Suns Give Good Effort In Loss To Lakers, 114-106
by Seth Pollack on Oct 29, 2010 10:09 PM MST
in Phoenix Suns: Game Coverage
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PrintAll in all, about as good as could be expected. In fact, I was pretty darn impressed. Offensively, the Suns were extremely effective and defensively, well the Lakers are pretty darn good. No complaints here.
Here's the first recap from over at SBNAZ:
Phoenix Suns Put Up Good Fight But Drop Home Opener To Los Angles Lakers, 114-106 - SB Nation Arizona
The Phoenix Sun had a tough task playing the Los Angeles Lakers for their home opener and the result was as expected. But the home town boys gave the fans a solid game through a combination of gritty effort and skilled play. The Suns had no answer for Pau Gasol (not many teams do) and couldn't keep Lamar Odom off the glass but offensively Phoenix continues to make quick progress. There are no moral victories in sports but if there were, this would be one.
More recap fun (now, with quotes):
Both Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers Encouraged By Early Season Game - SB Nation Arizona
Phoenix Suns head coach Alvin Gentry said he was "proud" of his team despite losing their home opener 114-106 to the Los Angeles Lakers. Lakers head coach (and Zen master) Phil Jackson wasn't thrilled that his team took 27 three point shots but overall was "pleased with the way the team performed."
And check out these cocky bastards. I guess we shouldn't expect anything more from Laker fans. As the lady once sang, true colors shining through.
Lakers 114, Suns 106: Gasol, Odom Pound Squishy Phoenix D - Silver Screen and Roll
The Phoenix Suns have clearly faded since enjoying their 15 minutes of semi-glory back in May 2010, and frankly they were a pretty soft target even then. Amare Stoudemire at least gave them a puncher's chance of keeping up with the Lakers for a quarter here and there. Now that he's fled the conference out of an acute case of Pau-phobia, the Suns are little more than another of the Lake Show's intradivisional speedbags.
Game notes after the jump. Post game quotes, etc to follow.
Game notes
1st Qtr
- Odom going at Hedo. That's there all game and there's nothing Turk can do about it.
- Suns doing a better job finding Robin and taking advantage of Fisher trying to guard Hill (Kobe on Nash).
- Oh hi, Joey Crawford. This should be fun.
- Suns retreating on defense as soon as the shot goes up. Only Robin stays to try and get an OReb.
- Spacing on those Robin/Nash pick and rolls looks wrong. Lakers shouldn't be able to double team Nash and still cover Robin without bringing and extra defender...and yet they are doing just that.
- Lakers looks a little sloppy early...but lead 15-14
- Robin leads Suns with 6 points. Doing a much better job finding him in different ways. This offense is improving fast.
- Solid defense by JRich on that Kobe post up. Just hold your ground and don't bite on the fakes.
- Suns beaten down the floor a few times for early/easy Lakers baskets.
- Wireless internet down up in here. Reverting to old school note taking with MS Word.
- Dragic in a little earlier today. 2:10 to go. Kobe gives him a welcome to the game jump shot in the face
- Jared Dudley can't jump over a phone book but grabs two boards immediately after coming in the game. Some guys just find the ball.
- Hey look, Steve Blake hit a three against the Suns. Ho hum.
- Not a bad first quarter. Suns at least scored the ball. 28-27 Lakers. Nash was doing a lot of the work creating offense for everyone.
2nd Qtr
- I like the Bongo-cam about 300 times more than the Kiss Cam.
- That was 20 seconds of Goran dribbling around screens and then finally shooting over Blake. It worked but not exactly what you are looking for.
- Next trip down, Goran tried a lob to Hakim that was just off target.
- You can hate him, but Pau Gasol is a total stud on the basketball court. He's the new Tim Duncan. Yup, I went there.
- Double team Pau, kick to Barnes, easy drive against the rotating Suns defense. Plain. Old. Basketball.
- Goran is kicking ass here. He's playing at a crazy-high level. 7 points already.
- Nash who? Yup, I went there also. Are you coming with me? Well, punk, are you?
- Ratliff in for Gasol. His first break.
- Odom boarding circles around Robin.
- Dragic is playing in Hero Mode tonight. How do you only play this kid 15 minutes? Gonna have to find more time for him somewhere this season...not sure where is the problem.
- And Gentry pulls Goran and puts some guy named "Nush" back in with 4:35 to go.
- Well, Hedo, I am not sure why you thought you could throw down the dunk but it was an aggressive move so that's a plus.
- Suns doing a better job taking advantage of Hedo's ability to pass out of the top of the arc by putting guys (Hill and JRich) in motion so they can use a screen and catch on the move near the lane.
- Nice little run there to cut it back to a one point game....but Kobe says nope and drains a three. He's Kobe.
- A lot of times Robin ends up having to cover his man and the other big when Suns defenders get out all out of position with their perimeter switching and trapping.
- Lakers, 57-50. Defense.?.
3rd Qtr
- Warrick: 0 points, 1 rebound. That's Hakim. Mr. Inconsistent.
- Lakers shot 49% with Pau doing damage (7-9) while Kobe doing volume (5-12). Lakers only 2 FTA's so that's good but +5 OReb and +9 TReb, that's bad.
- Grant Hill having a nice little game as well leading the Suns with 14 points in the first half.
- Suns getting multiple opportunities on leak outs with Hedo playing the role Peyton Manning and Grant and Jason going long. Too bad the Suns haven't been able to slow the Lakers in the slightest.
- Much better spacing on that Nash/Robin two man game = Robin dunkage.
- Suns tie at 70 on a Jason post-up over Fisher. Would love to see more of that but really that's up to Fisher. If he's on Nash, the Suns work him in the pick and roll. If they try and hide him on JRich or Grant they post him up. Basically, Fisher's defense is a liability. Ever hear that before? Has it ever really mattered?
- Grant does everything right, Kobe scores over him anyway. Where have we seen that before?
- A couple of nice aggressive finishes for Hedo. When he gets going in a few months, the Suns offense is going to be fantastic. They are putting up good numbers against the Lakers without him.
- Nash goes out and we see a Hedo/Frye pick and roll.
- Oops. Goran misfires a lob attempt to Hakim that leads to a Shannon Brown uncontested breakaway dunk. Let Shannon Dunk!!! Just not in the dunk contest.
- 87-79 Lakers
4th Qtr
- Lamar is eating the rebounds. 15 so far.
- Lakers pulling away with some big three's. It was kind of inevitable.
- Is it me, or is Shannon Brown a better basketball player this year?
- Warrick dunk vs. Shannon Brown block. Above the rim is still sexy.
- Great hustle and energy from this Suns second unit with Gasol and Kobe and Odom on the bench. Fans loving it. Lakers still up 97-91.
- Lakers big three back in. Gasol to Kobe cutting through the lane for two. Good rest for Nash though who's about to check in along with Jason and Grant at about the 5:50 mark. 99-91 Lakers.
- A surprising number of thrown T-shirts land near me in the media section. Got to keep your head up although not nearly as dangerous as foul balls flying in the window of the press box at Chase Field.
- Joey Crawford had to get in his T...Matt Barnes is the winner.
- Lakers close the game strong. That's how they do.
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Not bad
For a team coming home from the road, just played the night before, is not supposed to make the playoffs, and is playing the defending champs.
This early in the season with all the kinks this team still needs to bang out, I am not upset about this loss at all.
Steve has yet to play well this
season too…Hedo couldn’t have touched the ball more than 20 times last night, Childress and Warrick playing inconsistent (expected) and Channing Frye has sucked…that said I think they played pretty well Goran and Dudley huge second quarter, Robin huge 4th, a lot of encouraging signs that this team should be in the playoffs by years’ end
This team is going to be scary if everyone hits on one night. This may not happen all year but if it does look for us to score 150 or more.
