Phoenix Suns Practice Rapport: Suspended Reality
by Seth Pollack on Mar 9, 2010 2:53 PM MST
in Suns News
36 comments
Not much in the way of action today at practice beyond the league's ruling on Channing Frye. The team continues to refine rotations and offensive sets in preparation for the stretch run.
Grant and Jason were "limited," which is more about just resting those vets, while Leandro went at it and looked fine. He drained two threes from the top of the arc to end practice.
Goran was riding the bike, but sat out again. I asked him if he was good and he nodded and winked at me which I took to mean "yes". He was walking with no limp and should be totally fine for Friday.
Steve Nash said this about his time off so far, "Just rehab basically. Retrain my muscles to move in proper sequence and order. That's basically what I've been struggling with."
Whatever that means.
He said that this is the same thing that's happened over the last few years of his career during the course of the season. Nash said there's nothing he would do differently this season as far as minutes, but he also made it clear that he's paying the price for trying to carry too much of the load at times,
"There was a lot of time this season where we had guys injured or maybe guys just weren't playing great and our team was slumping and you put your head through a wall to try and get out of it and sometime you pay for it a little bit, I think.
"Our team's in a good place right now. I think our team's playing at such a higher level that I don't have to do as much anymore, which is a great thing. If I can get back to full strength and just be capable, I think we will be in a lot better place."
Nash was asked about Amare's improvement this season and he was sure to give STAT credit for having a better understanding for the game. Nash said Amare was putting up max contract type numbers but when asked if he would give Amare that kind of deal he said this, "I don't know. If I'm a Mark Cuban type, maybe."
Interesting.
Coach Gentry said that without Frye, the Suns will use Amundson more off the bench and might have Amare and Robin play extended minutes. Doesn't sound like Jarron Collins will be part of the plan.
As for the post-suspension comments, you can watch the video from Suns.com below. About what you'd expect them to say.
Here's some BIG news...Robin Lopez has agreed to come on for a Live Chat!
We are targeting either the 17th or 19th of next week for that. It would be around noon time. Stay tuned for details and start thinking up questions.
Daily Links:
- Steve Nash best NBA shooter ever - ESPN
That's right: Steve Nash. By a mile. I've always written that his shooting is his most underappreciated skill, but even so, this blows me away. - NBA Power Rankings: Where March Matters - SB Nation
Rank: 8. Last week: 7. The Suns are 29th in defensive efficiency, 30th in forced turnovers and 29th in defensive rebounding, yet they're potentially headed for 50 wins again. It's really amazing they're winning so many games. - The Blazers Brain Trust Has Its Day - Blazersedge
A behind the scenes look at the 2010 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference with the Portland Trail Blazers. - Hardwood Paroxysm " Blog Archive " Assisting Darren Collison’s Assists
Well done, Zach There was one questionable assist, four assists that shouldn’t have counted and ultimately, 16 assists that I’m fine with Collison having. Did he ACTUALLY set the rookie record for the Hornets with 20 assists? Technically, he did. In reality, he didn’t. - With Robin Lopez, Suns no longer playoff pushovers
With Robin Lopez, Suns no longer playoff pushovers, Bickley: The soft-serve Suns have changed since inserting Robin Lopez in the starting lineup. - The Official Phoenix Suns Blog " Blog Archive " Stoudemire to Hold Youth Basketball Academy
Suns All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire announced his Youth Basketball Academy for boys and girls ages 8-15 from June 7-10, 2010 at the Arizona Premier Basketball Academy in Gilbert, AZ. The Academy will run daily from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. with an early departure on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. It is limited to the first 125 kids. - Dallas Mavericks to Play Suns in Outdoor Preseason Game | Dallas Morning News
The Mavericks are scheduled to play in Phoenix's annual outdoor preseason game in the Palm Springs area next October. The Suns started the tradition in 2008 when they played Denver at the tennis mecca. Last season, Golden State played the Suns at Indian Wells. Now it's the Mavericks' turn. - 30 Million Comments: Apparently Much Easier than 20 Million Comments - Blog Huddle
10 million comments in six months...keep 'em coming! - Twitter / Paul Coro: I'm on furlough this week. ...
