Suns Trounced By Raptors In Vancouver, 129-78
by Wil Cantrell on Oct 6, 2010 11:53 PM MST
in Phoenix Suns: Game Coverage
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PrintWhen Linus Kleiza puts up 20 against you, you know you have trouble. Depending on how you view things right now as a Suns fan, you've either gone to bed and forgotten tonight's debacle, or you are like me, awake, and wondering if more trouble lies ahead.
On a night where the Suns probably would have lost to the Phoenix Mercury, the smartest players on the squad appeared to be both Grant Hill and Robin Lopez, who were both tossed from the game with two technicals each. The rest of the Suns appeared tired after playing last night, or completely out of sync, or both.
Never one to push the panic button too soon, I'll go out on a limb and say it was a little of everything. The Raptors are not a great team and the Suns are much better than a squad that loses by 51 points to a team like the Toronto Raptors. I will make a few observations before I leave the rest of tonight's putridness to the masses for comment.
* Editor's note: This writer fell asleep during the second quarter and woke up some time during the fourth, at which time he decided to forgoe the conlcusion of the contest in order to purchase alcohol, and in doing so locked himeslf out of his home and spent 30 minutes attempting to break in with the help of a screwdriver. All ended well with little to no property damage to said home.
- Dragon needs to chill; he's all over the place, attempting to do too much. Yes, he only had one turnover tonight, which was an improvement from last night, but 1-6 is not going to cut it.
- Hedo pulled down 8 boards, which is the good news. The bad news is he went 3-10 from the field, and is 3-15 in two games. I'm not down on our Turkish friend just yet; he's made some smart plays and will come around, I am certain. But for now, I'd say he is in an "adjustment" period.
- Gani Lawal pulled down 7 boards. That was the good news. The bad news is he missed 7 free throws, 5 of his 6 field goal attempts, and fouled out. Yes, he is a rookie. Yes, this was his first NBA game. Still, the Suns could use him, and if he's going to be part of the rotation, he's going to have to pull it together pretty dang quick.
- Earl Clark: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 turnovers. Sorry, I need more from a former first rounder now in his second season. Apologists, please speak up and convince me he's going to contribute this season, because I don't see it.
- Jared Dudley: I don't think the box score looks all the impressive, but he said he worked on creating his own shot over the summer and I saw glimpses of that tonight, which is encouraging.
- Josh Childress: I love him and my concern about him adapting to the NBA game after two years in Greece is gone. He's ready for prime time and my man-crush is on. Maybe he'll sign one of his 600 pairs of shoes and send them to me. I would certainly swoon with excitement.
- Robin Lopez: Our angry afro'd center will be OK. I am thrilled he is healthy. I like him angry, although getting tossed isn't a good thing. Reign it in, Robin ... please.
- Grant Hill and Steve Nash: no worries here.
- Jason Richardson: I haven't heard the shoulder injury was serious, so I'm again going to play the no worries card here.
- Channing Frye: a vital cog in the Suns wheels who hasn't played due to the birth of his child. With his addition, the second unit is obviously stronger, and kids like Gani can take their time and learn in practice, pick up a few minutes here and there instead of being depended upon immediately.
Remember, people, we all knew there would be an adjustment period, a time where the new would need to learn to mesh with the vets and vice versa. Well, you're seeing it, and it's the preseason. I trust no one is swigging rubbing alcohol or planning on picking up a Kobe Bryant jersey anytime soon. There's plenty of time to figure this out before the games count for real in the standings
Oh, and word around the campfire is Erick Dampier is or was in town. What do you all think about that?
In other news, this may happen
Next up, Indian Wells, in the annual pointless outdoor SoCal spectacle. Anyone going?
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I have a feeling
that they still haven’t recovered from their camp tiredness, then they play back to back road games. On top of that it’s all the meshing which hasn’t been done. Finally, those kids are too eager to flex themselves…
Well, it's just a preseason game.
This is usually when coaches give the youngsters a chance to play and show the coaches what they can do. Seriously, the Raptors can beat us by 50 points all they want in the preseason. But when the regular season comes around, I’d like to see them try beating us by 15 points.
Can anyone tell me how or why Hill and Lopez got 2 techs each? Did Grant really get tossed for slapping someone’s butt or is my chain getting yanked?