As it was only 5 of our 10 rotation players played at or above their potential and we still only lost by 8 to the champs.
by Suns Fan For Life on Nov 1, 2010 6:05 AM MST up reply actions
Yeah I was impressed too.
We still need our guys to get on the right page and collectively click. If we can hang around with the best team in the NBA then this team will be good and win us a lot of regular season games. Be ready for some Phoenix Suns basketball that we love and cherish.
Slumdog Millionaire without the million.
me 3...
the one thing I missed tonight was more defensive intensity throughout.. the only way to beat these guys is to beat them up a bit and really play hard nosed man on man defence like the Celts. we can’t play them as tough as the celts without a lot more interior defenders, but ultimately, we are stronger defensively than at any point in the last 6 years with more overall length and more consistent defenders up and down the line up. So we need to bring just a ton of defensive energy and keep it going all game with our deep line up.
In order to do that we do need to leave the second unit in longer, imho.
I think it's a little early in the season
to make a blanket statement that this team is better defensively than any Suns team from the past six seasons. We should probably get a larger sample size to support that type of allegation.
by Jim Coughenour on Oct 29, 2010 10:51 PM MST up reply actions
I tend to agree
w/ HarvMel on this one. Also look at potential and effort. Even despite the size differentials, Suns aren’t giving up a ton of points in the paint. In fact, Phx won that 50-42 tonight.
Now, the problem is to defend the paint they have to trap and rotate a LOT which leaves them out of position to rebound.
But overall, I think this is certainly the best perimeter defensive team we’ve seen.
Raising Arizona Sports at SB Nation Arizona twitter: @sethpo
by Seth Pollack on Oct 29, 2010 10:55 PM MST up reply actions
I'm not saying they won't/can't be
Just that he’s making the statement as if it’s already some kind of putative, irrefutable knowledge. Let’s wait and see how they’re doing through 10 or 20 games before we start to draw those kinds of conclusions.
If he had said he thought we will be, or have the potential to be the best defensive team of the past 6-7 years that is different.
by Jim Coughenour on Oct 29, 2010 11:02 PM MST up reply actions
They're giving up
104 through three games. That’s not exactly lights out d.
Portland was 46.2% and 50% from three.
Utah was42.9% and 23.1% from three.
LA was 48.4% and 44.4% from three.
That only looks like one good defensive game to me.
by Jim Coughenour on Oct 29, 2010 11:07 PM MST up reply actions
You have to remember that due
to the Suns style of play the scores will tend to be higher. Thus the point totals are a little misleading as a gauge for defense. The steals, charges and opponents turnovers are a much better gauge, along with the shooting percentages. Two of those games were in the opponents house, teams usually shoot better at home. The one home game we had was against the defending NBA champs, a better than average team by most accounts. So while it is impossible to judge a season by three games, the potential is not only observable but also encouraging. Hence the understandable enthusiasm of HarvMel and others.
I don't think we have really gelled defensively
I agree with Jim that it is very early, and I don’t think you can say we have played very good defence even based on this small sample, though we were pretty good overall in Utah. My point is that we have more defensive potential than any of the past Nash era teams, with more apparent defensive talent up and down the line up as opposed to the occasional defender mixed in with a bunch of liabilities. I guess you could argue that the 05-06 squad with Kurt, Matrix and Bell (and gulp, Boris D) definitely had some very good moments, it just feels like this team has more defensive depth, especially on the wings. So my hope is that we can see more defensive energy for 48, and that, perhaps more than the offence, is the aspect that needs to really gel.
I'm with HarvMel on this
what’s weird is that last night I could’ve sworn the Suns were being outrebounded by 20, but then I saw the box score and it was only a couple overall.
Where I was really impressed, visually, was the perimeter D and overall effort on that end. No more passive defense with these guys.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I agree with most of those above especially
Stanley B.(Hehehehe) Personally I’m reminded of teams a little further back than the latest Nash era. There was a couple of teams before Nash that made it all the way to the finals based not only on movement and scoring, but also on scrappy perimeter and interior team defense. It did look at times as if we were taking on a “tall” order defensively inside, but that’s where the quick double teams and rotations kick in. Time, sweat and effort will definitely take the rough edges off of this diamond. GO SUNS!!
I noticed a bit of a hole on Fri.
The Lakers shot 45% from three. This is not going to work most nights. Part of the reason is that our wings often double in the post. Against good passing teams this will be dangerous. I am not saying we stop doubling, but need to figure out a way to play to the strength of our perimeter defenders. First of all Robin needs to improve his one on one defense. His help defense and guarding the paint is good, but Pau ate him for lunch both as a scorer and as a passer. I’ll give Pau his props as one of the best overall bigs, but Robin needs to “man” up on guys like that when he is our only legit interior defender.
by Suns Fan For Life on Nov 1, 2010 6:20 AM MST up reply actions
Defensive Efficiency
Even accounting for pace, the Suns are below average defensively through 3 games giving up 46% opponents field goal percentage (just barely below average, but still) and 107.1 points per 100 possessions (Good for a tie for 9th worst.).
There’s a loooong way to go before calling this the best defensive unit of the last few years.
Twitter: @MikeLisboa
by Mike Lisboa on Oct 30, 2010 10:16 PM MST up reply actions
One other thing..
look at the minutes break down. the starters had much more time on the floor than the bench guys. Rarely does Frye play just 16 and Dudley and Goran who were impeccable only had 19 mins each, while Turk and Richardson (who had an off night) went for 32 and 29.
We saw during the first half of the 4th quarter that we actually challenged them defensively. So, and I said this in another post, in order to have a chance against these guys, I think we need to see more mins for the second unit more consistently.
This is one area, where I think Gentry needs to re-consider. He definitely guards the egos of the starters, by insuring that they get the best chance to win it for us, but on this team, many times it will be the bench with their extra effort, youth and natural defensive skills, that gets it done for us. As I have said in many other posts, the only chance to beat LA, is to beat these guys up a bit, and the only way to do that with this roster, is to play hard defensively for 48, and to put extra focus on the bench guys. We all saw that energy drop mid way through the 4th after we started to seize the momentum with the bench. Next time, we need to keep riding that.
Wake up!
This is only the very begining of life for this team. Yes our 2 team plays well, but how do the starters learn to execute if they sit on the bench? They must be kept in the game and experience progress as a unit. Be patient and watch our first five begin to build leads for the second team to expand on. That is what I am waiting to see.
What idiot wrote that we have no superstars capable of knocking down 25 points a night consistantly? If I remember correctly, this Nash guy, walks away with as many points as he wants, every game. J-Rich fills the bucket up every night and he can jump out of the gym. Both of these guys are superstars, they do not get the press because they share the same affliction, humility.
Hedo can join them in this catagory when he begins to assert himself and have fun at the same time. Goran D. is about ready to assume elevated status as is Grant Hill. That is the key for the Suns. They must begin to party on the hardwood and keep putting on a show for the fans who turn out across the continent.
I would not trade our superstars for any other team’s superstars. I would, however, send a package deal of lesser players and future picks for the likes of Dwight Howard and/or Kevin Durant.
We have some nice pieces that are trade bait and both of these guys would fit well with our wide open style. Hedo says he is trying to get used to being so wide open so often. Get used to it and relish it. We need Hedo to put other teams on their heels every time he touches the ball. He must learn to follow up his shots by running at the basket in case there is a rebound to be grabbed. He will come around.
by Arizona Retiree on Oct 30, 2010 7:56 AM MST up reply actions
One other guy would be a nice addition.
I would love to see the Lopez brothers playing together in Phoenix. Brook and Robin would push each other to excel. Brook Lopez would likely be the best and only chance for a trade.
by Arizona Retiree on Oct 30, 2010 8:05 AM MST up reply actions
Brook had 29 points and 15 boards last night.
I’d love to have him, too. But NJ isn’t letting him go anytime soon – probably have to wait for free agency in a few years.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
Brothers Lopez
i know it’s not happening anything soon, but damn that would be a sight..