I'm on furlough this week. Bob Young will have your Suns coverage at www.azcentral.com/sports/suns.
and this from Suns.com via email:
Facebook Night is slated for Friday, March 19, when the Suns host the Utah Jazz. Get your discounted tickets for what could be a playoff preview (as of today, Jazz at #4 seed, Suns are #5), plus early entry to watch warm-ups, an exclusive Suns t-shirt and access to a private postgame Q&A with Suns assistant coach and living legend, Dan Majerle!
http://www.nba.com/suns/tickets/facebook_night_2010. html PlanetOrange.net Night is set for Friday, March 26, when the Suns welcome former coach Mike D’Antoni and his New York Knicks. Again, we’ve got a great discounted ticket offer (more than 50% off lower levels), you’ll receive a Planet Orange t-shirt, early entry for player warm-ups, and access to a postgame Q&A with the "Voice of the Suns" Al McCoy and his radio tag-team partner, Tim Kempton.
http://www.nba.com/suns/tickets/planetorange_night_ 2010.html
0 recs |
36 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
Amundson getting more minutes? This should be interesting. I wonder how many rebounds he will grab against LA?
I wonder how fast he will foul out
with all the bogus calls they usually whip out when we play the lakers…
They say "don't swim with the sharks", but I'm faster than sharks so it's not a big deal...
YEAH!
Forget about the fact that they are the returning champs, or that they have a LOT of size that generally bothers the Suns, or that Phil Jackson knows to run pick and rolls at Amare, or that Kobe is one of the best players on the planet, or that they are currently the best team in the West. This should be a piece of cake – LETS GO SUNS!
I’m all for homerism but come on, LA is still the class of the West until dethroned. Yes they’ve lost 3 straight but that don’t mean too much to the returning champs. However, I do think the Suns should put Griffin on Kobe and just have him take hacks at Kobe’s finger until Griffin fouls out or Kobe has to have surgery.
Staff writer: Bright Side of the Sun Twitter: @dpwatson
By the way, I’m not saying the Suns can’t or won’t win…just saying that to say we should beat them easily is a bit far-fetched.
Staff writer: Bright Side of the Sun Twitter: @dpwatson
We should be looking to dominate the Lakers going into Friday. Our team just needs to think about the word “DOMINATE” and what it truly means and than go out and do it.
the Lakers may be human trash, but they're good
Yes, but they probably are. But, although I despise the Lakers more than I can say—they are the main reason I can’t stand the NBA as opposed to the Suns—how reasonable is it to expect a rout of the Lakers?
They aren’t that good. Kome Cryant is pretty good, but the other guys are ok… We can take em! Seriously though, if Kome Cryant doesn’t hit those game winners than they’d be right there with the Jazz, Suns, Mavs, Nuggets… The West is wide open for everyone now. Of course the Lakers will still be noted as the team to beat because they’re the defending champs( which they only won through sheer dumb luck). Besides, they lost that killer edge they had last year. I don’t think they’re as good as their record shows. I’ll say it again; the West is wide open for everybody.
Kome Cryant?
Haha. That’s an interesting one. Never seen that one before.
Bright Side of the Sun, for all things Phoenix Suns. Twitter: @iamtrevorpaxton
by iamtrevorpaxton on Mar 10, 2010 12:10 AM MST up reply actions
I couldn't disagree more
I hat that Lakers because I grew up in Phoenix in the late 70’s and 80’s getting rolled by them in the playoffs but that’s a uniform thing.
And lets be honest, it’s also an envy problem.
I enjoy the way the Lakers play ball. I don’t have a problem with any of their players any more than I do with Clippers or 76ers. They have one of the greatest coaches ever.