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.
wow
now there’s a gauntlet to throw down! You tell em, Eric!
But when the regular season comes around, I’d like to see them try beating us by 15 points.
So THERE, Raptors!
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Well at best, I think the Raptors are a 10th or 11th seed in the East.
I’ll estimate them to be around 30 wins at best without Bosh. They struggled to get near 40 even with Bosh. Their team just doesn’t gel. I’ll pin the blame for Turk’s bad year on him not gelling with the team, but we’ll see if that’s really the case when the season starts.
Also, our team is highly capable of being the 2nd best team in the West. I believe we still have the best bench in the league and we still have one of the top 3 PGs in the league in our leader, Steve Nash. Factor in the fact that there’s a chip on almost every player’s shoulder this season and we’re looking a highly motivated team that would never allow themselves to lose that badly.
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.
the NBA is cracking down on demonstrative behavior
Can anyone tell me how or why Hill and Lopez got 2 techs each?
as the season wears on, crap like this will lessen. But be ready for this stuff at its peak right now in preseason, then a little less in November, and so on.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Hill was initially standing up for Dragic
as Dragic was getting roughed up by the Toronto players and the refs were not calling much. Then Evans got in his face and was playing up on him like it was the playoffs. Evans got a foul and Hill was upset. Hill was starting to discuss things in a measured way, talking to the other players and Evans came up behind him, looking like he was saying take it easy Grant (as if Grant was getting out of control) and slapped Grant’s butt and walked by. Grant followed him and did the same to him. I think Evans had also taken out Grants legs on a previous play. I held my breath when Grant’s body hit the floor with a pretty strong impact. I saw Robin go out in the 2nd quarter holding his head and I got scared, collision with Evans I think. He came back with a bandage and Evans/Dorsey had one too. There was a lot of potential for injury yesterday for the Suns. Toronto was playing very physical like they had made the playoffs and Phoenix was their first round opponent. Toronto was also doing a full court press that Dragic was having difficulty with, lost a few points there. It was chippy and they were playing rough. De Rozen made a Technical sign with his hands after Grant’s ass slap. Calderon was complaining to the ref about why he couldn’t put a hand on Nash on defence. The only guys who seemed to be handling it were J-Chill and Siler. Man, J-Chill plays a physical game. People were booing Hedo but cheering when he made baskets. I though Hedo looked good. Most people in the crowd seemed more interested in getting a look at some of the hockey players that were sitting court side as they came up on the jumbotron. The rims were stiff, especially the one that Phoenix was facing in the second half. It was funny because they had rolled out the old Vancouver Grizzlies court and erased the grizzlies logo. It was the shittiest Phoenix game I have ever seen. I really want to see Phoenix waste Toronto during regular season. Lucky it was pre-season. Man, sorry I wrote so much.
was wishing that there were some actual
Phoenix Suns fans in the crowd, rather than people just cheering for Nash, just to get the guys spirits up. The rookies-Siler, Janning, Dowdell, Lawal for most of the last period. Janning was disappointing—he missed a lot of shots, an easy dish from Nash, and several threes. Dowdell looked pretty good.
And that's why Reggie Evans
has been voted dirtiest player in the league for however many years in a row now.
Just a preseason game?
JUST a preseason game?
Was it just a preseason game when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
by suns68 on Oct 7, 2010 1:52 PM MST up reply actions 8 recs
I don't get worried
about the players that have been the league a few years ( including Dragic, Dudley, and Lopez). My concern is with Clark, Childress, Warrick, and Lawai. Childress looks like he is going to be a steal, and a solid player. Lawai shows promise and should be a solid player. Unfortunately Clark is the opposite. I said it on draft night, he is not that good of a player. Warrick never should of been signed. So 2 out of 4 not bad.
Dampier in town? Well he is better than Siler and Jones, so why not.
Its early, I still see a 48-51 win team.
I still see 50+ wins too
Though the team is not built for a long playoff run. It will all depend on seeding and homecourt advantage, IMO.
+1 on all your comments. (though we should accept Warrick for who he is – kind of a 6’9" version of LB – 10 quiet pts or so a night on 20 min, sometimes highlight worthy but otherwise not a difference-maker)
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I am worried
call me crazy, but you are not losing by 50 and stand still, not to anyone… jesus, 51?! where is rhe chemistry, pride? these games are played for a reason…do we think that things will lclick just like that? any reflectiions from AG?
to be honest, I am afraid dragic will not ger much better this year…
frankly, I think the team must be floating right now
the newbies are still feeling their way, and the returnees are still hungover from the playoff run. It’s like the preseason games don’t matter at all to them.