Just also
consider that early in the 4th, Kobe and Pau were on the bench. It’s much easier to look good defensively against Theo Ratliff :)
Raising Arizona Sports at SB Nation Arizona twitter: @sethpo
by Seth Pollack on Oct 30, 2010 10:22 AM MST up reply actions
oh Jim
this is a blog, man! We spout nothing BUT putative, irrefutable knowledge here
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Lopez, Dragic and Grant really came to play tonight.
I thought Josh played really well considering his stat sheet was nothing to look at and Hedo played well down the stretch.
Warrick was a no show, but I kind of expected that. Although, I do hope for him to get more comfortable and consistent as the games go on.
Don't trade Dudley!
I thought Josh played really well considering his stat sheet was nothing to look at
I think we’ll start just cutting and pasting this comment after nearly every game this year
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I don't know if that
will continue to be an accurate statement. I see Josh’s (can I call you Josh?) stat sheet becoming quite the visual feast. I like his style and I see him blending and producing alot like Grant.
I just meant that
Childress always provides more than the stat sheet shows, no matter how good it might look. Nothing he does is “empty”.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Oct 30, 2010 10:02 AM MST up reply actions
I agree and I know you recognize his ability and contributions.
I just am a big fan of sarcasm! :-)
A surprising number of thrown T-shirts land near me in the media section. Got to keep your head up although not nearly as dangerous as foul balls flying in the window of the press box at Chase Field.
Free T-shirts!
Don't trade Dudley!
OK, not worried
Proud for the team, they are tired, but still gave a good fight
twitter feed: @naitsirhc_33
good game for Grant
twitter feed: @naitsirhc_33
by Christian_33 on Oct 29, 2010 10:37 PM MST up reply actions
Grant does everything right, Kobe scores over him anyway. Where have we seen that before?
I think one of these days Grant is just going to have to take a shot at Kobe. Not to the extent of Raja Bell, but just elbow him in the ribs or something.
Don't trade Dudley!
Personally,
I think a clothesline looks good on Kobe. Hahaha!
There will be plenty for Alvin
to use in the film, so they can work on their improvements!!
word
Raising Arizona Sports at SB Nation Arizona twitter: @sethpo
by Seth Pollack on Oct 29, 2010 10:50 PM MST up reply actions
nobody mailed it in....that is so.
And it was pretty exciting for almost three quarters. They’re my Suns….no matter what. Love em love em love em. Talk to you guys later….
by sunsfansince1980 on Oct 29, 2010 10:30 PM MST reply actions
Warrick showed up
Just a nightmare match up for him. He’s either going at a guy that’s way bigger and longer, or bigger and just as athletic.
by hcblankscreen on Oct 29, 2010 10:35 PM MST up reply actions
Being consistent night in and night out
in the NBA pretty much makes you a star. The Suns don’t have a single player on the team you can pencil in for 20 points a night. It’s going to have to be different guys stepping up every night.
Tonight Hill was the leading scorer. The Suns will probably have nine or ten guys lead the team in scoring at least once by the end of the season. Probably nobody will lead the team in scoring more than 20 times.
Warrick’s game was probably more of an outlier than what you can expect from him. Dudley will bust 20+ some night soon. Same for Childress, Dragic, Lopz, etc. The Suns have a team full of good role players, just not stars that can do it on a consistent basis.
by Jim Coughenour on Oct 29, 2010 10:40 PM MST up reply actions
I personally prefer eight...
guys averaging double figures in scoring, tougher to shut down.
Not that it won't be fun to watch
It’s just almost impossible to win a title without a star. The best teams are always the ones with those pesky superstars you can pencil in for 25+ a game.
by Jim Coughenour on Oct 29, 2010 10:46 PM MST up reply actions
Agreed, but the Suns
have always done things differently and been unusually successful at it. We’ve been oh so close but yet to be blessed by the Gods. The teams that we’ve had that has been like this were of championship caliber.
I liked it better last game
when he did the things that you will see on a stat sheet.
by Jim Coughenour on Oct 29, 2010 10:57 PM MST up reply actions
This who he is
Warrick’s entire career is ups and downs like this. If he played like he did last night, every night he would be making $15m and not $4m per year.
Raising Arizona Sports at SB Nation Arizona twitter: @sethpo
by Seth Pollack on Oct 29, 2010 10:51 PM MST up reply actions
Yes, but
he’s playing next to Steve Nash and we all know what he contributes to a teammate’s statistics. I fully expect Warrick to develop more consistency as he gets comfortable with the rotations.
Steve has not been "on" yet either.
Once Nash has settled into this team and learns their characteristics (largely centered on Nash) then I think players like Warrick will be “more” consistent. But we also have to factor in the kind of player Warrick is. He is undersized yet athletic. Against the Jazz’s slower front line he could thrive with leaping and quickness. Odom and Gasol are bigger and more athletic and will likely push Warrick around and use iq and decent athleticism to slow down Hak.
by Suns Fan For Life on Nov 1, 2010 8:23 AM MST up reply actions
Very encouraging
Especially after the preseason we had. We got the shots we wanted against a top 3 defense, we’re gonna be alright.
I had Faith..
I always have Faith….they’re the SUNS!!
You know, if Chandler didn’t show tonight we probably would have won. I hate that guy…
Don't trade Dudley!
From last year's playoffs
I think one of the announcers mistakenly called Channing Frye “Chandler”, so we decided that Chandler is what we call Channing when he’s playing like crap and missing his shots. Sort of an evil twin thing.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 30, 2010 8:58 AM MST up reply actions
Ah, right.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 30, 2010 9:54 AM MST up reply actions
thanks
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Oct 30, 2010 10:03 AM MST up reply actions
Frye was 1-4, in limited minutes.
Hanging the loss on him is hardly fair – and calling him “Chandler” doesn’t mitigate the fact that he’s wearing a Suns uniform.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
I've never been to a Suns Lakers game before.
Or a home opener for that matter, and tonight was loud.
Oh, I didn’t know USAC was also Staples Center. Holy shit, the amount of Lakers fans in there was insane. I coughed Kobe Sucks quuuuite a bit, maybe almost got jumped.
Fun fact, the guy who sits next to me has the same season ticket plan as I do and he hates me. See you for the next twenty games, buddy, I can’t wait.
As for the actual game, I thought we were decent. I’m frustrated with Gentry, I don’t understand it. Tonight we finally got the bench gelling and getting some productivity and then Goran hit that big three in the fourth and then forty seconds later he pulled the bench and replaced them with starters, who had to regell. I was kind of hoping he’d let the bench get the same kind of chemistry they had last year since its early in the season and they were playing decently.
I kind of hate the Lakers fans, there sort of all douchebags and some lady in a Kobe jersey pushed me at halftime hard and I just kind of walked away angry. You might be trying to make it your homecourt, but it’s not, even if you did overtake it with your stupid Kobe jerseys.
I felt bad for the team, it’s gotta be hard to be booed on your own homecourt.
Oh, Goran and Grant? They sort of were amazing tonight. Hill might be aging, but some of those moves, he sure didn’t act like it.
Hedo looked good tonight too, considering he had Odom on him.
We came out much better than I thought we would considering our preseason and seemed a lot less timid. Should be agood season.
I hate when the Lakers come in, because of the fans they draw
The thing with the Lakers “fans” that show up to the games in Phoenix is that they are the worst of the bunch. Particulary on Friday nights.
There are a handful of types of fans that show up at those games:
1. Douchebags that are trying to impress aneroxic fake-boob bimboes;
2. Trailer trash (or, low rent apartment dwellers) that spent two months’ worth of their disability check (taxpayer money) to attend and are damn well going to get their money’s worth because they paid to be “fans”;
3. Groupie-wannabes that Kobe wouldn’t touch with Vanessa’s hand;
4. Guys who think attending an LA game makes them gangsta;
I especially hate weekend games because you get a whole bunch of them partying more than normal and just showing up to the stands to yell in their drunken state.
