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Game Recap: Suns Beat T-Wolves 135-127 In An Overtime Thriller!

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Not bad. Not bad at all. I thought the players had checked out?  I thought I would see a boring game with no intensity and passion? Instead, I saw ten players who love the game. I saw ten players who weren't willing to just lie down, take their paychecks and call it a season. They played and fought, not for money, but for the sake of basketball itself, for the love of the game.

Those ten players are: Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Channing Frye, Marcin Gortat, Jared Dudley, Anthony Randolph, Luke Ridnour, Anthony Tolliver, Martell Webster and Michael Beasley.

I'm impressed. Being the second to last game of the season and perhaps the year, I very much enjoyed it. I don't know what to expect against the Spurs in a couple days, but I consider tonight's game the encore of the season. For the Suns, their season had pretty much ended a couple weeks ago, but the players decided to go out there and give it their best. They put on a show and it was good one, a performance worth watching. I'm grateful I was able to witness it.

Star-divide

Not going to lie though. I wasn't too enthusiastic about this game for the most part, but the players changed that when they picked up the intensity during the latter part of the 3rd quarter. Yes, I still didn't want the game to go into overtime, but the Suns managed to hang on and save me the heartbreak of another letdown.

Here's the breakdown for those who missed the game.

Breakdown!

The Phoenix Suns got off to an early 15-13 lead, but the Minnesota Timberwolves caught fire and went on a 20-6 run to go up 33-21. It would be a while before the Suns would ever reclaim the lead.

From the 2nd quarter through most of the 3rd, it was much the same. Neither team played any defense and both teams shot around 60% from the field. Throughout this stretch, the Wolves managed to stay ahead by around 4-8 points. However, something changed in the latter part of the 3rd. Jared Dudley decided he wasn't going to lose this game even though a win would mean nothing. Jumper after jumper, three after three, layup after layup until the Suns regained the lead 92-91 all due to the awesomeness of Dudz.

In the 4rth quarter, both teams continued to shoot well and the Suns could never gain any separation as every time they'd get up by three or two the T-Wolves would continue to score and put the pressure on Phoenix to get a defensive stop. Didn't happen as Webster hit a three to give the Wolves a 119-118 lead with 38 seconds to go.

The game only got more awesome from there on.

Here's what happened....

Suns inbound, they get the ball to Frye, he shoots, he misses!  Dudley gets the offensive rebound! He passes to Nash! Eddie Johnson says, "You don't need to shoot a THREE!", Nash says, "I'm Steve Clutch Nash, I do whatever I want!". Bam! He hits a three with 27 seconds to go, Suns up 121-119!

Beasley then gets fouled by Warrick and makes the shot.... However, he misses the free-throw. OVERTIME!

It's OT, the Wolves lead 124-123. Two minutes to go. Dudley steals the ball from Ridnour, he passes to Frye, Frye hits his 9th three-pointer of the night, a CAREER HIGH! Timberwolves miss, Grant scores, Suns up 128-124. Wolves turn the ball over, a 24-second violation! Yes, go defense! Nash passes, he gets it to Dudley, from the corner, for three....AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! DAAGGGEERRRR!

Suns up 131-124 with 47 seconds left. Free throws from there on out. Suns win 135-127!

Highlights

  • Channing Frye set a career high for 33 points on 12-18 shooting including 9-14 from beyond the arc. That sets his career high for most threes made in a game and also ties the franchise record set by Rex Champman and Q-Rich. 
  • Steve Nash didn't look to score the ball much. He only took 4 shots and finished with 8 points, but he took and made them when it counted. He also dished up 16 assist. Screw you Rondo!
  • Marcin Gortat finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds. That's not bad considering both teams shot 54%.
  • Grant Hill had 21 points and 8 assist.
  • Jared Dudley was amazing! 26 points on 10-15 shooting including 5-5 from downtown! He also had 8 rebounds and 5 steals!

It's no coincidence that these were the five from the Suns to step up and show their love and passion for the game by willing the team to a win.

