What once was, and will never be again.

by Pliny the Elder on Apr 10, 2009 12:15 PM MDT

Truehoop has a link to an interesting article on basketball-reference.com, talking about how the Suns performed, statistically, during the Nash era.

Specifically, it rejects the notion that the Suns, during that time, were a bad defensive team (ppg notwithstanding), but does highlight the fundamental flaw in the team's makeup, ie. rebounding, or more specifically, defensive rebounds allowed and offensive rebounds gotten.

It also highlights how our defense has gotten progressively *worse* under the Sarver/Kerr regime.

I guess it just goes to show that supposedly experienced people who work on this game for a living, don't understand even the most basic nuances of the game, or can't think outside of their little box.

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I've always said this

We should have won. If only Jerry would not have sold the team, I think we would have had a chip.

We had a good plan, and Sarver messed it up.

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Apr 10, 2009 12:18 PM MDT reply actions

I've felt for a while...

That our championship hopes were victims of an organizational transition. With the Vision and experience leaving, the newbies (Sarver & Kerr) were left pretty much fumbling around.

Which made the 2008-2009 Suns the Basketball equivalent of X-men 3.

PSN ID- presbot

by presbot on Apr 10, 2009 2:07 PM MDT up reply actions

It was not just Jerry selling the team..

nor the tinkering.. although we actually got better the 2nd year, even though JJ left.

You have to take into account the various pieces of misfortune, we’ve suffered, through the last four years. For example, in 05-06, despite losing Amare, in January we were well on our way to a 60 win season, when we lost KT for the remainder of the season, and ended up playing the 2nd half of the season pretty much without a front court.

If KT stays healthy for the 2nd half of the season, and Raja stays healthy through the playoffs, neither the Lakers nor the Clippers take us to 7 games, and we win the ’ship vs the Heat.

"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".

by Pliny the Elder on Apr 10, 2009 2:20 PM MDT reply actions

This is interesting. The cause would be, it would seem, premature running out on misses...

Specifically, it rejects the notion that the Suns, during that time, were a bad defensive team (ppg notwithstanding), but does highlight the fundamental flaw in the team’s makeup, ie. rebounding, or more specifically, defensive rebounds allowed and offensive rebounds gotten.

Pontiff of the Pryz for Prez Posse...

by timbo on Apr 10, 2009 5:29 PM MDT reply actions

no.. not premature running..

but a lack of positioning and effort at the center/pf position. You don’t start running until you actually have the ball.

In 05-06 and 06-07, which I consider to be our closest years wrt championship opportunity, we did a much better job at cutting down on opponents offensive rebounds, in comparison to other years. And we were able to overcome coming last or near last in offensive rebounding because of our high effective field goal percentage.

"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".

by Pliny the Elder on Apr 10, 2009 7:33 PM MDT up reply actions