Gentry is playing 15 guys a night on random rotations. Nash and Hill are coasting mentally, Everyone but Duds and Childress seem to be treading water, waiting for the games to really matter.
This team will look MUCH different when the season starts. Don’t worry yet.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Regarding Dampier
this sure smells like a Shaq-lite move.
Rookie GM watches team get beaten on the boards, wonders why they don’t employ a big lumbering center who can eat rebounds and space. Rookie GM doesn’t see how big, lumbering C would mess up the spacing and tempo, just wants to address the obvious deficiency. Rookie GM brings in big lumbering C with an ego bigger than the role that’s available. Veteran 2-time all-star PG tries to make it work, but soon laments the lack of spacing.
First Siler. Now maybe Dampier. Hopefully the coach doesn’t let it affect the team in a negative way.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I really think he can help
When he played well he gave Amare and Steve problems on the inside
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."
Clark showed some more flashes last night
I think he’ll get it by the end of the year
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 Oct 7, 2010 7:47 AM MST reply actions 1 recs
Unfortunately, he only has til the middle of the year
before he’s traded. But good positive thinking there.
Look, I know it's a preseason game
But guess what: the other team is playing a preseason game, as well.
I know the Suns have a lot of new parts, having lost a major cog, but guess what: the Raptors have a lot of new parts as well, and lost Chris Bosh.
So, despite it being a meaningless game, it’s still a bit worrisome because it means you’re even further behind the curve than every other team.
Bloggin' 'bout AZ sports ... SB Nation Arizona
I think I agree
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."
I think its a mental game
obviously, the Raptors are not 50 points more talented than the Suns. The Raps came to play, while the Suns did not.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
And 30 turnovers?
You have to really try to give the ball away that many times.
Bloggin' 'bout AZ sports ... SB Nation Arizona
I'm not too worried about the offense
But to lose by 50 while giving up 130 is what worries me.
In God we trust, all others must bring data.
fo sho
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."
Same.
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."
Well, he's handy.
Didn’t we get blown out by Portland in the last pre-season game last year? Right before our 14-3 start?
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
It's the preseason.
I know we got beat pretty bad last night, but it doesn’t mean anything. If you’re keeping track, the Wolves are 2-0 in the preseason. They also had 30 turnovers last game against the Knicks, but had 62 rebounds. Freekin’ 62 rebounds. But does that stats mean anything? I don’t think so. The Wolves are going to be preety bad again, no matter what.
I watched some parts of the game last night and I just think the Raptors were on a pretty good day. They were shooting and hitting from everywhere. Of course our D wasn’t very good either, so that’s why you have a 51 point difference. We’ll see on the regular season when we meet them.
Note: It was strange to see Barbosa with a Raptors jersey, but it didn’t make me feel bad. Actually, I felt fine about it.
The Suns are tough!
come on guys
No its not ideal but look at the box score and whos playing the minutes and where,maybe alvin uses a more reg season look on sat I say he probably will just to get some confidence goin.
I don’t think the Suns have posted a losing preseason record in the Nash years. Will this be the first???
Banzai!
Well, I don't remember.
Will anyone remember?
Let me put it this way. Who will get more good out of last nights game – the Raptors, who beat the Conference finalist Suns, and now think they are better than they really are, or the Suns, who got embarrassed by a team that didn’t make it to the playoffs last year? Gentry has run the legs off this team in camp – he’s not done yet. It was a back to back, travel day, grind it out game, without Frye and JRich, and Hill and Lopez got ejected. That’s a lot of asterisks for the record book.
Clark had some nice moments, and Childress is going to be the steal of the season. I’m worried about Grant, though – if he can’t keep his hands off other guys asses, he may not make it through a game all year. Sportsman of the year, indeed.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
I'm pretty sure last year we were 3-5
after getting blown by the Trailblazers
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
ESPN says 4-4, but that includes a win against Partizan – so losing record against NBA teams…
Banzai!
by Suns' Sensei on Oct 7, 2010 10:43 AM MST up reply actions
We are one player away from another great season
Unfortunately, that one player seems to be Amare, and we’re looking at Erick Dampier, a career journeyman on the downside of his career.