Not a bad game.

Links

[Note by Seth Pollack, 04/12/11 6:54 AM MST ]

Phoenix Suns Take Overtime And Ton Of Threes To Beat Minnesota Timberwolves, 135-127 - SB Nation Arizona
Aaron Brooks (5 points, 5 assists, 18 min.) was out-played by Zabian Dowdell (8 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, 15 min.). They traded time playing point with Zabian looking far more effective running the team.

Robin Lopez didn't play at all as the Suns wanted to get a look at Garret Siler in more realistic game situations. Some in the organization think he can be a backup to Marcin Gortat at center next season. Siler didn't impress in his 12 minutes of play, finishing with just two points, five rebounds, and four fouls.




Poll
Will Marcin Gortat ever become an All-Star?
Yes, he's got the will and the passion to improve.
275 votes
No, his ceiling isn't that high.
87 votes

362 votes | Poll has closed

Comment 66 comments  |  1 recs  | 

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Comments

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Sorry it took a while guys, it kept skipping every time I tried to type something. Stupid Internet!

Don't trade Dudley!

by Beavis 25 on Apr 11, 2011 11:05 PM MST reply actions  

Dude, I'm so glad you had something to talk about in this recap.

Love the second Highlight on the list. And you are correct, sir, when you say “Screw You Rondo”. +1 for that alone.

I'm like Alvin Gentry of the game thread, no one knows what I'm doing.

by Zentrified on Apr 12, 2011 11:21 AM MST up reply actions  

Beasley then gets fouled by Warrick and makes the shot…. However, he misses the free-throw. OVERTIME!

You missed Beasley breaking the ankles of Dudley. And another thing, Dudley had 8 rebounds. Fun game overall. These are the type of games everyone would want, right? No defense played? Everyone just having fun scoring on both ends. Highlight after highlight, three after three, layup after layup. Thank you Beavis for the recap. I expected a much shorter recap. Great effort.

I don't know what to put in my sig.

by shawndy on Apr 11, 2011 11:17 PM MST reply actions  

You're welcome.

Thanks, it was a fun game. Not much defense was played, but the Suns got the stops when they needed to and forced the Wolves into that 24 second violation. Dudz also came up with some clutch steals that led to open threes.

This game deserved a longer and more detailed preview made with heart.

Don't trade Dudley!

by Beavis 25 on Apr 11, 2011 11:27 PM MST up reply actions  

That too.

Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!

Green Bay Packers: Super Bowl XLV Champions!!!!

by Omaha Sun on Apr 12, 2011 12:31 PM MST up reply actions  

Beasley then gets fouled by Warrick and makes the shot…. However, he misses the free-throw. OVERTIME!

You missed Beasley breaking the ankles of Dudley. And another thing, Dudley had 8 rebounds. Fun game overall. These are the type of games everyone would want, right? No defense played? Everyone just having fun scoring on both ends. Highlight after highlight, three after three, layup after layup. Thank you Beavis for the recap. I expected a much shorter recap. Great effort.

I don't know what to put in my sig.

by shawndy on Apr 11, 2011 11:17 PM MST reply actions  

oops, sorry. double post.

I don't know what to put in my sig.

by shawndy on Apr 11, 2011 11:17 PM MST up reply actions  

Gotta get 1st next time. Random thoughts:

1) Frye got his 3’s back
2) Brooks wearing Nash’s signature shoes and yet didn’t perform like him.
3) Nash getting the most assist award this season…in your face Rondo. Even when we had a crappy season Nash still manages to accomplish something.
4) Siler played like Lopez BUT that’s ok. He barely played this year and I was impressed by his effort. He was rebounding and fouling like a true center…even when he lost the rebound and gave the other team a +1
5) Without Dudley’s hustle for second chance points we would have probably lost this game.
6) Our 3 PG shot a 3!
7) Kevin Love sat there all by himself and yet nobody tried to brainwash him to join the Suns?!

