Second Unit Letting Phoenix Suns Down
by Alex Laugan on Feb 12, 2012 8:26 AM MST
in Phoenix Suns Commentary
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PrintWhile the talent on the whole Phoenix Suns roster is marginal, it is the second unit of the Suns that falls completely flat compared to the rest of the NBA.
You would think that a roster built 13-deep in rotation-quality players - that is, players who played regularly in the rotations of winning teams in prior years - would perform well when the other team's starters were resting. And that the top-end talent of the Suns would be the unit suffering against the top-end talent of other teams.
By that reasoning, and considering the normal playing time of each team's first and second units, you would think the Suns would suffer by comparison in the first, third and fourth quarters. And that the Suns' best quarter, by scoring margin, would be the second quarter, when every team's backup players get their most run.
Well, that is not the case for the Suns. Not by a long shot. And it never has been.
In fact, the second quarter is the BEST predictor of the Suns' success as a team. Win the second, win the game. Lose the second, lose the game. This has been true in every season since 2003-04.
Don't believe me? I'll show you a pretty chart to prove it.
The chart below shows the unnerving correlation between the scoring margin of the second quarter vs. the scoring margin of the entire game, for every season back to the 2003-04 season.
As you can see, the Suns' ability to win the second quarter is highly indicative of their ability to win the entire game.
Of course, we all know this logically. But don't tell me you knew the correlation was THIS high all the way back through the glory days. Remember those few minutes at the beginning of the second and fourth quarters when even the national announcers would count the minutes until Nash re-entered at the 8-9-minute mark? We all knew the second unit couldn't hold or build a lead consistently. All we needed were the starters to right the ship again. Yet, the second quarter was still the most predictive of success for the Suns, even then.
How have the Suns done, game by game this season?
When the Suns win the second quarter this season, they are a whopping 10-2.
When the Suns lose the second quarter this season, they are a dismal 2-13.
So...yeahhhh...it's indicative of team success.
This is why Michael Redd has supplanted Shannon Brown on the second unit, and why - for the most part - Sebastian Telfair has supplanted Ronnie Price. With those players better on offense than defense, you can guess why Josh Childress has suddenly popped back into the rotation in place of offense-only Hakim Warrick.
Head coach Alvin Gentry is just trying to find a successful combination of players for that second quarter while the starters on both teams are resting. If this new unit starts falling off the cliff, we'll see the old guys right back in there. Mixing and matching. When it works, Alvin is doing a good job. When it fails, Alvin is failing. Don't forget it's the players who have to perform.
"It's frustrating and it's embarrassing," Suns reserve small forward Josh Childress said, in an article on azcentral.com by beat writer Paul Coro. "We have to be better than that. Coach (Alvin Gentry) has given us a lot of trust. We have to find ways to help the team. Every single one of us wants to do the right thing but we have to make that translate into results."
You may have also noticed lately that Marcin Gortat often stays in the game for the beginning of the second quarter. Or that Dudley or Frye show up more often, if Gortat is resting.
Gentry is trying to pull this team together with paper clips, rubber bands and bubble gum. He's got a hodge-podge of player with their own skills but no one player with great skills. There's no "sixth man of the year" candidate on this roster.
So, watch the second quarter closely from now on. By halftime, you'll have a 90% chance of guessing the winning team correctly.
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That was a pulchritudinous graph.
Excellent job of making the correlation between the second quarter performance and the team success. There did seem to be an anomaly in 2008-09.
So, watch the second quarter closely from now on. By halftime, you’ll have a 90% chance of guessing the winning team correctly.
Always sensationalizing, aren’t we? Matching the eventual outcome 23 out of 27 times is only about 85% (not 90%). Also, have there not been any ties in second quarter scoring so far this year?
At the beginning of the season, the bench was actually playing much better (e.g. 43 points and 24 rebounds in January 2nd win vs. GS). Now that the starters have rounded into form, the contribution from the bench has dissipated.
I’m not sure we can expect too much from them.
