Indian Wells Vision Quest

by Phoenix Stan on Oct 12, 2008 5:43 PM MDT in Commentary Comment 5 comments

Some people take hallucinogenic drugs and wander through the desert to escape from reality, seek clarity and answer questions.

Me, I just drive 8 hours through that desert to watch a basketball game.

A preseason basketball game.

A preseason basketball game that three of the league's best players missed.

Who's brain is fried?

You're probably reading this though because you are interested in basketball and for some reason you might even be interested in what I think about basketball.

So I will spare you the clarity I achieved and the decisions I made during my cross country commute assisted by my iPod and bag full of junk food and focus on the game.

The game was ugly. It was a preseason contest played in unfamiliar circumstances in fairly chilly weather. Both teams couldn't shoot a lick and the outcome was decided in the Nuggets favor because they wanted it more. At least in the second half.

Mateen Cleaves and Ruben Paterson were fighting for their professional lives while Matt Barnes and Alando Tucker were having a nice little preseason practice game.

The Suns vets weren't into this game after the first quarter and by the fourth when the game was tight we were treated to Robert (Richard?) Hite jacking up crazy shots in some kind of pathetic attempt to secure a roster spot in the three minutes of court time he got. I am guessing that's not the way to impress Terry Porter but hey, I'm not the man's agent so what do I know.

There wasn't much to take away from the game but here's what I came up with:

Side Show Rob looked great after putting up two rather unimpressive performances against Atlanta and Utah. He certainly seemed to impress the Chuckseter (per the Tivo replay I am listening to) and used his legnth to block 7 shots against a Nuggets team with no true center.
Shaq looked even slower in person.
Dragic has been consistent so far. Consistently poor with his shot and consistently confident and solid with the ball. I am still waiting to see that defense we heard so much about. But I am patient.
Denver's D was actually pretty good. They doubled everything in the paint and rotated hard. The Suns D has yet to really impress beyond some solid individual play. No worries - it's only preseason after all. It's only practice man. Practice.

Here's some images from the game:

Overall it was a great trip for me. Not so much for the game but for the drive and the chance to hang with Mark from Fanster (thanks again for the burger and beer!) and to meet Mike Lisboa (Mike, I went to that club to find you but it was far too fancy for my slovenly state of dress).

Don't forget to check out Pickaxe and Roll for their take on the game.

And finally, I will leave you with this image which is the kind symbolism you can sometimes find in the middle of the desert. I highly encourage you to get in the car and drive for awhile. You never know what you'll see.

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“I was zen.”

hahah awesome.

honor terry porter

by Ben. on Oct 13, 2008 12:39 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

I like all the complaints about the weather

Duh. That’s what happens when you play outside – unpredictable weather.

Symbolism. I saw a bunch of flags in those picks. Don’t push that sh*te on me. I don’t celebrate that stuff. I’m Bayesian.

You talkin bout practice??

Amare is moving.

by ZonaFlash on Oct 13, 2008 5:46 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

symbolism

a flag over the gas pumps,kind of gives me the warm fuzzies

by cornvillian on Oct 13, 2008 9:46 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

A (something) time was had by all!

My drive was quite a bit shorter coming from Irvine (1.5 hours), but Stan, your seats look to be much better than mine in the upper deck directly below the light on the left in your “moon shot” photo. I was accompanied by my father-in law, who hasn’t followed sports since he saw Bobby Thompson at Yankee Stadium, my 5-year old daughter, who cares for nothing beyond the Suns Dancers, and my 7-year old son, who was excited but worn out from a day of AYSO soccer, so lets just say the burden was on me to set the tone for cheering. Like you, I tivo’d the game, and as a sign of my sickness, after we got home I stayed up until 1am watching the broadcast of the game I had just attended…

The main (only?) highlight of the game itself was Robin Lopez, who looked pretty damn good, as Barkley mentioned on the broadcast, “excellent pick, Steve Kerr.” Still the crowd was solid. Our row was filled out by 4 college-age guys who had driven from Phoenix and were running synchronized chants from the the moment they took their seats 10 minutes before tip-off throughout the game. Major props for a well-coordinated effort, right down to “Fro-pez” and “Gor-an Dra-gic” chants, plus they even called out Suns dancer Brittany for not returning their messages—well done men! Also entertaining was the cranky old man who suffered through my son’s “jimmy leg” on the back of his chair, and the his-and-hers Iverson/Anthony jerseys on the couple in next to him, who must have consumed 3 plates of nachos. Each. Good thing those jerseys were XXL.

As you’ve read, the shooting was hideous all game, and by the 2nd half the players were actively hiding their arms in their jerseys between plays. The outdoor setting was pretty sweet, but with the temperature dropping like the stock market, we bailed in the 3rd quarter. Same place next year? How about a 5pm tip-off!

by SoCalSun on Oct 13, 2008 1:39 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs