Wizards @ Suns Tuesday game thread 12-20-2022

[Cheesebeef]

At this point, Bridges is the 4th best on this team, maybe 5th depending on how Cam Johnson plays when he gets back. If Book, DA and CP3 are your three main guys and they’re playing at a high level, that’s a good foundation for a title contender. Our main issue is depth and play from our forwards at this rate. We have rotation players starting at the moment

CP3 ain’t that guy anymore TJ. He needs to be a 4th or 5th best guy at best. And Ayton is too inconsistent right now to be a 2. Future is possible, but to win a title this year or the next, he’d be most effective as a #3, with the hopes the Suns could use Bridges, expiring and picks to get a great #2.

Only then will this current team win a title the next couple years. In the future, if we got a coach who could fully untap Ayton’s unlimited potential, we’d have a great 1/2 punch, but I think that’s still a better coach and couple years away.

 

[TJ]

I blame Kliff Kingsbury.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Again we're basically doubled up on FTA's, seems like almost a nightly occurence for us. Something has to change. Monty needs to make that a priority for his assistants. Have them figure out why our players aren't going to the line AND figure out why we're sending our opponents there so often. If necessary, bring in a retired referee as a consultant. Just fix it.

This isn’t some kind of great mystery or failing on Monty’s part (there are plenty of others).

We simply don’t have players that attack or play above the rim on offense. If you don’t have guys forcing contact, you don’t get fouls. If you don’t get fouls, you don’t shoot FTs.

On D, switching D, which was our Achilles heal in the playoffs last year, seems to be even worse than last year. We are scrambling so much and so late, that we give up a ton of open opportunities our guys stupidly reach on. That could be changed, but considering it was our Achilles heel in the playoffs and only got worse this season, Monty doesn’t look like the guy who knows how to change it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I blame Kliff Kingsbury.

Fair.

 

[AsUpRoDiGy]

Ayton and Bridges were going after eachother during a FT attempt also. This team is unraveling at its core.

 

[TJ]

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At least someone’s loving this dysfunction

 

[95pro]

Ayton and Bridges were going after eachother during a FT attempt also. This team is unraveling at its core.

The video, I think maybe, shows ayton pointing at Bridges.

Rumor around the league is that bridges never stops talking. I think his bobble head is getting annoying, or has gotten.

Could be nothing too, im sure these small outbursts happen more than we know. Imo it the video didn’t seem like much. I don’t think ayton was in on that play before the timeout.

 

[GatorAZ]

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At least someone’s loving this dysfunction

.
There should be a social media ban if you quit on your team.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The video, I think maybe, shows ayton pointing at Bridges.

Rumor around the league is that bridges never stops talking. I think his bobble head is getting annoying, or has gotten.

Could be nothing too, im sure these small outbursts happen more than we know. Imo it the video didn’t seem like much. I don’t think ayton was in on that play before the timeout.

His 3 ball thing to the opposing bench, while never hitting a big shot in his life and turtling bad in back to back playoff collapses, is obnoxious if you ask me.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

So pretty much unless Booker goes nuclear we don’t have a chance. I get that right?

Just too many injuries to know right now. Either book or Paul is out with Payne out, cam Johnson out, sometimes aytin out, landale out, Washington out no return on crowder. Of course there’s no guarantee of a return to health for all at one time or turning crowder into a playable asset, but I think we really don’t know what we have in this team at this point. Other than some disappointment in bridges, Paul likely not being full Paul of last two years, some surprise in Ayton’s newfound consistency, and book being capable of super nova when healthy.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Including this game he has averaged 19.5 in the last 6 games. It was an ugly game and he will have them more often than I would like, but he is a very capable scorer.

Shooting under 40% from the field and under 32% from 3. And still not able to average 20 (19.5 is close, but still not 20). That’s not a scorer. If bridges were counted as a #1 or #2 scorer that team team is likely putrid.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Monty and Ayton have another exchange.

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Man something still not right there. And no one even looked at Washington raising his arm to get daps before they re-entered the game. I do wonder if monty has run his course and they ready for the coach that will elevate them to the next level.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I hope new ownership realizes Monty is Doug Collins/Del Harris and gets this team it’s needed Phil Jackson. If someone can get Ayton to be consistently great (which he HAS the natural talent to be) that is the only way the Suns future remains bright.