Tell me how much your experience mirrors this one from several years ago.
Mmmmm ... Guinness
by JSun on Oct 30, 2010 6:47 AM MST up reply actions 9 recs
yeah I don't enjoy the games either
when we host the Lakers.
But we Suns fans have to take that blame, don’t we? The only reason so many Laker fans are in the lower bowl is because so many Suns season ticket holders are selling their tickets to that game. It’s a catch 22.
(for those who noticed my comment that I hate going to Laker games and purposely didn’t go last night, don’t call me a hypocrite. I share season tix with a huge Suns fan and she was there all decked out in purple and orange. No way I’d sell that game to a random stranger because I Know they’d be Laker fans)
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Anorexic fake-boob bimbos and groupie wannabes?
Can you specify section numbers, please?
by suns68 on Oct 30, 2010 8:25 AM MST via mobile up reply actions
Rec'd
For perfect description of Laker fans.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 30, 2010 9:01 AM MST up reply actions
haha
all I can do is laugh. Laker fans are douchebags, but you, my friend, are classy. Talking good china classy. I especially like you psychic ability to know that a group of people save their monthly checks to come to one game at the end of the month. Stay classy my friend.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
*your instead of you
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
were you there last night?
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Oct 30, 2010 10:04 AM MST up reply actions
No, obviously not.
I have no problem with him calling Laker fans douchebags, I just thought it rude to classify any segment of the population as lazy just because he doesn’t think highly of the team they cheer for. I don’t care how rowdy a crowd is and as you said, you can avoid it if you want. And it is a catch-22 because if Suns fans don’t go because of rowdy Laker fans, then it becomes basically homecourt for the Lakers.But I don’t see why they, Laker fans, can’t cheer for their team and boo the other one when they’re there, since they pay to be there just like he does, even though somehow tax money got involved (rolling my eyes).
Also, another funny thing is that often Laker fans are described as impassionate fans that don’t even cheer for their team and only just make an appearance, but by all your accounts that couldn’t be more false.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
well from first-hand experience
maybe Laker fans IN LA are laid back and dispassionate, but the ones in Phoenix are…. different.
Example:
I’m good with an opposing fan cheering their team and booing ours. In fact, why show up if you’re going to enjoy the game, right?
But what pisses me off is when an opposing fan – after a big Laker play – stands up, turns away from the court toward the rest of the crowd and pops the jersey and starts yelling epithets at Suns fans as if THEY were the ones that made the Herculean play a second ago.
THAT’S what I hate. and for some reason the only time I ever see that kind of behavior (based on 5 separate Lakers/Suns games over 6 seasons) is with Laker fans.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Cheaper to live in PHX
than to live in L.A. Simple reasoning why they’re there.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
lol
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
I'm guessing you don't go to many rivalry college
football or basketball games. That is normal fan behavior when you’re in enemy’s territory. Or at least from my observation.
Anyway, I didn’t really have a problem with him saying that some fans are douchebags, its true of all fanbases that they have a population of them. I just didn’t like his judgmental statement that somehow their fandom was evidence of their class status and position.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
J Sun, you are a man of wisdom. Rec'd
Formerly known as NashMV3 of BSotS, if anyone even remembers.
Nash is my mancrush. But Dragic is the 2nd coming of Manu Ginobili, which makes him just as tasty.
Wait, I'm confused.
I kind of hate the Lakers fans, there sort of all douchebags
Ok… but….
I coughed Kobe Sucks quuuuite a bit, maybe almost got jumped.
What does that classify as? Sounds like a douchebag move to me.
I'm willing to call myself a douchebag,
if it means I can hate Kobe Bryant.
by bmiller16 on Oct 30, 2010 8:08 AM MST up reply actions 5 recs
That's an exceptionally weak dig
Even by blog troll standards.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 30, 2010 9:02 AM MST up reply actions
This qualifies as trolling?
Wow, that’s an interesting assertion… I guess I better leave, because according to you using logic is trolling.
Kobe Bryant's no Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant.
"Lebron joins teams with his friends; Kobe’s enemies join teams with him." - Gil Meriken
by Saurav A. Das on Oct 31, 2010 6:27 AM MST up reply actions
very encouraging but...
what happened to that harassing D we were hearing about in preseason?
Those bastards get away with murder with their shoves and steals and full court D, but no one seems to dish it back out to them. Our speedy guys could have a field day swiping the ball out of gasol’s hands like they do to us…I hope we get back to it soon because it was looking like a solid plan for this season..
Every year we play them the same way
And every year, it’s about the same result. We steal some games but they’re consistently more successful against us than we are against them.
I’d like to see what happens if WE pack the paint with seven-footers, since we have three of them on the team.
It might be kind of a novelty act to go triple towers, but I think their vaunted bigs would have a lot harder time scoring, and especially rebounding, if they had to do it in a forest of Lopez, Frye and Silo. And we could stay big the whole game with Hedo, Hakim, Lawal and Clark out of the bullpen.
Not our usual style of ball, I know, but unless our goal is valiant futility, I’m not sure what we’d have to lose.
by suns68 on Oct 30, 2010 2:58 AM MST via mobile reply actions
our taller guys
are not exactly as talented as their taller guys. suns68, I know you know this so I’m just chalking this up to frustration. But there’s no way Siler, Frye and Lopez would be a successful front line. We might tie in the rebounding dept (they only got 3 more rebs anyway) but by the end of the first quarter we’d be begging for the old lineup because we’re down 10 or more
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Problem is, they run and gun as well as we do
Maybe our bigs aren’t as talented, but with six huge men hacking at each other in the paint, it would clog up the lane and take away some of their easy scores. What if Gasol were to get past Lopez and find himself facing another 7-footer?
It would at least be disruptive to their offense and we might be able to win a muddy, ugly, 80-point trench battle like they play back east.
Since we only win about one out of three times we face them anyway, I’m not sure what we’ve got to lose.
Since we only win about one out of three times we face them anyway, I don’
by suns68 on Oct 30, 2010 12:41 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
They are the champs. They got better this off-season.
They shot lights out last night. We were on a back-to-back. We have a new starter – they don’t.
And Gasol can shoot from outside. We can’t build our team to beat only the Lakers – look at what’s happ0ened in the East. It’s a big round robin of teams that own other teams, but are owned as well.
We have a talented team, lots of depth, lots of financial flexibility, and a lot more games to play this season. Who knows, maybe somebody (from either team) gets hurt for the season. We’re going to be fine. If we’re going to beat LA, we’re going to have to have a better game, and that means 10 (or 12) guys playing their best. We didn’t have that last night.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
Sort o flike paper, scissors, rock.
One beats one but loses to the other. Can’t win a ’ship that way
by Suns Fan For Life on Nov 1, 2010 8:49 AM MST up reply actions
You're right, Alex, mine is a proposal born of frustration
Maybe our bigs aren’t as talented, but with six huge men hacking at each other in the paint, it would clog up the lane and take away some of their easy scores. What if Gasol were to get past Lopez and find himself facing another 7-footer?
It would at least be disruptive to their offense and we might be able to win a muddy, ugly, 80-point trench battle like they play back east.
Since we only win about one out of three times we face them anyway, I’m not sure what we’ve got to lose.
Since we only win about one out of three times we face them anyway, I don’
by suns68 on Oct 30, 2010 12:42 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
You're right, Alex, mine is a proposal born of frustration
And our bigs aren’t as talented as theirs.
But with six huge men hacking away at each other in the paint, it would clog up the lane, reduce their maneuvering room and maybe take away some of their easy scores.
What if Gasol were to get past Lopez with a nifty move and find himself face to face with another 7-footer?
It would at least be disruptive to their offense and we might be able to win a muddy, ugly, 80-point trench battle like they play back east.
