missed it with all those losses to bad teams in the first 6 weeks of the season. But making the playoffs this season was never the ultimate goal, competing for a championship is. We aren't there yet, or even close, but getting to the top of the heap from the bottom of the pile rarely happens in 2 seasons. I like the focus on defense and hope it continues as we add to our talent pool over the next few seasons.

I hope you're right! And I am so glad to see an emphasis on defense, although it came about only because of the loss of Knight. Time will tell if we revert when he comes back.

My gripe with McDonough is his proclamation that, as long as he is GM, the Suns will feature two Point Guards (who are neither Point Guards nor Shooting Guards).

I believe it is a weak foundation for future growth. Again, time will tell.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I hope you're right! And I am so glad to see an emphasis on defense, although it came about only because of the loss of Knight. Time will tell if we revert when he comes back.

My gripe with McDonough is his proclamation that, as long as he is GM, the Suns will feature two Point Guards (who are neither Point Guards nor Shooting Guards).

I believe it is a weak foundation for future growth. Again, time will tell.

The emphasis on defense has been growing. The last big step was not the loss of Knight, but the loss of Dragic. Oh yes, Tucker is a defensive improvement over Knight, but Knight is also a significant improvement over Dragic.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I hope you're right! And I am so glad to see an emphasis on defense, although it came about only because of the loss of Knight. Time will tell if we revert when he comes back.

My gripe with McDonough is his proclamation that, as long as he is GM, the Suns will feature two Point Guards (who are neither Point Guards nor Shooting Guards).

I believe it is a weak foundation for future growth. Again, time will tell.

I disagree with you a lot, but I believe that's a legit gripe. Making it even worse is that for two years, we've never even had a true PG. Dragic, Bledsoe, Thomas AND Knight are ALL combo guards... And undersized combo guards as well.

 

[Mainstreet]

I hope you're right! And I am so glad to see an emphasis on defense, although it came about only because of the loss of Knight. Time will tell if we revert when he comes back.

My gripe with McDonough is his proclamation that, as long as he is GM, the Suns will feature two Point Guards (who are neither Point Guards nor Shooting Guards).

I believe it is a weak foundation for future growth. Again, time will tell.

BC, do you have a link to this proclamation?

 

[Hoop Head]

BC, do you have a link to this proclamation?

It was said in the press conference McD and Babby did after trading Dragic.

 

[Mainstreet]

It was said in the press conference McD and Babby did after trading Dragic.

I can't believe he said it as long as he is GM but I'm just guessing. I'd like to hear it again.

I think a lot of things were said in that time period from McDonough and Babby they wish they could retract.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I can't believe he said it as long as he is GM but I'm just guessing. I'd like to hear it again.

I think a lot of things were said in that time period from McDonough and Babby they wish they could retract.

I heard that at the presser too. Doesn't make sense to me, especially when they've NEVER had ONE legit PG, much less two. Falling back on the KJ/Horny, Isiah/Dumars, Stockton/Horny paradigm doesn't make sense when Isiah/KJ/Stockton were ALL legit and premiere PGs.

 

[Mainstreet]

I heard that at the presser too. Doesn't make sense to me, especially when they've NEVER had ONE legit PG, much less two. Falling back on the KJ/Horny, Isiah/Dumars, Stockton/Horny paradigm doesn't make sense when Isiah/KJ/Stockton were ALL legit and premiere PGs.

I agree it doesn't make much sense. Anyway, it seems most everyone is in agreement.

It's amazing how those videos disappear. At least I could not find the video from the Babby and McDonough press conference about Dragic. I believe there was another regarding the Dragic trade made by McDonough later on. I'm sure they must be out there somewhere on video or radio. It would be interesting to play them again.