Why did Suns Collapse in Playoffs?

[AZ Native]

...

 

[AzStevenCal]

But the reality is with CP3 leading the way we really don’t have a shot either

I think we have a better shot with CP3 than without him but unfortunately we don't have much of a shot either way. Unless our younger players take significants steps forward, we're going to be passed by a few more teams.

 

[Mainstreet]

Here is a link to the Burns and Gambo podcast with James Jones on 5-18-2022.

Suns GM believes Deandre Ayton returns: 'He's a big part of what we do'

Phoenix Suns GM James Jones told Burns & Gambo on Wednesday that he believes Deandre Ayton will be back with the team next season.

arizonasports.com

 

[Finito]

Here is a link to the Burns and Gambo podcast with James Jones on 5-18-2022.

Suns GM believes Deandre Ayton returns: 'He's a big part of what we do'

Phoenix Suns GM James Jones told Burns & Gambo on Wednesday that he believes Deandre Ayton will be back with the team next season.

arizonasports.com

Keep Ayton unless you can get a star for him

Get rid of CP3

Fire Monty and make Ty Lou the highest paid coach in the NBA.

Not gonna happen at all but that’s my plan

 

[Mainstreet]

Keep Ayton unless you can get a star for him

Get rid of CP3

Fire Monty and make Ty Lou the highest paid coach in the NBA.

Not gonna happen at all but that’s my plan

A key problem is the Suns were down to one play maker and scorer against the Mavericks in Devin Booker. He was double and triple teamed so this is not going to work going forward.

Suns can't count on Chris Paul and Cam Payne except intermittently. It's not an accident the Mavs were able to exploit the Suns with three point guards at least two of which could create their own shot.

They need more scorers and play makers. IMO, it's more a personnel problem than anything else.

If a team wants Chris Paul, then explore it.

 

[Russ Smith]

Probably in here somewhere but apparently Payne said publicly that Booker had a hamstring problem(known) CP 3 had a quad injury(not sure if public or not) Ayton tore something in his thumb in game 1 and played through it, and that Payne had a back injury.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Probably in here somewhere but apparently Payne said publicly that Booker had a hamstring problem(known) CP 3 had a quad injury(not sure if public or not) Ayton tore something in his thumb in game 1 and played through it, and that Payne had a back injury.

Maybe I missed it but the only one I'd heard about was CP's injury. Booker has had hamstring problems in the past but I don't know if it was still an issue (or again an issue).

 

[Russ Smith]

Maybe I missed it but the only one I'd heard about was CP's injury. Booker has had hamstring problems in the past but I don't know if it was still an issue (or again an issue).

It's in a thing that popped up on my FB feed. Unfortunately once you scroll by it, it doesn't come back,. Most of the comments on it were telling him to quit making excuses. The Ayton thumb thing was a complete surprise to me I had no idea he was hurt.

 

[Mainstreet]

Probably in here somewhere but apparently Payne said publicly that Booker had a hamstring problem(known) CP 3 had a quad injury(not sure if public or not) Ayton tore something in his thumb in game 1 and played through it, and that Payne had a back injury.

I only read about Paul being injured. Booker had recovered from a hamstring issue.

The above would explain a lot though. The Suns were depleted at point guard. They weren't getting the job done.

 

[Dback Jon]

So they played too much in the regular season.

 

[Cheesebeef]

All of that sans CP3’s “injury” is total news to all Suns fans… who pour over every report about the team so I call BS on all of it.

 

[Russ Smith]

Was able to find it by searching FB

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[AzStevenCal]

All of that sans CP3’s “injury” is total news to all Suns fans… who pour over every report about the team so I call BS on all of it.

They were healthy enough to play so no one cares about the excuses, real or not. But I will say this, I have never seen a player so off his game every time he tries to play with an injury than Devin Booker. We know he steps up in big moments so I have no problem believing that his lousy performance was physical.

I want to know, when did these injuries occur. I think it's pretty clear we'd have been better off sitting Paul and Payne and it looks like that's true of Devin.

Another aspect of this is that none of these injuries were disclosed publicly before the games which means the few with inside information probably made a small fortune betting against us. I've said it before but the NBA absolutely has to require full health disclosure for all players if they want to continue to align themselves with legalized betting.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Was able to find it by searching FB

You must be registered for see images attach

Ughhhh sooo tired of az sports pro players excuses after big gms just step up get the big w

Your makin freakin millions for 1 reason!! To w

 

[Cheesebeef]

Was able to find it by searching FB

You must be registered for see images attach

yet NONE of us ever actually read or heard this quote from any of the sources we regularly follow?