Twitter: @FredLegittt

by modernage13 on Apr 12, 2011 12:24 AM MST reply actions  

Siler...

I admit giving Siler the benefit of the doubt.
If Gortat can develop his post game (which makes him probably a 3rd option on offense) we don’t need a super solid sub. If we can use Lopez to trade for a solid PF or SG, we should give it a go.

As to Gortat’s All Star Potential – he needs to make some highlights to do that – I mean improve his 1-on-1 post game and finish some alley-oops with a slam not a lame lay-up.

As to his numbers – for a C they are already All-Star ready – post all-star game he averages:
15 points (7th among centers)
10.6 rebounds (would be 6th in the league, 2nd among centers)
1.6 blocks (Top 20)
and 56%FG (good for 4th in the league)
Through his 53 games for PHX he had 23 DD – for 82 games he would probably average about 35 – good for 5th in the league among Centers, 10th for all players)

Feed the cutter!!!

by Piotr Szczesniak on Apr 12, 2011 12:52 AM MST up reply actions  

#7 = LOL!

I'm like Alvin Gentry of the game thread, no one knows what I'm doing.

by Zentrified on Apr 12, 2011 11:23 AM MST up reply actions  

A lil off topic but:

Goran had a pretty good game for the Rockets.
Still believe it was a good trade but 15/10/7 + 4 steals looks good.
Still he played the entire game + overtime so maybe the stats are inflated a bit…

53 6-16 2-6 1-2 4 6 10 7 4 0 1 1 -7 15

Feed the cutter!!!

by Piotr Szczesniak on Apr 12, 2011 12:37 AM MST reply actions  

too small sample size

He did lost a game against Kobe, But still he has a better education.

by sun_equalizer on Apr 12, 2011 12:51 AM MST up reply actions  

Still...

he played 53 minutes and made some plays.
IMO he can be a very solid backup in a tear or two, but never a starter for a contender.

Feed the cutter!!!

by Piotr Szczesniak on Apr 12, 2011 12:53 AM MST up reply actions  

you know what's interesting

is that when Goran starts, he always mirrors the guy ahead of him. Nash gets more assists than the average PG, while Lowry gets fewer assists but more rebounds than the average PG. Starting for Nash, he’d do 15 points, 10 assists and 2 rebounds. Starting for Lowry, he’s getting 15 points, 7 assists, 10 rebounds (in 53 minutes). I just thought that was an interesting take-away. When did Goran ever get 10 rebounds for the Suns?

Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun

by Alex Laugan on Apr 12, 2011 6:55 AM MST up reply actions  

It's how the team is set-up around the starting PG.

When Goran starts, they play what they are used to.
The suns run most plays through their point guard, the rockets box out and let the PG grab a lot of defensive rebounds.
I don’t see no Magic there…

Feed the cutter!!!

by Piotr Szczesniak on Apr 12, 2011 8:39 AM MST up reply actions  

It is sad

When you watch Grant hill miss an end of game layup, on an AWESOMELY designed inbounds play, get a little upset and then catch yourself and think “Phew – we still might lose and get more lottery balls” :(

I hate thinking like that, but moving up a few places would be terribly helpful!

by MMotherwell on Apr 12, 2011 2:12 AM MST reply actions  

Nah,

We will either get a great guy and trade him away before he develops or keep him and he turns out to be William Bedford…

We mostly get draft dingleberries…

Feed the cutter!!!

by Piotr Szczesniak on Apr 12, 2011 2:46 AM MST up reply actions  

A weak draft is only getting weaker

With Perry Jones backing out, Sullinger out, and reports that Harrison Barnes will stay… the thin draft class is getting thinner by the day. What talent may have fallen to us, will most likely be gone now. I’m not holding my breath on us getting a good draft pick.