At least there’s a chance that Jones or the Silo will get better.
At best, Erick Dampier will be, well, Erick Dampier.
Reverse Nike decision. Just don’t do it.
by suns68 on Oct 7, 2010 8:51 AM MST via mobile reply actions
oh, well Amare had 2 rebounds yesterday
while Minny as a team grabbed 62 of them… and the Knicks lost the game.
Don’t sweat it.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Amare also had 11 points
Which would have made him our leading scorer last night. And the Knicks only lost by 6.
my point was that they gave up 62 rebounds
and Amare only grabbed 2 of his own.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
This is great, no sarcasm here.
Get the embarrassing losses out of the way in the preseason.
It’s better to lose by 50 points than 10. Lose by 10 and the team shrugs it off. Lose by 50 and guys start to reflect on how much they suck. The first step is to admit that there is a problem, and losing by 50 to the dinos will force them to admit to themselves that they suck and possibly they will consider alternatives to sucking.
"We didn’t go for coffee and this kind of stuff."
-El Dragon on his relationship with Sasha Vujacic
On the other hand,
I was just looking at the game photo above and realized that the stands are full of people. Oy.
OK so maybe it’s not great, but let’s not let it ruin our breakfast. This is what the preseason is for.
"We didn’t go for coffee and this kind of stuff."
-El Dragon on his relationship with Sasha Vujacic
Oh, and J-Chilly is the shizzy.
That’s all, I’m out.
"We didn’t go for coffee and this kind of stuff."
-El Dragon on his relationship with Sasha Vujacic
hell ya
the only bright spot of that dazzling display of fail
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
Yeah, his 4 points and two boards would have really helped last night.
Clark had 9 points, 4 boards, a block, and 4 turnovers. I don’t think the turnovers all fell on his shoulders – Lopez had 5 in less minutes.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
James Johnson is out of shape and considered very disappointing by many bulls fans. In other words he’s so far a bust just like Clark.
Don't trade Dudley!
Rec'd for lols.
Also, a question to you, Wil:
Jared Dudley: I don’t think the box score looks all the impressive, but he said he worked on creating his own shot over the summer and I saw glimpses of that tonight, which is encouraging.
What kind of shot? Is it describable?
"This [basketball] is the second most exciting indoor sport, and the other one shouldn't have spectators."
Yeah he had one that was a pull up right at the free throw line
Bloggin' 'bout AZ sports ... SB Nation Arizona
by Justin Burning on Oct 7, 2010 12:58 PM MST up reply actions
Yep, I noticed that too.
I really didn’t think there was much room for Dudz to improve with his skillset, but he really worked hard this offseason. That dribble pull-up is a great tool to use and will come in handy.
Now we need to get Frye to do the same thing.
That was Frye's game before he bacame a deadeye from 3.
Frye has quite an upside. He has enough bulk to be a beast inside, enough foot speed to guard smaller guys, a high BBIQ, and a bit of a temper. He’s improved defensively, and will continue to develop offensively.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
I see that too.
They guy has so much potential for already being around for a couple of years. I’ve seen Frye be a mass rebounder, a good post-defender, and a great shooter. I’m atill waiting for him to put it all together consistently though.
Portland and OKC are the only WC playoff teams to have won a pre-season game.
If you look at it right now, Minnesota is the Western Conference elite, and will have the number one seed going into the…regular season. If this keeps up, Phoenix might not even make the regular season, and will be on the outside looking in (along with winless LA, SA, Denver, Houston, Utah, Clippers, and GS).
Need I say…we’re dooooooooomed.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
by haremoor on Oct 7, 2010 10:24 AM MST reply actions 1 recs
Dooooooooooomed!!!
good grief charlie brown
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
no really
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
I know it’s a pre-season game, but when Jared Dudley is your leading scorer you’ve got a problem.
We suck, we get beat on the boards, give the ball away, and miss all our shots. We sort of just run around throwing the ball at whoever and hope they make a shot.