Since we only win about one out of three times we face them anyway, I’m not sure what we’ve got to lose.
by suns68 on Oct 30, 2010 12:46 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
I do not know why that triple posted
Maybe the website’s feeling lonesome and wanted more comments.
by suns68 on Oct 30, 2010 12:53 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Since we only win about one out of three times we face them anyway, I’m not sure what we’ve got to lose.
The third game.
by waxmonkey on Oct 30, 2010 3:12 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Then let's try it in one of the two games we're going to lose
Just about any game where it says Staples on the front of the building will probably work.
by suns68 on Oct 30, 2010 6:47 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
What I would like to see is
Lopez be able to play a little better one on one defense. Good helper and protector of the paint but the skilled big men eat him for lunch right now. This forces us to double and weakens our perimeter D. Which, by the way, is what killed us more than interior. We outscored them in the paint but they beat us on the perimeter and were +9 points beyond the are. That cannot happen against the Lakers.
by Suns Fan For Life on Nov 1, 2010 8:47 AM MST up reply actions
actually
Gasol killed Lopez by being 10 feet from the rim on all his moves. Lopez cannot play outside 10 feet (and neither can most centers) because of the extra space involved and quick lateral footwork needed. Lopez is much more comfortable against a Bynum type who also likes being nearer the basket.
(this supports my statements from the summer that you can’t just play Lopez with another C to make a twin towers unless one of them is really good at guarding 10+ feet out, in space)
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Best performance so far.
This team keeps improving. I also think Turkoglu did his best game so far. He did little offensively, but actually played some defense and boxed out his man a couple of times. And good hustle from Robin, that’s what we want.
3 Games, 3 playoff teams.
Sure a 2-1 record would be nicer, but not bad out of the gate.
I think consistency across the board is what is needed and will see as the season progresses.
Lopez’s effort last night, is an encouraging sign.
Anytime we play as hard as that I'm going to be happy, win or lose.
So I’ve had fun three games in a row.
Dan Marino (13) and Steve Nash (13) will go down in history as being the greatest passers to never win the last game of the season.
I'm as thrilled as anyone here with the effort last night
but I have to admit I spent the whole game thinking the Lakers weren’t playing very hard. There’s just the Lakers, with their extremely skilled and mobile bigs and Kobe, and then there’s the rest of the West.
Suns have the talent to finish as high as 2nd in the conf this season, but that’s still a long way from 1st. Hopefully by the end of the season the Suns will make the Lakers work a lot harder.
(violently shakes head, clears doldrums)
F that! I hate the Lakers!
To beat the Suns, the Lakers had to play Pau and Odom 40 minutes apiece, plus Artest 37 mins and Kobe 35, and then they still had to make 12 3s to keep the lead. Despite the Lakers appearing to not be paying hard, they sure had to keep their best players on the court a lot longer than the Suns did and they still had to make a lot more outside shots than they normally can make. F-you Blake. Oh and next time, please have Laker-fan-wannabe Barnes and our own Channing Frye get into a 3-pt shooting contest again. I like our chances 9 times out of 10.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
They were playing hard but
nobody sweats from L.A…..it must be the Botox!! :-)
Ha! That was bipolar.
My violent hatred of the Lakers is… well, there aren’t enough words in this Earth that could accurately describe the seething loathing I have.
And that F-you is applicable to every single one of them.
Now, the Suns played well considering it was the back end of a back-to-back. And it’s only game 3; plenty of season still left. They’ll get their rhythm and act together and they’ll be fine. Makes for another exciting Suns season!
Free FreeBradshaw!
Shirt it!
I like what we did with the minutes.
I know people are complaining about the bench not getting more time, but Nash and Jrich only played 29 minutes. If we can maintain that or something close Steve is going to have have plenty of gas later in the season (if he needs it with Goran playing so well). This is all still an experiment and every night is likely to be different. I don’t know that I or anyone makes a different decision last night. How many here would leave Steve f****in Nash the last 5 minutes of a 6 point game. Or even Jason Richardson.
by Suns Fan For Life on Nov 1, 2010 8:59 AM MST up reply actions
Considering how much rest the Lakers had
And how the Suns just came from Utah, pretty good effort.
Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Chicago Bears fan [I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].
I can't stand fair-weather/bandwagon fans, stick with your team(s), throughout the good and the bad. And don't switch to whichever team wins the Super Bowl each year.
In a nutshell
Encouraging overall, but Lakers were on fire from behind the arc. Tough to overcome that and we obviously didn’t. Hill and Dragic rocked, and I’m happy to say that I was wrong about Hill being likely to struggle on the second game of a back to back. We got nothing from Frye and Warrick. That was disappointing. I’m not a fan of moral victories, but this is about as good as you can feel after a loss.
And, after 6 months here, I finally added a profile pic. Check it out. The mayor of Sacramento!
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
Glad to see
that you were wrong about Grant also. Man that guy has heart , and I don’t think he is a big fan of the Lakers either. Nice profile pic. Hey isn’t that the guy who played 65 mins in a triple overtime championship game or was it 62?
Had to look it up
KJ played 62 minutes in game 3 of the finals in 1993. http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199306130CHI.html
Classic game. Check out Thunder Dan, 6-8 on 3s.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 30, 2010 10:00 AM MST up reply actions
I knew it was 62 because
he didn’t play the whole game and 3 OTs is only 63 mins. Yes that game was a “classic” and that team was incredible. They came back from a 3-1 deficit to knock the Lakers out of the playoffs that year." Fond Memories" that end in “Heartbreak”!
Seriously though that is a really cool link!
I went there and started looking up some old Suns players….totally cool!! Thanks!!
Yeah, basketball reference is great
And that Suns team actually didn’t break my heart. I just felt like, “it’s Jordan’s Bulls, what are you gonna do?” The team that did break my heart was the one from my KJ pic, that lost to the Rockets twice after leading them 3-1. In my gut, I felt like we were the better team and couldn’t get over the hump.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 30, 2010 11:43 AM MST up reply actions
yeah those Rockets losses
were much worse than 1993
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Man, that's just not right.
Here I go and successfully repress and block that from my mind ……. and you go and blow my denial away. Actually those disappointed me greatly but didn’t hurt nearly as bad because they weren’t for the NBA championship. We had come back from near death earlier in the playoffs and then we gave the Bulls all that they could ask for in the Finals. That is like making it to the Superbowl and then losing, Your climbing Mt Everest and get stopped just short of the top. Wat worse than the Conference Finals, IMO.
Hill liked like
he cloned himself from the 1990s and then froze himself only to wake up for this game, I can’t say I saw the other two so far this season. He was playing real well. Lakers took a chance by putting Fisher on him and he made that look like an epic failure of an idea. lol.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
A couple thoughts...
Horrible defense in stretches during that game, especially the first quarter. It seemed like the all-star game with how both teams were just jogging up the court putting up jumpers.
Also, can any one keep a damn handle on a good pass and finish an easy bucket. How many times did it seem that we blew conversions on assists because Rolo or Warrick or someone bobbled the ball a little bit or missed an easy shot?
If we convert a couple easy buckets there this game is totally different down the stretch. Can’t shoot yourself in the face against this caliber of opponent.
Was encouraged by Dragic in this game though. That is only going the help Nash a ton if he plays like that all season and gives Nash a few extra minutes of rest a game.
Defense on both sides in this game was terrible
for long stretches. It seemed that when the defense was best, the offense got better, so everyone just stopped trying to play defense again. lol
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
solid comment
so true. That’s how is appeared
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Oct 30, 2010 10:07 AM MST up reply actions
I agree about the hands.
Robin needs to work on his hands and touch around the basket. I love his 7 offensive boards but some of those were from him mishandling the first board or touch.
by Suns Fan For Life on Nov 1, 2010 9:02 AM MST up reply actions
What the hell is all this I'm thrilled with the effort talk?
If we would have play consistent intense defense we win that game. I’m not impressed with the effort at all.