"Vince Carter likes cheese."

by ajcarleton on Apr 12, 2011 6:47 AM MST up reply actions  

haha I was typing

my own comment at the same time

Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun

by Alex Laugan on Apr 12, 2011 6:49 AM MST up reply actions  

of course, here's a Bright Side to all that

Scott Howard noted the 11-15 pick range is a wasteland. Not one all-star in 14 years. Yet the later picks have more good players and all-stars. Well, with all these guys backing out that 11-15 wasteland has now moved up to the 6-10 range. The Suns’ chances of getting a good, long-term player might just have improved! ;)

Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun

by Alex Laugan on Apr 12, 2011 6:51 AM MST up reply actions  

And teams with MVP's "only" win the championship 30% of the time

This is just nonsense, All-Star doesn’t automatically equal good. The reason most 11-15 picks “suck” is because teams with those picks don’t look at who they need, they just pick up whoever is “the best” out of those left. Most if not almost all of them are stuck on mediocre teams and are usually the everyman kind of guys, defensive specialists or spot-up shooters.

Still, just the 2010 draft had Patrick Patterson and Ed Davis who have tons of potential and already look like future starters for the Rockets and Raptors respectively. I wouldn’t be surprised if either made the All-Star team in a few years.

by rzyn on Apr 12, 2011 9:38 AM MST up reply actions  

right but

the point of Scott’s post a few weeks ago was that, in particular, the 11-15 picks have produced 0 all-stars and very few regulars/long-term NBA players for that matter. By contrast, both earlier and later picks (15+) had produced more good NBA players and all-stars in the past 14 years.

I was just making a funny about how this draft is so bad that the Suns might get a good player at 13 simply because they won’t be tempted with the boom/bust-but-most-likely-bust talent in that range (earl clark?). All those guys will be gone by 13. Now you’re supposed to laugh.

Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun

by Alex Laugan on Apr 12, 2011 10:09 AM MST up reply actions  

Oh I am laughing believe me

Started sometime in February and haven’t stopped since ;)

by rzyn on Apr 12, 2011 1:09 PM MST up reply actions  

the draft is looking worse and worse

underclassmen are backing out left and right. The bottom of the first round will yield no better than mid-second talent, yet on a 3-yr guaranteed contract. Even the 13th pick will be more like a 20-25th. Hope for pingpong luck!

Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun

by Alex Laugan on Apr 12, 2011 6:48 AM MST up reply actions  

Hopefully last night's game will restore some confidence through the rest of the season.

Chairman, Committee to get Vince Carter an Asbestos Sweatsuit

by suns68 on Apr 12, 2011 4:43 AM MST via mobile reply actions   2 recs

Rest of the season = 1 game

Never confuse activity with achievement.

by Jim Coughenour on Apr 12, 2011 8:44 AM MST up reply actions  

Did you really just whiff on his sarcasm that badly?

Founder of the Coalition to Light Vince Carter On Fire (CTLVCOF)
RIP Seasons of Discontent

by Scott Howard on Apr 12, 2011 9:23 AM MST up reply actions  

Ahaha

BSOTS “The nett exporter of sarcasm” my ass

:P

Feed the cutter!!!

by Piotr Szczesniak on Apr 12, 2011 10:04 AM MST up reply actions  

Let's make that last minute desperation push for 8th seed!

Grant Hill: where making MVPs look like wannabes happens.

by NashMV3 on Apr 12, 2011 10:56 AM MST up reply actions  

That was actually a fairly entertaining basketball game.

If you ignore the palpable sting associated with the Suns being invloved in a late season scrimmage game against Minnesota when they are typically posturing for playoff seeding and/or preparing for a first round playoff opponent.

When the Suns went down early, I was actually concerned that they would suffer the ignoble embarrassment of being run off their home court by the Timberwolves. Instead the Suns showed an element of pride and professionalism (which has been noticeably lacking at times down the stretch) and scraped out a victory.

Not a whole lot to take from this game, though. Squeaking out a victory against a 17 win team in the midst of a 13 (now 14) game losing streak playing without their best player in a game with negligible defense isn’t anything to build toward next year with.

The starters all performed pretty well. Frye was on Fyre. Dudley played great. I’m still not seeing it with Childress.

