Poll: Which win is more important? Lakers on Friday or Jazz on 19th

by Alex Laugan on Mar 10, 2010 8:39 AM MST

Both games occur in the next week and a half, and both are at home. Of course, we would love to get both wins. And if we get both, I'll be very happy. But judging by the Suns' history, the likelihood of winning both is low.

So, if you had to choose, which would it be? A win over the hated, title-favored Lakers? Or a win over the f*#$!*& Jazz team against whom we twice had a big lead only to blow it?

Vote in the poll, and then explain your vote below.

Poll

Which game is MORE important to win?

Lakers on Friday, to prove our contender status

21 votes

Jazz next week, to prove we can beat a likely first-round playoff opponent

49 votes

Neither game matters. Regular season matchups rarely predict playoff results.

6 votes

This is the dumbest poll I've ever seen, but I can't resist clicking in a checkbox anyway.

14 votes

90 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

personally

I think beating the Jazz next week is more important, if only because it sickens me that we lost big leads in both prior games against them and we can’t afford to turn them into our new Spurs just when the old Spurs seem more beatable than ever.

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 10, 2010 9:34 AM MST reply actions

AND, I have tix to that game. :)

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 10, 2010 9:52 AM MST up reply actions

+1

Bright Side of the Sun, for all things Phoenix Suns. Twitter: @iamtrevorpaxton

by Trevor Paxton on Mar 10, 2010 11:22 PM MST up reply actions

AMEN

by da suns on Mar 10, 2010 10:12 PM MST up reply actions

The Jazz game seems to me to be much more important.

The team will be at full strength for the first time this season (practically), and we’ll start to get an idea of the ceiling of our entire intact roster.

The Lakers game… while a victory would certainly be great, the Lakers are in a slump, and we’ll be working back in LB, hoping Nash is near 100% physically and be without our floor-stretching enforcer Deep Frye. If we win it will only be because “the Lakers lost it more than the Suns won it” and if we lose it will be because “the Suns are not an elite nor complete team.” Even with another victory in the wins column, it’s almost a no-win situation.

by Genesius on Mar 10, 2010 11:34 AM MST reply actions

thats the way I was thinking

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 10, 2010 11:51 AM MST up reply actions

Disagree here Genesius....

I especially disagree with this statement:

If we wi

n it will only be because “the Lakers lost it more than the Suns won it” …

Actually, the Lakers are not playing well now, and , I think we have a very good shot of beating them in this game — I actually expect us to beat them. I do not fear the Lakers right now. If the Suns should fear any team in the West right now it should be Dallas(because they are scorching and seem to be playing at a much higher level with Butler, and in fact are a better team after acquiring him) or Utah (since they seem to “have our number” and D. Williams is playing so well and always seems to kill us).

As for the question, I think BOTH games are quite important. Beating the Lakers would be big, but beating the Jazz is essential. If we have any hope of getting the 4 seed or perhaps even 3 seed we must beat Utah next week in Phoenix. We cannot lose two straight at home to them and expect to take the 4 seed or to even have a chance of beating them in a potential playoff series. I would go so far as to say the Jazz game next week is the biggest game of the season to date. In short, it is a must win for the Suns.

by Jack Frost on Mar 10, 2010 1:21 PM MST up reply actions

I agree with you Jack.

Personally speaking, I do think a Lakers win would be important. I was making that statement more from the perspective of what I think the media will say about a Suns victory. I should have made that more clear.

Both the statements I made were from that likely media perspective actually.

by Genesius on Mar 10, 2010 1:38 PM MST up reply actions

Lakers...

If we lose no one is going to lose any sleep but if we win I think it gives us a whole new level of confidence and swagger…

by Superelkman on Mar 10, 2010 11:45 AM MST reply actions

Both, I think they’re just as important. I hate laker fans and I live in Utah. Jazz fans can get pretty cocky of their team too. I’ve never been that cocky of my Suns team; I’m more of a realist.

by Beavis 25 on Mar 10, 2010 12:35 PM MST reply actions

We don’t want to lose games we need to win. I remember in 08 we gave up two big games to the Mavs and Rockets that were must wins if we wanted to get the 2nd seed. Because we didn’t show for those two games we ended up with the Spurs in the 1st round. Both of those games were statement games. I think we need to win the next two against the Jazz to show them that they can’t beat us( They think they can, but its only because we gave it to them twice). It would be great to beat the Lakers, so we could tie the series. That win would give our team more confidence going into the playoffs.

by Beavis 25 on Mar 10, 2010 12:39 PM MST up reply actions

I'm obviously not saying

that the Suns should lose one of those games, or that they won’t try their hardest. I was just asking which one you think is more important if you had to choose

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 10, 2010 1:52 PM MST up reply actions

Utah because they are our likely first round opponent.

by Beavis 25 on Mar 10, 2010 2:02 PM MST up reply actions

You make valuable posts, Beavis, but I would call you an idealist, not a realist. Didn’t you think the Suns will probably blow out the Lakers?

by 8472species on Mar 10, 2010 7:45 PM MST up reply actions

I was in trash talk mode, so that doesn’t count.

The SUNS WILL BLOW OUT Kome Cryant and the lakers this Friday. Here I go again… Gee, I can’t wait for this game.

by Beavis 25 on Mar 10, 2010 8:28 PM MST up reply actions

I can't - the Lakers depress me too much

Good, but I can, and I’ll tell you why. The early years of the Nash era and the year before it were great, because we got to see the Lakers stomped like the bugs they are. But unlike other bugs that get stepped on repeatedly, the Lakers eventually got back up. During those championship seasons in the early 2000s, I nearly gave up following the NBA because I was so sickened by the Lakers’ success, and I feel almost that bad now. It’s hard enough to block out the NBA’s crass commercialism and obsession with money, and the players’ arrogance on top of that, but sometimes I manage to. Then I find it staring me in the face in game recaps and articles about Lakers success.

by 8472species on Mar 10, 2010 8:53 PM MST up reply actions

I'll go with Utah as more important,

but not for the reason listed. A win as a measuring stick doesn’t hurt, mind you, but I’m more interested in beating the Jazz to improve our chances of hosting a first-round playoff series. Even with the Lakers’ recent struggles, it’s awfully hard to imagine us catching them. But the Jazz are right there.

by Azreous on Mar 10, 2010 5:37 PM MST reply actions

good thing the Lakers broke their losing streak

It actually might be a good thing that the Lakers edged the Rapors (barely beat them!) last night. If the Lakers were going to come to Phoenix with chips on their shoulders, the victory over the Raptors might lessen the effect.

by 8472species on Mar 10, 2010 7:48 PM MST reply actions

Both...However

We are in a real fight with the Jazz for our playoff spot, so although both of them are big for us, the Jazz game is HUGE!

I would really like to secure at least a 4th seed going into the playoffs so we can enjoy home-court advantage for at least the first round…We will probably need to beat the Jazz and win some other big games in order to do this.

by 7footer on Mar 10, 2010 9:19 PM MST reply actions

I just looked more closely at the schedules

and it really looks like the Suns are stuck at #5, and likely facing the jazz without homecourt.

Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.

by Alex Laugan on Mar 11, 2010 8:56 AM MST up reply actions

The Jazz are on fire since their 24-18 start. In less they cool down I don’t see us taking that 4rth seed. We still need to try which is why it is important we win both games vrs them.

by Beavis 25 on Mar 11, 2010 11:52 AM MST up reply actions