New Jersey @ Phoenix GameThread, Nov 30, 2008 6:00 PM MST

Open Gameday Thread - Suns vs Nets

by Phoenix Stan on Nov 30, 2008 1:36 PM MST

New Jersey @ Phoenix

Phoenix Suns	vs.	New Jersey Nets
11-6		8-7
6:00PM Mountain / 8:00 PM Eastern
TV: FSNAZ HD
Probable starters:
Steve Nash	PG	Devin Harris
Raja Bell	SG	Bobby Simmons
Matt Barnes	SF	Vince Carter
Amare Stoudemire	PF	Yi Jianlian
The Big Tweet	C	Brother Lopez

Official Suns Game Notes
Friday night a mediocre eastern conference squad rolled into Phoenix fresh off an embarrassing loss to Northwest division team. That didn't work out so well for us as Wade lead his mates to a thrashing of our boys who appeared to be suffering from the dreaded post Thanksgiving Turkcoma.
Tonight the Nets are in town coming off an embarrassing blowout win over the Jazz and hopefully will be suffering a bit of a hangover themselves.
But the story of the day isn't the Nets who haven't won in Phoenix since Benard King laced 'em up. Today's story is yesterday's story.
Are we having fun yet?
Word out of Suns camp is that the boys are as grumpy as you all and once again talking about the F word.
What is it about this team that they can't seem to find any chemistry or manage to enjoy what they are doing? Is it Amare's ego? Nash's intensity? Shaq's tweets?
My vote is for Raja Bell's complaining. Time for him to knock the crap off and remember that he's a role player and his role is to play defense. Not to get blown by Dwayne Wade as if his Nike's were glued to the floor. Not to pretend that he can dribble and shoot in the same 2 second span of time. And not to pretend that he can run the fast break and finish on anything higher then my kid's nerf hoop. Play defense. Hit open three's. Shut mouth. Rinse. Repeat.

Super duper magical keys to cutting down the Nets:

Have Fun. And the Nets are just the team to provide the spark. They don't like to play defense and they should be tired on the last night of a road trip. Just what the Suns need to feast on.
Rest Amare. Word is that Amare missed (skipped?) practice on Saturday with a strained calf and is questionable for tonight's game. It probably would be a good thing for the team to play without him. Boris can certainly handle Ji at the PF and frankly, I think the team is so worried about getting Amare the ball and working with Amare and keeping Amare happy and watching Amare be Amare that Amare on the bench might help things gel a little bit
Let Vince shoot. Don't let Vince drive.
Curious to see how many minutes LB get's tonight. I am betting he's going to see more of the floor then Raja. There's no way I am the only one noticing how craptastic he's been. We finally will get to see what some depth behind him might do. Unless Nash doesn't play again or Porter decides that LB should run the point with Bell instead of Rookie A or Rookie B.
Lopez v. Lopez. I hope we get to see the brotherly love again because it will mean the game is well in hand. As much as I like what Robin brings he's a disruption on both ends of the floor. And I don't mean to the other team. He has the team's worst +/- because no one, himself included, know what he's going to do when he's out there. The kid will learn to play under a bit more control and understand the game better with time. But meanwhile, this is not the time to be developing the rookie. That will come in a month or two once the A Team has got its act together.
I love Devin Harris. Every time I see him play in a Nets uniform it makes me pity Mark Cuban just a little bit more. Speaking of Devin, check out this awesome video of him getting smoked by the geeky white guy. Go geeky white guys!

and finally...have fun! It's a game! No one will get dropped into the moat and feed to the sharks with fricken laser beams if we lose.
Stop trying to play not to lose and play to have fun. Or to win. Play to win. But have fun with it. Win first. Then have fun. Play to have fun winning.
[Note by Phoenix Stan, 11/30/08 3:15 PM PST ]

This just in. Audio from after the Heat game.Amare, Shaq and LB.
Best line 'They prepared for us. They watched film. They had a plan." Gee Amare. Do you think so?

From today's shoot around, Coach Porter responds to fans and Amare.

Audio provided by Sports 620 KTAR

0 recs | Comment 18 comments

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Comments

I don't buy the "have fun" stuff.

This same article comes out every year. They need to “loosen up”, “relax”, “have fun”, or as D’Antoni put it, “play with a swashbuckling attitude”, whatever the hell that means.

And there’s no need for Raja to shoot off the dribble, you’re right. He’s great on 3s(46%) and off of screens, but that’s it. Still, he’s not the only one complaining. Nash, Bell, and now Amare(who also needs to stfu).

I hope Lopez gets time tonight. What’s the point of hyping up the draft pick if you’re not going to play him? The man has skills.

Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."

by rsavaj on Nov 30, 2008 3:55 PM MST 0 recs

is amare playing tonight?

by SDU on Nov 30, 2008 4:16 PM MST 0 recs

Maybe

maybe not.

No word yet

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Phoenix Stan on Nov 30, 2008 4:16 PM MST up 0 recs

Nash and Amare starting tonight

Nash was a game time decision. That doesn’t bode well for his ability to stay in front of Devin if he’s not 100. Even if he is 100 Harris has killed him.

You can’t put Bell on him. I guess we might see LB and Sean the Rookie at times.

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Phoenix Stan on Nov 30, 2008 6:09 PM MST 0 recs

1Q down

I must say, these guys are lookin good coming out of the gate. Good hustle goin on. Few quick subjects I want to address.

Dear Mr. Stoudemire: I’ve been a believer in you from day 1. But if you want to critisize the situation, you have to hold up our end. That means making your free throws.

Instant Replay: Is this really working if viewers at home can get a better view on plays than the refs are getting? Nash’s toe was not on that line. Get a better tv or something. Time to step it up to some HD, NBA. Detail is critical.

by KnowGood on Nov 30, 2008 6:50 PM MST 0 recs

Hmm

I am watching on a 13-inch (obviously no HDTV) and I could see that his toe was behind the line.

by TwinnerA on Nov 30, 2008 7:06 PM MST up 0 recs

Something else

You’re right. Amare has been missing more FT’s than usual. Overall, the team’s FT shooting has been pretty bad (don’t count Shaq, anything he makes is a bonus IMO).

by TwinnerA on Nov 30, 2008 7:09 PM MST up 0 recs

Not only has Amare been missing more FTs, he’ not even able to finish and get the +1. Every player has momentary slumps. But ts not wise to speak you’re mind about others during a slump. Not normal behavior from him at all.

Shaq making FTs is a bonus IMO as well. Certainly not expected.

by KnowGood on Nov 30, 2008 7:12 PM MST up 0 recs

Oops

*hold up your end. Had to make that clear. Big difference between Your and Our. We’re fans. Being here is holding up our end. Why is there no edit button?

by KnowGood on Nov 30, 2008 6:56 PM MST 0 recs