One more game. Maybe the last time Nash suits up for Phoenix? I’m going to say my goodbyes just in case – didn’t really get to with Amare because of how things unfurled. Not sure if there’s any kind of symbolic lift the Suns have to fight for in the finale….. Last year the Spurs season ended with a loss to Phoenix. I’m sure the Spurs wouldn’t be the least bit upset if they could return the favor to Phoenix on Wednesday.

Never confuse activity with achievement.

by Jim Coughenour on Apr 12, 2011 9:08 AM MST reply actions  

sure
I’m sure the Spurs wouldn’t be the least bit upset if they could return the favor to Phoenix on Wednesday.

Sure, as long as the Spurs can win without their top players doing it, Pop will be happy. No way all the guys play hard JUST to beat the Suns as a “payback”

Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun

by Alex Laugan on Apr 12, 2011 10:11 AM MST up reply actions  

well the good thing is that the spurs will be on a back to back

by REneeR on Apr 12, 2011 11:14 AM MST up reply actions  

I sat there watching this part:
Wolves turn the ball over, a 24-second violation! Yes, go defense!

Thinking, “What the hell are they doing?” I don’t think I’ve ever seen less ball movement in an offensive possession. Ever. Including little kids.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Apr 12, 2011 9:50 AM MST reply actions  

yes, and the guy who held the ball for about 18 of those seconds

spent the ensuing timeout screaming at his teammates for doing something wrong.

Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun

by Alex Laugan on Apr 12, 2011 10:12 AM MST up reply actions  

Wasn't that Beasley?

I had good tickets to this game, and the most amusing things included:

1. Watching Rambis hold himself back from going to the floor for every loose ball;
2. Watching Laimbeer hate-filled stares at his players;
3. Watching Beasley scream and chest-bump himself after each shot he made (he was playing well offensively) and then get screamed at by Laimbeer and Rambis for being out of position on both offense and defense.

Mmmmm ... Guinness

by JSun on Apr 12, 2011 4:36 PM MST up reply actions  

I think SNQP said it best in his fanpost.
I don’t think the Wolves know how many sides Rambis’ triangle has.

Grant Hill: where making MVPs look like wannabes happens.

by NashMV3 on Apr 12, 2011 10:58 AM MST up reply actions   1 recs

As much as I love Gortat, I voted no on the poll...

Not because I don’t think his ceiling is high enough, but because of this team’s current and perceived future dilemma in certain areas.

For one, Gortat is a very productive big man, but he is not regarded as a “star” player. I realize that he has only been a starter for less than 1/4 of the season, but I still don’t ever see him being regarded as “the guy”. I think the Suns will be mediocre to pretty good at best over the next couple of seasons, and unless Gortat starts putting up ridiculous numbers and gets the kind of recognition as someone like Kevin Love, I think he will be overlooked.

The one thing that I believe may change his game completely is if he continues to develop his shot. He has begun shooting the ball fairly well from anywhere inside the arc, and if he continues to work on this aspect of his game, we may end up using him as a PF rather than a C…That is if we can find another big body 7-footer to take Lopez’s place. If Lopez held up to his end of the bargain this year and continued to progress the way we thought he would, I think there would be a very good chance that we could move Gortat to the 4 next year and have them play along side one another. However, because Robin has struggled and will likely be traded, we will have to begin our search for another big man. If we end up with another legit center rather than a power forward, then I can certainly see Gortat molded into a PF in the future.

by 7footer on Apr 12, 2011 11:33 AM MST reply actions  

One doesn't have to be "the guy" to be an all-star.

People have been voted an all-star while being injured an not even playing in a single game. “All-star” voting is mroe about likability and the fan base than whether or not the statistics bare out such a qualification. That’s why some players engage in commercializing their individual attempts to get into the “all-star” game

I'm like Alvin Gentry of the game thread, no one knows what I'm doing.

by Zentrified on Apr 12, 2011 11:38 AM MST up reply actions  

Sure...but what I meant to infer

is that he will be less likely to receive consideration and fan votes if the Suns are a mediocre team. Look at Nash this year, he’s a two-time all-star and still leads the league in assists without a star player on the team, and he still didn’t make the all-star team this year. That had everything to do with our record…If we were one of the top teams going into the all-star break, I guarantee Nash is a lock.