If anything, I have the biggest issue with their arrogant and obnoxious fans.
Calling great players “human trash” is just absurd to me.
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @sethpo
by Seth Pollack on Mar 10, 2010 8:09 AM MST up reply actions
Buying championship/s
My biggest problem with the Lakers is the their payroll – they are the Yankees of the NBA.
And for me it’s not an envy problem because I would rather watch a team that has been respectably assembled financially and craftily cultivated on the court make a run at winning it all (a la Phoenix Suns, OKC Thunder, Utah Jazz, etc.) than a fantasy team that has been constructed virtually without financial limits and with disregard for the competitive opportunity of the 25 other teams in the league that aren’t in such a paradisaical situation (a la LA Laker, Dallas Mavericks, Celtics, etc.)
Please don’t try to explain to me why they can do this because I understand why and how they can do it. I don’t like it. Plain and simple – it bothers the crap out of me.
At a close 2nd place for “reasons I hate the Lakers” is their constant whining about calls and the faces they make (See Kobe Bryant – Pau Gasol – Sasha Boo-ya-chick – Jordan ‘Dumbo’ Farmar – Luke Walton) – but also know that I think Channing Frye would fit in nicely with their face-making and whining after every call style… I’m just saying it bothers me – and combine their ugly mugs with the star treatment of Kobe and his Lakers and I go through the roof…
Those are my top 2 ‘reasons I hate the Lakers’ – I’ll stop now because I’m already angry and we don’t even play for another 2 days…
They say "don't swim with the sharks", but I'm faster than sharks so it's not a big deal...
I think the Spurs
are worse. Tim Duncans “O” face makes me pissed everytime I think about it.
TO THE NBA - " Yeah, you have created a rift within me ; Now there have been ; several complications ; that have left me feeling nothing ; I might say, you were ; wrong to take it from me ; Left me feeling nothing " - Disturbed, "Numb"
I don't know about worse - but in the same category
between Parker – Duncan – and Ginobli they make some FUGLY faces
They say "don't swim with the sharks", but I'm faster than sharks so it's not a big deal...
The numbers tell a different story
I could only find salary numbers going back to the 2001-2002 season (here at usatoday.com), coincidentally the last time the Lakers won a championship before last year.
Anyone want to guess without looking where the Lakers ranked in payroll that year? 1st? 3rd? 5th?
Try 13th.
And until last season and this season they never cracked the top 5, being the 5th highest payroll in 2008-2009 and 1st in 2009-2010. Until this season, the Lakers had been outspent every year by both the Knicks and the Mavericks, who at last count, had combined for zero championships.
Cumulatively, over that time period, the Lakers have outspent the Suns by about $32M, or $3.6M a season. Does anyone out there really think that $32M is the difference between 2 rings and no rings?
You can hate the Lakers’ faces all you want, but Jerry Buss has owned that team for a long time and he, Jerry West and Mitch Kupchak have put together some fine teams playing by the same financial rules as everyone else, including the Suns.
But if you do like craftily constructed teams, try the Spurs! In 2003 an 2005, when they won championships, they ranked 17th and 21st in payroll. They sold out in 2007, going all the way up to 6th in the league in payroll. I guess we can thank Robert Horry for this much: since the Suns led the league in payroll that year, he saved anyone from accusing them of buying a championship.
Twitter: @MikeLisboa
by Mike Lisboa on Mar 11, 2010 11:56 PM MST up reply actions
Clarification
When I say the Lakers “never” cracked the top 5, I’m only referring to the data sample I had available to me. Ditto with “outspent every year.”
Twitter: @MikeLisboa
by Mike Lisboa on Mar 12, 2010 12:49 AM MST up reply actions
Criticism cheerfully accepted. “Hollywood” would have been more to the point.
by 8472species on Mar 10, 2010 10:55 AM MST up reply actions
By the way guys, don’t take my comments too seriously right now. I always participate in this Smack talk thread between SUNS and laker fans every time they play a game, so because we haven’t got a game before then I’ve sort of already gone into trash talk mode.