The game was pretty even
The only difference was that the Lakers made more 3s than we did. Everything else (reb, TO, FG% etc.) was just about even.
If a few of our guys would hit their wide open 3s (Frye) we would be victoriously happy right now.
PS. My first Post on BSotS!!!
That is because we let them have a ton of good looks... if we contest those threes they would have miss a couple more...
Making threes isnt all luck, sure there is more variance in scoring when dealing with a 3-pt shooting team because they are a lower percentage shot, but if you give an NBA team good uncontested looks from three they will burn you like the Lakers did last night…
The defense was not good last night…
True
our defensive rotation needs to improve. How many times was Artest wide open in the corner? But, I think for our 3rd game of the season, and it being a back to back, we did pretty well. I am encouraged by what I saw. I think that we are going to have a good season, based on the small sample of games we’ve had.
We still have a some things to iron out, defense and rebounding being the biggest.
let it go, man
you seem really bent about that loss, but it’s over. 80 more games to go.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Oct 30, 2010 10:08 AM MST up reply actions
I though it was 79.
Did they expand the season? LOL.
I agree with the Artest point...
I was getting frustrated last night watching him all alone in his favorite corner drilling ’em. Somebody needed to ghost him on those corners because it seemed like they forgot all about him too often.
Other than that (and “Chandler” Frye’s marshmallow defense on Gasol), I like what I’ve seen so far from the Suns defensively. I think that is a big reason they’ve been able to hang around the past 3 games, win or lose. I also keep thinking the Suns are missing way too many bunnies. Had they been able to make those as they usually would, we could be talking about a Suns win right now.
They're trying to take my tortillas!
He's open because we are doubling elsewhere.
If we cover Artest, then Gasol goes off. We game plan to keep Kobe under control, Gasol under control, and let Artest or Fisher beat us. It’s our best chance to win, and it’s the same game plan we had in the WCF. And it worked just about as well. But it beats the alternative.
That being said, Odom did much more damage than Artest.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
I realize the double-teaming scheme...
But the Suns just don’t seem to have an answer for him other than to double him, since they lack an adequate post defender (not yet, Robin). The problem with that gameplan is, they do beat us from 3. It’s a sound strategy given Phoenix’s shortcomings in the bigs department, but it’s just frustrating when the same play unfolds and they don’t make any real adjustment. Granted, the Lakers may not always hit those 3’s like they did last night, but I think they need to do a better job of closing out on those shots, instead of leaving them wide-ass open, especially when those shots are hitting.
They're trying to take my tortillas!
If the Lakers need to knock down threes at a high percentage to beat us then we’re doing something right.
True, but...
Good shooters will likely hit a high percentage of 3 pointers when they are left, as N-Temp so eloquently and accurately puts it “wide-ass open”.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 30, 2010 7:25 PM MST up reply actions
Well, that's the downside of the zone D.
3 pointers break it – it’s a gamble, but it’s lower percentage than Gasol 1 on 1.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
True, but...
The Lakers hit an unusually high 44% from three last game. If they had shot last years average, about 34% from three, they would have hit 9 out of 27 instead of 12, dropping their score by nine points and covering our eight point deficit.
And that’s without the extra three points we would have had if we’d hit our three point average.
It’s true that their three point shooters were open quite often due to our double teaming the post and rotating around, but I would expect that most three pointers they attempt the entire year against all teams come from generally open shots – which is why they take them. The Lakers (and all teams) three point average includes the expectation that they’re usually open shots. Unfortunately, they just hit more of them than usual last night.
It may surprise you that Artest shot only 3-8 against the Suns. I could’ve sworn it was 3-5 myself. 3-8 is about what you can expect from Artest, especially if he’s wide open.
Banzai!
by Suns' Sensei on Oct 30, 2010 10:36 PM MST up reply actions
Ya that’s probably why it seemed like he made more.
Banzai!
by Suns' Sensei on Oct 31, 2010 9:17 PM MST up reply actions
welcome!
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Oct 30, 2010 10:07 AM MST up reply actions
Any nice gifts from the "Welcome Wagon"?
Coupons from the local Blogs perhaps? LOL.
I was definitely most impressed with Goran, Jared, and Grant tonight.
Goran because he just played so confident and was aggressive.
Grant because he’s Grant Hill and it seemed like every shot he took went in.
And Jared because… well… he’s Jared Dudley! He was grabbing those rebounds like a man!
There’s still work to do for everyone and while I still think we could’ve won that game last night, I am by no means utterly disappointed with the team.
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Oct 30, 2010 9:31 AM MST reply actions
Let's call it right now!
And then when it does happen everyone will marvel at our unbelievable talent for picking the 6th man of the year only 3 games in! :)
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Oct 30, 2010 9:39 AM MST up reply actions
I thought it was
a lock before the season began!! Hahaha! (just kidding) The Dragon is definitely breathing some FIRE right now!!
yeah but he won't get enough minutes
the guys who win 6th man of the year, they get 30-35 minutes a game “off the bench”
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Oct 30, 2010 10:09 AM MST up reply actions
I didn't think of that but
you make an excellent point and probably are right.
Which is why the Suns won't have a 6MOY candidate.
Too much minute distribution.
Extend Jared Dudley!
Not to mention
Goran might not even be the best bench player on his own team, with Dudley and Childress in the running for that too. I know Childress hasn’t put up numbers so far, but he will make his presence felt more as the season goes on.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 30, 2010 11:52 AM MST up reply actions
we will probably see
a couple web sites ranking the entire bench as a 6th-man candidate. but no individual players will make it
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Who cares?
I’ve had enough of sixth mans and mvp’s and sportmanship awards and good-conduct medals and best-dressed lists and all the other consolation prizes they hand out.
I want the T-mobile/Kia Motors/Larry Freakin’ O’Brien Trophy for once.
by suns68 on Oct 30, 2010 1:12 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
This pisses me off but......
The lakers are better now with blake,barnes,& ratliff can even help.But I refuse to buy doom and gloom for our suns I still think well be ok!
That's OK, good job guys!
As long as everyone gets a trophy at the end of the season that is inscribed “Good Job!”
All the NBA parents will be so proud.
Get over it, we played the current and back to back NBA champs last night and almost pulled it out. Sure they were the better team but did not revamp like the Suns did. We will meet them again very soon and I believe the results will be different.
We have games against first rate competition and our team should get sharp between now and then. If we fall again to beat the champs I will still argue that we are in line for a playoff birth and rematch with the Lakers for the Western crown.
Com’on Hedo, Childress and Warrick go out there with the intention of having fun and I promise, with your new playmates, you will have a great time and it will show up as “Scoreboard!”
by Arizona Retiree on Oct 30, 2010 9:41 AM MST reply actions
You are the most optimistic fan I have ever seen, sir.
Just thought I’d let you know that. Your posts make me want to cheer for the Suns. lol.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
Where are my POM POMS?
I know I left them around here somewhere! :-)
lol.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
Why not?
We have the team with the most class, a coach that turns his back on players who refuse to have fun, yet is ready to smile if his guys put it all out there and fall a little short. The Suns have more talent that has yet to be tapped but is beginning to raise it’s head. I see nothing but up. Gentry is the exact personality that reflects his team. Friendly but dangerous.
Did I say “Go Suns!” ?
I have enjoyed each game this season and never felt cheated as far as purposeful energy was concerned. Not once did I feel that the Suns laid down.
I do see them struggling with cohesion and timing from offense to defense but that is expected when you replace one of your franchise players. What would happen if the Lakers had to replace Kobe or Pau? They would be competitive but not as smooth. They have worked together for years now.
The Suns have worked together for three games so far. Not too shabby. If this is as bad as it gets because the team is learning how individual players move? I’ll take it!
by Arizona Retiree on Oct 30, 2010 1:39 PM MST up reply actions 3 recs
Way to put us back on the positive track! :)
You make some very good points!