Monty has proven he can’t do that. Time to try and find a new coach that can along with a GM who cares about the draft, and isn’t content to sit on his hands when things are good enough and goes for broke when the opportunity is there to go for it. Unlike James Jones did the previous two seasons.

Borg re coach

 

[Superbone]

Paul is down and in pain. It appears to be a shoulder.

That was the beginning of the end. We should have just sat him. He was pretty much useless from that point forward.

 

[boisesuns]

At what point do we admit this is more than injuries? There’s a feeling of things unraveling and results in games like this (and many others this year) are evidence of a deeper problem. When everyone comes back we have a good enough batch of talent, but it’s feeling like we don’t have a TEAM anymore.

I think we side into the 4-5 seed by seasons end and get bounced in the first round. I guess we will see if Jones addresses any of these things with changes.

 

[Mainstreet]

That was the beginning of the end. We should have just sat him. He was pretty much useless from that point forward.

I think sitting Paul would have been prudent but apparently it was thought to be a stinger at the time.

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[Mainstreet]

The flare-up may have started when Ayton didn't sit a screen for Bridges at the right moment.

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[Mainstreet]

These things can happen but it brought back memories 0f game 7 with the Mavericks in the playoffs.

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[Finito]

I hope new ownership realizes Monty is Doug Collins/Del Harris and gets this team it’s needed Phil Jackson. If someone can get Ayton to be consistently great (which he HAS the natural talent to be) that is the only way the Suns future remains bright.

Monty has proven he can’t do that. Time to try and find a new coach that can along with a GM who cares about the draft, and isn’t content to sit on his hands when things are good enough and goes for broke when the opportunity is there to go for it. Unlike James Jones did the previous two seasons.

Yeah I think it’s pretty clear to everyone Monty has run his course. He’s just not that guy.

Under 5 minutes left in the 4 and the Wizards go on a 17-2 run and he just sits there. It’s very clear Paul was hurt and hurting the team by being out there. The entire game changed when he got hurt, but Monty won’t stand up to Paul.

 

[Mainstreet]

These heat of the moment things can be overblown but sometimes they need to happen. However, when they occur on the court, it draws more attention.

Deandre Ayton gives it some perspective.

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[Finito]

The flare-up may have started when Ayton didn't sit a screen for Bridges at the right moment.

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Oh is that the same Bridges who was getting absolutely lit the **** up by Bradley Beal?

I’m sure maybe if Ayton had set that screen Bridges would have scored 12 points instead of 10.

No accountability it’s Ayton’s fault that’s our culture.

 

[Mainstreet]

Oh is that the same Bridges who was getting absolutely lit the **** up by Bradley Beal?

I’m sure maybe if Ayton had set that screen Bridges would have scored 12 points instead of 10.

No accountability it’s Ayton’s fault that’s our culture.

I think it needs to be viewed more as a team thing rather than an individual thing.

There is plenty of blame to go around in these type losses.

 

[82CardsGrad]

The flare-up may have started when Ayton didn't sit a screen for Bridges at the right moment.

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That’s definitely the play that caused Bridges to say something to DA, and Monty to boil over in the huddle…
DA’s basketball IQ remains sub-par. Monty expects better execution from him, especially in tight moments.

 

[Mainstreet]

That’s definitely the play that caused Bridges to say something to DA, and Monty to boil over in the huddle…
DA’s basketball IQ remains sub-par. Monty expects better execution from him, especially in tight moments.

The whole team could have executed better when they let the Wizards back in the game.

When it comes down to one or two plays, anything can happen.

 

[82CardsGrad]

The whole team could have executed better when they let the Wizards back in the game.

When it comes down to one or two plays, anything can happen.

Of course… but, with no Book, Cam’s, Crowder and a banged up CP3, Monty expects DA to do his job in crucial moments. He failed to execute a called play, so Bridges called it out and then Monty’s frustration boiled over…which, IMO, means nothing about the team coming apart…