Also, Kome Cryant wasn’t my ideal. It was a Celtics fan ideal. I love it and so does everybody else who hates the Lakers. There is also Kobrick Cryant for all those games he wasn’t hitting shots because of his broken finger.
I actually like and respect Kome Cryant( Not surprised he just hit another game winner) I just hate the Lakers as a team. I always liked Tim Duncan too; I just hated the Spurs.
Water Boy Collins
This only reinforces my suspicion that Collins has undoubtedly committed a terrible act against Gentry or his family to receive bench honors…
I look forward to seeing Amundson tear it up in the middle, and hopefully, Barbosa will substitute any points that we would have expected out of Fry.
What, Actually
do we expect out of Frye each night? I can’t seem to form a realistic set of expectations. Defensively, I expect that his assignment will have a big night making uncontested layups along with several ‘and 1’s". Offensively, I have no idea. Give me some help here.
he's a 3 point threat that requires a big man to step out and guard
That opens things up for our cutting and drive n dishing
With five days off, STEVE NASH
and the rest of the dinged up Suns should be feeling a lot better. Our vets will hopefully use this time for r&r and somehow get their muscles to fire in the proper order? Whatever that means. Hopefully Dragic’s ankle will be completely healed and this extra few days will give Barbosa plenty of time to test his wrist. The team should be ready for the challenge of playing the Lakers. It will be interesting to see if LB buys into the defensive stance the second unit has taken. If Amundsun plays a lot of minutes, the Lakers will double on Amare. That means the perimeter shooters need to be on target for a full 48.
Barbosa's defense
Why is Barbosa’s defense bad, anyway? Does he not care about playing defense, or does he not know how? I don’t know what sort of work ethic he has.
Watching the Videos makes me SICK
to my stomach. The NBA has put such a muzzle on the players and coaches they dare not criticize a very over reactive bunch of fines and suspensions. I would have loved to see to see both players and the coach blast Stu Jackson for his ridiculous decisions. We have become so PC as to be irrelevent and uninteresting. Where is Sr Charles when we need him?.
hollinger's best shooter article is locked
anyone care to give the po’ folks a quick review?
not much to it...
here’s the formula used:
I simply added a player’s 2-point, 3-point and free throw percentages. We’ll call this “Combined Shooting Rating,” or CSR for short.
Nash was #1 with 1.849. Kerr (ironic) was #2 with 1.812
Here’s the entire list
Top All-Time Shooters By CSR
Player 2-Pt% 3-Pt% FT% CSR
Steve Nash .515 .431 .903 1.849
Steve Kerr .494 .454 .864 1.812
Reggie Miller .525 .395 .888 1.807
Mark Price .501 .402 .904 1.807
Jeff Hornacek .515 .403 .877 1.795
Chris Mullin .533 .384 .865 1.783
Peja Stojakovic .485 .400 .895 1.779
Larry Bird .509 .376 .886 1.770
Ray Allen .482 .396 .893 1.770
Dana Barros .488 .411 .858 1.757
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @sethpo
works for me
and BTW, that picture of Frye is excellent. Great work, Mr. Simbron.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
wow, where do I sign up to be a statistician?
good to hear him get the credit tho…heh
Dana Barros
LOL.
Twitter: @MikeLisboa
by Mike Lisboa on Mar 10, 2010 12:59 AM MST up reply actions 1 recs
no kidding
I was actually joking about his banging on the key board w/ someone in the Suns PR group as well
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @sethpo
by Seth Pollack on Mar 12, 2010 12:43 AM MST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
Related FanPosts on Bright Side Of The Sun
Related FanShots on Bright Side Of The Sun
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
SBNation.com Recent Stories
In Association With
Follow us on Twitter
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