With the Suns likely to struggle over the next couple of seasons, it doesn’t bode well for Gortat’s all-star hopes. Like I said, unless he is “the guy” and receiving Kevin Love type of attention by the media, I think it’s unlikely he will get selected even if he continues to improve his game.

by 7footer on Apr 12, 2011 12:13 PM MST via mobile up reply actions  

proving my main point.

being an all-star is all about popularity.

"I might be full of shit, but I'm approximately right." - Me

by Zentrified on Apr 12, 2011 3:16 PM MST up reply actions  

Blake Griffin is a human highlight reel...

He’s already a “superstar” in many regards, if for no other reason than his solidified spot among the ESPN top 10 plays of the day on Sportscenter. Once you reach that status, you can overcome being on a bad or mediocre team. But Gortat is nowhere near that level of popularity.

by 7footer on Apr 12, 2011 2:15 PM MST up reply actions  

Not yet, but his got the work ethic and natural ability to be successful

in ways that we’re sketched out about because of our history of failed centers. Amares departure might be a course upon us, but Gortat, for the long run, is a gift. He’ll be an all-star by the time he’s 30.

"I might be full of shit, but I'm approximately right." - Me

by Zentrified on Apr 12, 2011 3:18 PM MST up reply actions  

Chris Kaman was named to the 2010 Western Conference all-star

As a member of the 29-53 Clippers. He averaged 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. No reason why the 2011-2012 Suns and Gortat can’t post at least comparable numbers.

Whether Gortat can make an all-star game in the future will depend upon:

  • Can he improve his shooting and post game? There’s no physical reason he can’t, and I trust his work ethic and drive to make this happen. Look at his improvement so far with the Suns in only around half a season.
  • What will be the makeup of the Suns team? How many offensive opportunities will he get? File this under “who the hell knows?” for now, but the Suns have looked to feature him more and more as this season has gone on.
  • Will true centers get picked to be all-stars, or will PF/C’s be chosen? There are more good PFs than C’s, so this makes it much more difficult. In fact, I’d call this the biggest impediment to Gortat becoming an all-star.

by East Bay Ray on Apr 12, 2011 1:00 PM MST up reply actions  

Yes, because the western conference center position was ridiculously thin.

If you remember that year, Amare was the starter at center (even though he didn’t even play the position most of the time). The list of Western Candidates were: Andris Biedrins, Andrew Bynum, Marcus Camby, Marc Gasol, Spencer Hawes, Al Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, Nene, Greg Oden, Emeka Okafor, Mehmet Okur, Amar’e Stoudemire.

Chris Kaman was playing well but he wasn’t even listed on the original ballot. The reason he made it is he was appointed by Stern in the place of the injured Brandon Roy. Could Gortat be selected as a reserve in the same manner…of course. However, I don’t see that scenario as being very likely.

Next year, players like Bynum (sad but true), Pau Gasol, Demarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, Kevin Love, Okur, Nene, Okafor, Tyson Chandler, and even Deandre Jordan will likely be in the mix for the All-Star C’s from the Western Conference, and competing against Gortat…That’s a much more talented group than in 2010. Unless Gortat is playing even better than this season, and the Suns begin playing like contenders again, I think it would be highly unlikely that he gets selected.

by 7footer on Apr 12, 2011 2:12 PM MST up reply actions  

Just a quick breakdown to your list:

Pau cannot be regarded as C if he plays alongside Bynum. It’s either or…
Cousins is a 100% PF.
DeAndre and Marc Gasol are not featured enough in their offense so their numbers are much much lower.
Okur? Is he still alive?