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Oct 30, 2010 1:49 PM MST up reply actions
Diggin' the optimism man...
They need a “Like” button for comments like this.
They're trying to take my tortillas!
You hit the actions button
and then push rec if you like a comment
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
lol
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
I definitely agree with you
I don’t know where to put the Suns in terms of how they’ll finish the season. My first team is always the Lakers, but I definitely don’t root against the Suns or anything. I was just pointing out that your posts were pretty optimistic, especially compared to some others here. I’ve seen people be so much more pessimistic for the most part when seeing people whose teams have been somewhat dismantled. Your unbridled enthusiasm was refreshing.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
Man, that IS cocky of them...
And here I was (kinda) holding out hope that their blog could prove the existence of a knowledgeable/sensible/reasonable Lakers fan. Guess not; still a belief, but lacking hard evidence. Put this case right behind Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and UFO’s.
They're trying to take my tortillas!
If you actually read posts from the contributors
and not just the one post that was linked here, you’d find much more than just that post. There are plenty of sensible/knowledgeable Laker fans on SSR. You just have to stick around longer than two minutes to figure it out.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
Haha it's cool man...
I understand there are plenty of you out there, this is really just me (trying to be) a comedian.
They're trying to take my tortillas!
I watched a lot of that game tonight
Directtv has free ‘league pass’ through Nov 2.
STAT is playing on an island out there. For some reason, Ray Felton cannot run the p-n-r. So they give the ball to Amare at about 22 feet away and let him drive to the hoop, or they have him post up. Neither of those is great for him on a 60+% basis, and he’s turning the ball over because guards are swiping at it as he drives (sound familiar?).
That said, Amare is playing as well as he can on offense so far. Defensively, he’s still not great but not embarassing himself either.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Oct 30, 2010 10:20 PM MST up reply actions
Ya love the extra channels I’m getting right now. Gonna enjoy for the next few days.
Totally agree on your assessment of Amare with the Knicks. I saw part of the game and watched Felton and Amare run the PNR a handful of times and I did not see them close to scoring on any of them. I don’t think Portland even switched any of the PNRs I saw…
Banzai!
by Suns' Sensei on Oct 30, 2010 10:42 PM MST up reply actions
google the knicks right now
and you’ll find at least 1, maybe 2-200, stories on this. Apparently, I’m not the only one who noticed just how bad the p-n-r is for them.
I won’t waste a post on this because the wound is still fresh for so many ppl here, but both Amare and Nash are struggling without each other at the start of the season. I’m more optimistic about Nash coming out of it okay, since he’s got 100+ games without Amare under his belt in the last 6 years, plus 5 yrs prior to that in Dallas.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Knickerbockers are biding their time
until CP3 and Carmelo join up. I think CP3 will run the PnR pretty well with A’m’a’r’e.
:-)
when Amare is 29 and 8 yrs removed from microfracture surgery
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Oct 31, 2010 11:56 AM MST up reply actions
Yea, if that does happen that trio will only be good for a year, maybe two at the most.
Don't trade Dudley!
or that trio never plays together at all
I mean, they only have 1 guy right now and they’re resting their hopes on the top FA in each of the next 2 summers to pick the Knicks (when none of the top 3 picked the Knicks THIS summer)
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I agree that Amare will struggle more.
Oh. He may put up similar numbers but what is going to be a lot different is his field goal percentage. He has not shot more than 50% in a game this year and is at 46% overall. He has to do all the work himself and is having a hard time. No one to draw off the double or create good scoring opportunities. Nash will dind a way to be his normal efficient self because Nash=all-time great vs Amare=current star
by Suns Fan For Life on Nov 1, 2010 9:14 AM MST up reply actions
Me too! When I saw I got the free league pass, I was giddy.
And I noticed that about Amare too. I couldn’t seem to find him. He’s gotta be missing Steve right about now.
Free FreeBradshaw!
Shirt it!
If you think about it...
The Lakers have to play the Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Odom, and Gasol lineup at least 30+ min to beat us. Even though they have a stronger 2nd unit than last year, they’re going to tire out against our team. A lot of teams play uptempo, but no team can run like ours.
Formerly known as NashMV3 of BSotS, if anyone even remembers.
Nash is my mancrush. But Dragic is the 2nd coming of Manu Ginobili, which makes him just as tasty.
They did that last year, too.
And the year before.
/Just sayin’
Kobe Bryant's no Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant.
"Lebron joins teams with his friends; Kobe’s enemies join teams with him." - Gil Meriken
by Saurav A. Das on Oct 31, 2010 6:31 AM MST up reply actions
interesting take on your sig
funny how ppl forget Kobe’s trade demands a few years ago when the Lakers weren’t winning championships. Many Laker fans seem to think Kobe is above all the ‘changing teams to win more games’ thing.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Well if Lebron had played with Smush Parker for 2 years
I’m sure he would’ve requested a trade before his contract was up too. Nobody is oblivious to the fact that he wanted to change teams to win more games. Its just a big difference between going from 66 wins to 70 wins and going from 45 wins to 67 wins. Kobe’s situation is more like Chris Paul while Lebron’s is more like Carmelo’s. No one feels sympathetic for Melo, but plenty feel that CP is at least somewhat justified. Comparing Kobe’s trade requests to Lebron’s forced trade is like comparing apples to oranges.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
It's fucking Jason Kidd, man!
Formerly known as NashMV3 of BSotS, if anyone even remembers.
Nash is my mancrush. But Dragic is the 2nd coming of Manu Ginobili, which makes him just as tasty.
Sons of bitches over at SS and R....
I dont even hate the Lakers like most of the Suns fans. Sure, there are a few Lakers that I hate, but I don’t hate them as an organization. But dammit I Fu^&ing hate Lakers fans now. I thought the preview post where they dissed up was a fluke. Taken out of context or even just a particular writer who was a d-bag. Clearly I was mistaken. Godd$%& self-righteous megalomaniac sons of bitches….
On a Brighter note. The Suns played great tonight except for, what, 6 minutes or so at the end of the 3rd and beginning of the 4th? Man, I was soooo happy with their play. It was just too good to be true! I mean, everyone was doing what they needed and playing unselfish ball. And Grant Hill! Wow. If he continues to play at this level we will be doing well in a few months. Great stuff.
Reading is good...
The same writer wrote both pieces man.
People at SSR don’t even know why he doesn’t like the Suns. His opinion doesn’t reflect the opinion of everyone there.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
It's pure garbage.
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Oct 30, 2010 8:52 PM MST up reply actions
whats pure garbage?
his opinion?
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
oh come on. really?
I just read through a comments section that included calling Laker fans rapist supporting, low class douchebags, and an official post that takes what one writer wrote and extends it to represent the entire fanbase at SSR as showing “their true colors.” So its not like we’re representing a completely professional atmosphere. If that were the case Bill Simmons would’ve been fired a long time ago for writing his opinion on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. I got no problem with it because I’m on a blog for the Suns. I don’t expect you guys to just take our opinion as fact.
Anyway, he wrote a sarcastic piece on his opinion of last night’s game that happened to reflect his bias against the Suns. You guys have a right to be like ‘ok, that’s too far,’ but coming at his professionalism is pretty much over the top. Its not like he made a blanket statement of Suns fans in the piece. It was one paragraph of sarcasm reflecting his opinion followed by actual analysis of the game. It wasn’t really that serious. Its not like he devoted an entire article to saying the Suns suck. More saying the Suns aren’t on the same playing field as the Lakers anymore, in his opinion.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
I didn't read his game recap.
I knew all I cared to know about him and his opinions from his game preview. My statement is based on that.
Haha.
And we’re called the ignorant ones…
Dex has a PhD in sarcasm and below-the-belt humour. You think what he said about the Suns was bad, you should see what he says about himself.
Kobe Bryant's no Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant.