On the brightside, I like what I saw from Turk. He’s still missing shots, but he will get that back. I like his aggressiveness in grabbing 8 boards and 3 steals. It is an adjusting period for him. Josh and Dudley are playing well. Lawal had a decent 1st game for a rookie out of the 2nd round. Let’s be honest people, right now, Lawal is more basketball ready for the NBA than Clark. I think this guy is our next Lou, but with more potential. He just needs to work on his free throws, get adjusted to the team and NBA and we will see more polish in his game. In fact, I’d trade Warrick for a draft pick right now just so we could have Lawal take his spot in the rotation! I don’t care if Warrick scores 30 next game, he’s likely to grab only 4 rebounds in 30 minuets and doesn’t play D.
Don't trade Dudley!
Nope.
J-Dudz is just that good.
Peyton Manning= Better.
by JesusNinja13 on Oct 7, 2010 11:56 AM MST up reply actions
Well it's impossible to go deeper than that.
He has to trim down the rotations because there’s just way too many players. This is also a good motivational tactic for those who want playing time. I’m interested in seeing who will crack the rotation when the season starts.
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.
I have a feeling that our rotation will look like this by the start of the season-
PG Nash/Dragic
SG J-Rich/Dudley
SF Hill/Chill
PF Turk/Lawal
C Lopez/Frye
OR
PG Nash/Dragic
SG J-RIch/Dudley
SF Hill/Chill
PF Turk/Frye
C Lopez/Dampier.
Don't trade Dudley!
I'm still a little antsy about Dampier. I don't see him being able to keep up with our team.
Our team is too fast. A lot of teams play uptempo but not like us.
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.
Is he better or worse than Jarron Collins?
That would be the only relevant question should he join the Suns.
"We didn’t go for coffee and this kind of stuff."
-El Dragon on his relationship with Sasha Vujacic
He averaged about 6 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes a game last year for the Mavs.
Don't trade Dudley!
he's better but louder/grumpier
without playing time. One of the best things about Collins is that he was a model citizen.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Good take, Alex
Collins knew his role and limitations and contributed to the effort without getting in anybody else’s way. I strongly suspect Dampier would be a different story, even though historically he’s probably a better player.
Ok maybe he's faster than Jarron Collins.
Slowest fast break ever!
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.
flow break?
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
you continue to sell Warrick way too short
he’s a 6’9" Barbosa, in terms of free, consistent points, but without the turnovers. We just have to guard against expecting too much.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I know, people keep telling me that and I don’t deny it. I just see it as unnecessary. I feel we need a dirt worker type of player coming from the PF instead.
Don't trade Dudley!
Lawal is not ready yet
this is why I hate hindsight, though.
“In hindsight”, Amundson fits our need much more than Warrick. Yet, the team didn’t have the benefit of hindsight when friggin Amir Johnson was getting 34 mil on day 1 of free agency and Amare was accepting 100 mil from NY and the Suns were looking at available PFs who could score and saw very little. Amir f-in Johnson for 34 million.
So yes, Warrick was a knee-jerk signing.
But also, he’s a damn good value. 3 yrs, 12 mil is not bad for a backup PF who can give you a consistent 10/4 on 20 mins a night at a high efficiency rating.
So please, give him and the Suns a break.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Agreed
Wait until Warrick has a chance to play with Nash for a significant amount of time.
Warrick brings a lot of energy and athleticism to our team, something we thrive on. I think he will be an important part of our team this season.
I think LB's better than he is
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."
That's probably why he costs twice as much.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
Really? I highly doubt that the organization would go out and pay what they did for Warrick only to bench him in favor of a rookie who looked good in training camp scrimmage… Warrick has proven that he can score in this league, even without a point guard like Nash – no matter what you say about his other skills. He’ll get a look off the bench, at least initially
I am fond of jumping off of cliffs...
I think Gentry will find that they don’t need his scoring and the team will put him on the trading block because they want him to get a better opportunity somewhere else. You have to remember that Warrick was the quick, panic move when Amar’e left.
Don't trade Dudley!
I’ve never liked the Warrick signing by the way. Ever since it happened, I saw it as unnecessary.
Don't trade Dudley!
no way
I am totally floored by that comment. You don’t like Warrick? I never guessed.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
On the original point about tightening the rotation
Emptying the bench and seeing what the scrubs can do in real game action is what the preseason is for. Had the Suns only gone 10 deep these first two games, people would be (correctly) asking why we’re not taking this opportunity to get a look at Garret Siler, Dwayne Jones, Matt Janning, etc. Sure, we’ll want to get the rotation players in gear and ready to go, and get their chemistry with each other right, especially later on in the preseason. But, for now, use these utterly meaningless exhibition games to get a feel for which of those marginal guys are worth keeping around.
"Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion, man."
~The Dude, AKA His Dudeness, Duder or El Duderino
by East Bay Ray on Oct 7, 2010 12:35 PM MST up reply actions
+100000000
amazing how crazy some people are getting after 2 meaningless games.
So if Gentry only goes 10 deep on Saturday, the rookies are done? Play time is over?
Let’s hope thats only a 1-game thing, being its on nat TV and after the 51 point loss and Gentry wants to sooth his wounds for a night. Because those rookies deserve more than 1 or 2 games to get their feet under them.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I'm betting that, after the game, Gentry told them something like
“Look, I know it’s a meaningless early preseason game, and the Raptors were more rested and ready than us, the game clearly meant more to them as a team trying to establish itself, and there was some Canadian pride thing going on. But……come on, man. We gotta bring it better than that regardless.”
And, Nash and Hill will kick some tails, a couple of the scrubs will inhabit the doghouse for a game or two, and everything will be fine. I expect a much better effort in the next game. Everybody needs to chill and get some perspective.
"Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion, man."
~The Dude, AKA His Dudeness, Duder or El Duderino
How can we rebuild around him and trade him at the same time???
;-)
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
he means
rebuild around a trade package including Dudley, I’m sure
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I say go with regukar rotations through the first 3 quarters and give the rookies the 4th quarter.
Unless it’s a close game. In that situation go with the starting 5. I’d like to see us win one of these things eventually.
Why?
If winning a pre-season game means we don’t develop Lawal, Clark, Janning, and Jones/Siler, I think winning a pre-season game could hurt us immensely.
This team doesn’t need the confidence of a win. We’ve played two games, back to back, coming out of a camp where they ran their legs off. We need to establish our depth and rotations – I guarantee that they are not set, knowing Gentry. I’d rather win more in the regular season, and know who we can count on in the clutch.
Dirk has said he will probably sit out the Saturday game. I think Dallas should panic. They’re dooooooomed.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
Well, stop it.
I’d rather liveblog in June than in October. Deferred gratification is better – it’s like Tantric sex.
The word Tantra means “to manifest, to expand, to show and to weave.” In this context, sex is thought to expand consciousness and to weave together the polarities of male (represented by the Hindu god, Shiva), and female (embodied by the Hindu goddess, Shakti), into a harmonious whole.
See, we’ve just got to get our Shiva and our Shakti in balance, and the rebounding will take care of itself.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
i love the onion
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
Strategic thinking ...
Take some aging veterans. Combine them with undrafted rookies and guys who were waived by other teams, bring in some guys from overseas, and go win the championship.
It happens all the time in the movies.
Note:
When you say “I know it’s the preseason but….” and then go on to list a bunch of complaints and concerns you have after a meaningless game the Suns clearly half assed….then you don’t know it’s the preseason.
RIP Seasons of Discontent
You were like 1 of 20 dude.
I’m not sure I even read your post.
Burn.
RIP Seasons of Discontent
by Scott Howard on Oct 7, 2010 12:45 PM MST up reply actions
Scott,
No joke, this is why you are so valuable here.
Forgive a kid’s movie reference, but I can’t help thinking of ‘Ego’ in ‘Ratatouille’ saying “I’ll take some nice, fresh perspective.” You provide that here, and your blunt, cynical way makes it that much more poignant.
Thanks, Scott.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
Kiss my ass. I DO love Scott.
In a rat-movie kind of way.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
I love scott to
in a watching people slip and fall on there ass on a patch of ice kinda way
"I’ve been in the league 14 years and I don’t think I’ve been called for a carry yet. It’s news to me," "I’ve never heard anyone complain about me carrying the ball. The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn’t have a problem with it last week."
Warrick is the best
PF that we can get in this league with US$ 4 million. I’m sure he can help us win some games this year and will be a good rotation player.
The Suns are tough!
I wasn’t panicking until I read this: http://www.82games.com/preseason.htm
Hedo Turkoglu is my new favourite.
Well, since N=147, and the 'healthy' .40 correlation is in place, it means...
that the pre-season doesn’t count.