Again, I'll call BS on the report until I actually see it reported myself and if it is reported, I'm gonna call BS on it anyway as it just sounds like pathetic excuses.

 

[Cheesebeef]

They were healthy enough to play so no one cares about the excuses, real or not. But I will say this, I have never seen a player so off his game every time he tries to play with an injury than Devin Booker. We know he steps up in big moments so I have no problem believing that his lousy performance was physical.

I want to know, when did these injuries occur. I think it's pretty clear we'd have been better off sitting Paul and Payne and it looks like that's true of Devin.

Another aspect of this is that none of these injuries were disclosed publicly before the games which means the few with inside information probably made a small fortune betting against us. I've said it before but the NBA absolutely has to require full health disclosure for all players if they want to continue to align themselves with legalized betting.

I don't buy any Devin injury this year, nor do I buy that BS for why he stunk in Game 6 of the Finals last year. If you have a hamstring issue in Game 6 of the Finals, you don't then immediately jump on a cross the world flight and then immediately start playing Olympic basketball the moment you get there. And Pop sure as hell wouldn't have been playing him if he had hammy issues over there.

 

[Mainstreet]

Was able to find it by searching FB

You must be registered for see images attach

I haven't read anything about this other than Chris Paul.

Also it doesn't explain away why the Suns didn't play as a team in game 7 against the Mavericks.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Was able to find it by searching FB

You must be registered for see images attach

Book did have the hammy in the previous round. Entirely possible it recurred.

 

[Bobster]

The Suns were a different team after taking their foot off the accelerator at the end of the regular season. There was a lot of talk about it being a "revenge Tour" but when they playoff arrived I don't we saw any of the needed intensity.

In almost half their playoff games they appeared to be going through the motions, thinking they could flip on a switch and turn the intensity back on. Well, it didn't work that way, and I think you have to hold Monty Williams and the team's leaders - Booker and Paul and to a lesser degree, Crowder, Ayton and Bridges - accountable for that.

There was very little consistency or defensive intensity in the second round. And in the 6th and 7th games we saw none of it.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The Suns were a different team after taking their foot off the accelerator at the end of the regular season. There was a lot of talk about it being a "revenge Tour" but when they playoff arrived I don't we saw any of the needed intensity.

In almost half their playoff games they appeared to be going through the motions, thinking they could flip on a switch and turn the intensity back on. Well, it didn't work that way, and I think you have to hold Monty Williams and the team's leaders - Booker and Paul and to a lesser degree, Crowder, Ayton and Bridges - accountable for that.

There was very little consistency or defensive intensity in the second round. And in the 6th and 7th games we saw none of it.

I think they were a different team long before taking their foot off the accelerator. They were still winning but for the most part it was due to 4th quarter heroics from CP3.

I'd thought they were going through the motions most nights during the second half of the season. Maybe the scouting report was out on us and that's why we were lackluster until CP could turn it on late in games but whatever it was, we just stopped being dominant most nights.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Suns were a different team after taking their foot off the accelerator at the end of the regular season. There was a lot of talk about it being a "revenge Tour" but when they playoff arrived I don't we saw any of the needed intensity.

In almost half their playoff games they appeared to be going through the motions, thinking they could flip on a switch and turn the intensity back on. Well, it didn't work that way, and I think you have to hold Monty Williams and the team's leaders - Booker and Paul and to a lesser degree, Crowder, Ayton and Bridges - accountable for that.

There was very little consistency or defensive intensity in the second round. And in the 6th and 7th games we saw none of it.

A lot of it appears related to point guard play.

In the series with the Mavericks it appears Paul was injured and Payne disappeared sometime during the latter part of March.

That only left Holiday and Payton and Monty wasn't playing them.

 

[Russ Smith]

I haven't read anything about this other than Chris Paul.

Also it doesn't explain away why the Suns didn't play as a team in game 7 against the Mavericks.

And again it's on FB so that doesn't mean it's an actual quote. I googled that quote and didn't find it anywhere else.

 

[95pro]

The suns do keep a tight lid on things, injuries could be plausible

 

[Mainstreet]

And again it's on FB so that doesn't mean it's an actual quote. I googled that quote and didn't find it anywhere else.

For sure, there is a lot of stuff floating around out there.

 

[AzCards777]

Was able to find it by searching FB

You must be registered for see images attach

No excuses! A sore back doesn't make you miss layups and clank 3's. Dude needs to work on his confidence first