Right now Chandler and Okafor are IMO in Gortat’s reach.
Nene, Al Jefferson (forgot about him) and David Lee are much more complete players. He needs to improve to have a chance against those 3. You can make an honest argument that he is comparable to Lee because of the black hole Lee is on the defensive side, but Nene and Al are just on a different level as of now.

I don’t see Bynum staying healthy long enough to be eligible to be frank…

So makeable? Yes. Likely? Depends on how much he improves during the summer.

Feed the cutter!!!

by Piotr Szczesniak on Apr 13, 2011 2:35 AM MST up reply actions  

Just a quick breakdown of your breakdown of my list

Yes, either Pau or Bynum would enter as a C…They are both possible candidates though (although Pau will likely be on the ballot as a PF).

Cousins can be on the ballot as either a PF or a C regardless of what he normally plays (remember Amare?).

Deandre Jordan is gaining popularity because of his teammate. I guarantee he’s on the ballot next year.

Marc Gasol is still regarded as one of the best players on his team, and the starting C…He makes the ballot.

Yes, Okur is still alive but I forgot about Jefferson; and he probably won’t make the ballot.

Chandler is going to get much more attention after this season, but I agree he is in reach for Gortat.

Okafor is also in reach, and Gortat is probably favored over him.

Nene and Jefferson are both legit.

David Lee is also, but Gortat might have an edge on him as well.

Bynum may very well be injured, but that hasn’t stopped Yao Ming from getting votes…Remember, he’s a Laker.

So yeah, I agree with most of what you said…My list were all just possibilities; not players I thought were better than Gortat. Out of that list, I would place Gortat better than about 60% of them, but that still isn’t enough to get it done. Not to mention, many votes are based on popularity and winning teams, and unless the Suns get much better next year, it’s very doubtful he gets in.

by 7footer on Apr 13, 2011 6:58 PM MST via mobile up reply actions  

Cousins is 100% a C.

Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!

Green Bay Packers: Super Bowl XLV Champions!!!!

by Omaha Sun on Apr 13, 2011 7:18 PM MST up reply actions  

He is a classic C! Don't change that!

It’s his nature, and that is where he needs to be – fighting the other team’s big man.
I on the other hand voted yes not because I think he will be an absolutly awesome killer first option od offense in his future, but because NBA is producing less and less good big men.
Just look at some of the past selections for all star rosters at C:

Mehmet Okur
Big Z
David Lee
Al Horford
Chris Kaman

I seriosuly can envision Gortat getting to that level.

There were years when Gasol/Bosh/Amare were listed as C because there seriously wasn’t anyone worth mentioning or all the talented Big Guys were injured (as is often the case).
Look at he league – Bynum/Oden/Bogut/Yao/Nene – always injured. Shaq/Duncan close to retiring. Apart from Howard and Nene I don’t see any other big men blcocking the way for the Hammer.

He just needs to work hard on his offense.

Feed the cutter!!!

by Piotr Szczesniak on Apr 13, 2011 2:19 AM MST up reply actions  

David Lee are both very skilled and post huge numbers.

And Horford is an absolute beast. Gortat is not at that level. He might surpass Lee (lack of defense) and Kaman (older, injury-prone), but he’s not touching Horford.

Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!

Green Bay Packers: Super Bowl XLV Champions!!!!

by Omaha Sun on Apr 13, 2011 7:20 PM MST up reply actions  

ok. are we drafting another wing? we need it badly

ugghh

He did lost a game against Kobe, But still he has a better education.

by sun_equalizer on Apr 12, 2011 3:17 PM MST reply actions  

Nice way to end the UPN/My 45 Era

Unfortunately for them, all they have left now is King of the Hill reruns.

Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Phoenix Suns/Chicago Bears fan [I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].

by JoeCB1991 on Apr 12, 2011 10:28 PM MST reply actions  

and The Office.

"I might be full of shit, but I'm approximately right." - Me

by Zentrified on Apr 13, 2011 11:26 AM MST up reply actions  

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