In other words, some good teams won a lot of pre-season games, and then went on to win a lot of regular season games. And then, some bad teams won a lot of pre-season games, and then didn’t win very many regular season games. But some good teams didn’t win in the pre-season, and still won a lot of regular season games. Still more bad teams lost in the pre-season AND the regular season.
Oh, you’re right. We’re Doooooooooooooooomed.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
I didn't really understand that analysis
And getting torched by 51 in a pre-season game is humiliating but not fatal.
I didn’t start panicking until I read we’re thinking about signing Dampier.
This is utterly disappointing
I’m adjusting my expectation of the Suns’ season down from 57 wins to 55.
Stay frosty my friends!!
If only we'd had Pat Burke last night
He’d have drilled a garbage-time 3 and we’d only have lost by 48.
Head for the ESPN trade machine, and make it happen!!!!!!
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
by haremoor on Oct 7, 2010 1:46 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Burke. We sure miss that bald bastard.
The Suns are tough!
by Diego Queiroz on Oct 7, 2010 2:15 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Stevie Wonderboy
This is my very first post. I can’t contain myself. I had dinner with Steve last night after the game at a charity function in Vancouver. He even autographed a ball for me. He says the Suns’ game is like a dance. There is a place on the floor for everyone and it will take awhile for everyone to learn and adjust. Watching the game was awful but I thought Clarke actually looked OK. Childress is definitely a keeper. Turkoglu is a finesse player. I think he’ll be OK once he learns the ropes. The Raptors had been in town all week practising hard. They clearly wanted it more. They were very physical and our guys didn’t know how to react, especially Dragic. Everyone looked tired. There was a lot of confusion – and terrible shooting. Gentry has to shorten the bench now. Another blowout loss would be disconcerting.
by Van2010 on Oct 7, 2010 4:39 PM MST reply actions 2 recs
Rec'd
Because with all the overstatements that people make toss around, a simple assessment is refreshing.
Another blowout loss would be disconcerting.
Oh and having dinner with Steve is cool I guess (hiding my envy).
"We didn’t go for coffee and this kind of stuff."
-El Dragon on his relationship with Sasha Vujacic
Edit
that people make toss around
I like verbs so much that I double up on them sometimes.
"We didn’t go for coffee and this kind of stuff."
-El Dragon on his relationship with Sasha Vujacic
i wish i had had ur grammar education when i was younger...
or, maybe i should have had “had had had” where i had had “had had”
by SteveNash, QuantumPhysicist on Oct 7, 2010 9:40 PM MST up reply actions
I knew you'd agree understand.
"We didn’t go for coffee and this kind of stuff."
-El Dragon on his relationship with Sasha Vujacic
word
He says the Suns’ game is like a dance. There is a place on the floor for everyone and it will take awhile for everyone to learn and adjust
chill out, some of you un-chillins
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
nah... Suns' ball is a ripsnortin' rocket ride that requires precise alignment of trajectories...
everything will be okay once Steve is full time at the con and the others conform to his contrails…
by SteveNash, QuantumPhysicist on Oct 7, 2010 9:45 PM MST up reply actions
I agree with Van2010
Quality assessment and not all of the cogs are in place and comfortable.
I’ll be there at the Indian Wells game. Hoping they put up a better effort there and can figure out some of the role issues with the new guys.
Going to Indian Wells for the game this weekend.
I’m kind of nervous for it!
Hahaha(:
hey ask the person next to you if his name is The Alex Skinner
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
anyone agree with this
the suns have faced two teams the kings and raptors who are both young and coming off losing seasons,the suns are all in all a veteran bunch whos been away from home for a while.the motivation for the opponets has been to show the world we dont suck,our guys just havent met the challenge of their intensity and rightfully so.its very mental at this point our guys will be ok when it counts…………..I hope
No, I think that Nash, Hill, and JRich have read John Hollinger, and agree with him.
Therefore, the play thus far has reflected the mindset that we won’t make the playoffs. Why even try – Hollinger has NUMBERS!
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
The true is..
that we gonna miss Amare more than we think..
It don’t smell good at all.. to many wings guys and not enough interior offensive player.
Warrick and/or Lawal have to step up or we gonna be crunch a lot of times.
Go Suns!! Suns For Life!! (miss you Raja)
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