"Lebron joins teams with his friends; Kobe’s enemies join teams with him." - Gil Meriken
by Saurav A. Das on Oct 31, 2010 6:33 AM MST up reply actions
So you take joy in making judgement off of a ridiculously small sample space?
Kobe Bryant's no Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant.
"Lebron joins teams with his friends; Kobe’s enemies join teams with him." - Gil Meriken
by Saurav A. Das on Oct 31, 2010 10:44 AM MST up reply actions
and you haven't
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Oct 31, 2010 11:57 AM MST up reply actions
Why is this bothering you so much?
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Oct 30, 2010 10:46 PM MST up reply actions
because
people here seem to be taking one writer’s opinion and extending it to the group. It is not a representation of every opinion or even any other opinion but his own. I personally don’t care if you don’t like Dex or his opinion, but when his opinion is taken and extrapolated to say that all Laker fans are
Godd$%& self-righteous megalomaniac sons of bitches
I take issue with the fact that a member of your fanbase calls a group that I am a part of these names based off of a piece written by someone that doesn’t represent my opinion.
I still could care less what you think of the Lakers or their players, that is your prerogative. You call out a group I am a part of and I will respond, especially when an opinion of one person is made true for every member of the group. I want as many fans of other teams to come to SSR as possible because it only makes it better to have diverging opinions from other fanbases. Negative stereotypes of the type of people at SSR make it less likely for that to happen. So sue me, if I want a good representation of the community I am a part of.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
If you came here to try to improve the reputation of Lakers fans
I think it’s safe to say that you have failed.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 31, 2010 12:39 PM MST up reply actions
How is that?
I haven’t said anything offensive to all of you. I haven’t made any toothless arguments. All I’ve answered and responded to is this extremely negative sentiment towards Laker fans to show that not all of use fit into these very broad stereotypes you guys seem to have about us. But whatevs. Have a good season, and see you all the next time we play.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
You'll have a tough time dispelling those stereotypes
When one of your blog managers displays them so proudly.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 31, 2010 2:01 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
OK. Again, I can buy that. And I will apologize for putting all LA fans into a bracket.
However, this is a person that is officially writing for the blog, which means that, in large part, he either represents the group’s opinions as a whole, or speaks for the group. If there are so many of you LA fans who disagree with his writing then he shouldn’t be writing main blog posts.
Its one thing to be sarcastic and mad when you are a mediocre team. Its okay to be mad at the world and take it out on others when you are the underdog. Its expected. But to be the LAKERS. Perennial champs for YEARS and to talk about other teams (with sarcasm or otherwise) in a demeaning way without provocation of ANY KIND by another group is down right shitty professionally.
Bottom line: If you don’t want other fans to think you LA fans are d-bags then take a stand and do something about it. Its really easy to look the other way on stuff like this when you are winners. If you want to make a real impression, call people to a higher standard when things are going well.
Reading is good...
Love your enemies!
I love the Lakers. They have such a huge winning tradition today, yesterday and in the future. With a fan base of thirteen million people and the largest television market in the NBA it would be a travisty for them to suck. Are you listening NYC and Jersey?
They are destined to be Champions on a semi-regular basis. Don’t mistake their swagger for arrogance. They earned it. It is a by-product of continued success. We, who wander about the desert, trying to compete with the buzzards and coyotes for enough scaps to survive should be happy to be able to share the hardwood with the likes of such sports royalty.
I, for one, look forward to the day we kick their velvet covered asses in the Western finals with a four game sweep. It will be such an honor to watch that little white guy, “Nashty”, rip the Championship from their grip. If only for one season, their defeat at our hands would be so fullfilling. Without the Lakers being who they are, it would be a tasteless feast.
That is why I love them so. They are really a great franchise and crushing them would be so huge!
Imagine, the NBA championship trophy being displayed at Swap meets and rock shows throughout the State of Arizona. It will look great in the single wide, modular, front offices of the Phoenix Suns Franchise. The office gals will be more than happy to give up the air conditioned space to keep the Trophy from being damaged by the heat. It will be such a happy off season when we become Champs.
Hey you, yes you, the Lakers and all you Laker fans, we love you guys. You big nuckleheads.
Oops, time for my meds. Out!
by Arizona Retiree on Oct 30, 2010 11:17 PM MST up reply actions 3 recs
I think you should not take those meds.
This is entertaining.
"One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant."
~Sun Tzu
by East Bay Ray on Oct 30, 2010 11:21 PM MST up reply actions
I agree about the entertainment factor.
I really enjoy the optimism mixed with such an intelligently delivered logical progression of points of view. I also have a sneaking suspicion that the meds should be given atleast partial credit for these wonderful excerpts from the mind and heart of Arizona Retiree,. Hell, he might even have an I.V. going. Who Knows? :-)
Ya know what
ive been a suns fan since the mid 80s,Franchise goes back to 69.The one constant? Class call it a cop-out but while we have no tittles for the most part we put good men with big hearts on the floor.Ill take that over cry in my beer when times are tough im better than everyone else rapist kobe and that hoodwink thug artest.schwew K i feel better.
also
I will not challenge phil jacksons rep or legacy as a coach,However I find him to be an incredibly arrogant ASSHOLE,Who would you rather grab a burger and a beer with phil or alvin?
Who would you rather trust to lead a team to a championship?
And, considering Sarver’s well-known cheapness, do you really think he’s paying Gentry 7 figures to have a burger with? And to answer the question, I for one would pick Phil due to his basketball insight leading to a doubtless interesting conversation.
Kobe Bryant's no Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant.
"Lebron joins teams with his friends; Kobe’s enemies join teams with him." - Gil Meriken
by Saurav A. Das on Oct 31, 2010 10:48 AM MST up reply actions
I think I'd book em both
and have a burger with both of them. They both probably have different experiences with bball it’d be cool to hear. Not to mention, they both seem like cool peeps.
These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson
Please,
Enlighten us on Sarver’s alleged cheapness. People that follow the Suns obsessively have yet to add fruition to that myth, so I’m curious about what information an outsider would have.
"We didn’t go for coffee and this kind of stuff."
-El Dragon on his relationship with Sasha Vujacic
by RMason on Nov 1, 2010 12:02 AM MST via mobile up reply actions
Now if only the fans could mirror that class...
Kobe Bryant's no Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant.
"Lebron joins teams with his friends; Kobe’s enemies join teams with him." - Gil Meriken
by Saurav A. Das on Oct 31, 2010 10:47 AM MST up reply actions
Please keep posting, Retiree.
"We didn’t go for coffee and this kind of stuff."
-El Dragon on his relationship with Sasha Vujacic
by RMason on Oct 31, 2010 12:18 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
Haha, seriously.
Where is the love?
Formerly known as NashMV3 of BSotS, if anyone even remembers.
Nash is my mancrush. But Dragic is the 2nd coming of Manu Ginobili, which makes him just as tasty.
Really. I did not read that in the comments.
Nothing about rapist on this blog. I think we can correctly leave that to a member of the team that starts with L and ends with S.
by Suns Fan For Life on Nov 1, 2010 9:24 AM MST up reply actions
Hi.
Interesting the difference in tone between here and there..
Kobe Bryant's no Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant.
"Lebron joins teams with his friends; Kobe’s enemies join teams with him." - Gil Meriken
by Saurav A. Das on Oct 31, 2010 6:32 AM MST up reply actions
Frye Needs Some Versatility
If that big guy can make teams worry about him inside and out, we’ll be heavy team. He threw up some clutch bricks tonight, that’s going to happen, but the day he can thunder dunk on a nice spin move in the post (he is 6’11" after all), we’ll be alright. Robin, too, by the way, could stand to go up with two hands more often and rip the rim off the glass!!
Frye (of Victoria, Canada) - Steve Nash's hometown folks admire his skills, his leadership and his unabashed intelligent humour.
by Frye (of Victoria, Canada) on Oct 31, 2010 12:11 AM MST reply actions
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