Lopez – doesn’t appear to be part of the team’s future, isn’t getting consistent time
Childress – has logged more minutes on the bench the last 2 seasons than any Suns player, there’s probably a reason why
Warrick – doesn’t play defense
Telfair/Price – neither is widely considered a very good back up, combine that with being thrown into this hectic situation
Brown – Pietrus with hops
Realistically, if Redd and Morris can bring it with a decent level of consistency, the Suns just need someone to step up and provide 15 minutes of competent back up point guard play and they should be alright. They can go small for a couple minutes and not need to play Rolo too much.
8 deep is fine. It seems pretty apparent by this point that going 10-12 deep with this roster isn’t a recipe for success. The sum of the bench is less than its parts, not more.
I wonder if the team can make it back to .500 by the all-star break, whether the gears in the front office might be turning in terms of improving the back up point guard play?
To support your analysis, Alex, that might be the single biggest move that could be made to propel this team into the playoffs…
Excellent basis for a story. Great insight.
It was only called the mildly irritated house on McDowell until I showed up.
by Jim Coughenour on Feb 12, 2012 9:39 AM MST reply actions 1 recs
the Suns should bring in a backup PG from overseas. Like, China or something.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
So he can dominate the ball
and shoot, not pass. Sure our options with Price and Telfair are poor, but Brooks is a scorer, that is all.
he produced more assists per minute than either Price or Telfair or Dragic…
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Feb 12, 2012 11:30 AM MST up reply actions
Ya brooks may not be a pass first pg
But he was/is still the second best passing guard on thr team. Hes a complete PG and was a starter on a solid team. Hes has the shot creating ability of telfair but can hit the shot. And the offense doesnt stop amd stagnate when hes in. constant motion. Side note I bet telfair wishes he went to college.
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Feb 12, 2012 11:35 AM MST via Android app up reply actions
Even if Brooks does dominate the ball and shoot,
would that be so bad? He’s proven he can be a damn good scorer and looking at our 2nd unit, we could really use one of those right now.
Redd appears to be our best scorer coming off the bench now. I like Redd, but he’s still not at 100%. So getting Aaron Brooks bad certainly wouldn’t hurt us.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
Aaron Brooks back*
Ugh…
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
dont underestimate brooks
He will be auditoning for a fa deal this summer,should be in shape from playing in china.He is points we really need off the bench.
skitsophrenics are never alone-Just ask scott howard
by stevedavis_ on Feb 12, 2012 12:00 PM MST up reply actions
I'm not.
I want him back. I’m one of the few who don’t want this team to tank for that high draft pick.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
Brooks isn't going to get that good of a contract
He will get a Chilly like contract, and I hope we are the ones who give it to him, re-sign Nash, Brooks and sign Batum and there you go.
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
Well...it might hurt us
I mean, he didn’t really play that well at all last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H42R2og2kI
Rushed bad shots, shoot poorly, didn’t find the open man, and was torched defensively.
If he stops jacking up crazy shots and just sticks to using his speed to get shots around the rim, he’ll help us a lot.
We would have to pair him with Price because a Brooks/Redd backcourt would be one the worst defensive pairings we’ve seen in a while.
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."
shot poorly*
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."
Brooks
Price
Redd
Morris
Lopez
That’s not a bad 2nd unit.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
I wish there was time for Chilldress
I think he brings more to the team than Brooks does TBH
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."
AB in the land of the rising SUN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S0peQUzCnM
skitsophrenics are never alone-Just ask scott howard
by stevedavis_ on Feb 12, 2012 12:57 PM MST up reply actions
Japan is the Land of the Rising Sun.
Not China…
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
thats the irony I was shooting for
brooks -suns
skitsophrenics are never alone-Just ask scott howard
This conversation
Reminds me of this.
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
by East Bay Ray on Feb 12, 2012 1:09 PM MST up reply actions
Poor guy.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
It's lucky that I'm Chinese because that's what everyone automatically assumes.
But when I get mistaken for Japanese, I actually get offended. It’s worse when they make that mistake even after hearing my last name…
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
Whats ur last name?
Lin??
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Feb 12, 2012 4:40 PM MST via Android app up reply actions
If you must know...
check Facebook haha.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
It rhymes with shama-lama-ding-dong.
Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!
Read my thoughts on Creighton University athletics at Creightonian.com
I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.
looks like a pickup game
wide open shot after wide open shot
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."
AB stats
http://www.asia-basket.com/player.asp?Cntry=CHN&PlayerID=46414
skitsophrenics are never alone-Just ask scott howard
Love the FG5 on that
Fan of the TEAM not a player.
by Suns Fan For Life on Feb 12, 2012 10:46 PM MST up reply actions
When he scores a bucket, nobody cheers.
How sad.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
Put in Redd for Price and Chilly for Redd then it's a good 2nd unit.
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
Redd hasn't been great so far
He really hasn’t.
High hopes and all, but his shooting has been very inconsistent. Redd’s Gamelog shows that well, as despite a few good games, he’s 21-48 (.438) on 2s, and 12-42 on threes (.296).
I have hopes, and Redd is still rounding into form, but Redd, Price and Telfair are all shooting pretty poorly.
Given how bad they all are, at least Price’s defence and hustle is an asset. Price really got into Jimmer last game, and I’d like to see more of that myself, with JChill and Price playing pesky, and generating Fastbreak points. That would help, as even our second unit should score well on FB points.
with you on all that.
i hope redd comes around to be more consistent. But if he doesn’t- I like the defense and fast-break oriented game.
Grant Hill for prez.
by sun-arc on Feb 12, 2012 4:25 PM MST via mobile up reply actions
You're right, but he's missing shots at the rim. A lot.
It might take a while for his longer shots to drop, but the ones where he drives – that’s just getting his legs under him. He will improve quickly, and with the moves he’s shown, he will help us tremendously. He’s got great moves, and his body english speaks confidence.
"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
"In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip."
Body English?
I bet language on autocorrect, no?
I hope Redd comes around, but we have to be real about this, and if it isn’t soon – he has played 14 games – how many more does he need before we say he has just regressed?
Redd is a guy offers little other than scoring – not many assists, not much rebounding or D, so if his shot isn’t falling, he’s not providing a lot of value.
Well, at least I can blame it on the phone.
But I think he should get the season to prove himself – it’s not like we have a lot of other options. And I think his close in stuff will start falling with consistency in the next few games – he’s very explosive on his drives. I think the game is still a bit fast for him. I think patience will pay off. How long did it take Frye and Dudley to find their shot this year – and they’ve played in the last 3 years.
"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
"In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip."
He still is probably the best post-up player on the roster
The guy didn’t play regular NBA ball for almost 3 years…
I’d say that by the end of February we’ll see what kind of Redd we got on the cheap.
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on Feb 13, 2012 6:49 AM MST up reply actions
I like scoring. A lot.
And that seems to be our most persistent problem on the second unit.
Put Brooks out there with Price as the primary defender/setup man and I think you’ll find that they are as potent a backup guard unit as Goran and Barbs were.
Neither Goran nor Barbs were super-successful point guards alone. The reason they were so good together was that they were both competent ball handlers who could put the ball in the hole as long as the defense wasn’t collapsed on them, so teams could shut down one or the other, but not both.
Brooks and Price are the same way. Throw out the traditional point guard/shooting guard roles and let them just take what the defense gives them.
I'm Michael Beasley's imaginary friend.
by suns68 on Feb 12, 2012 11:44 AM MST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
If we get him back
I don’t mind that idea. Would that mean Redd would have to move to the 3 or does he get squeezed out in favor of Childress? I think Redd might be an ok fit guarding 3’s. He’s got a decent wingspan so he wouldn’t be extremely undersized and guarding the slower SF position would help him be able to stay in front of his man.
BAMF goes HAM.
you can’t go only 8 deep this season. Too many games compressed into too tight a schedule, and with your top 2 players hitting middle age you really have to rely on the bench guys to hold their own.
The trick for Alvin is finding the best combo of 5 out of the 8 he can choose from.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
I think you could get away with a nine man rotation
rotating Gortat or Frye or Dudley in with four bench players like they have been doing lately. I would really like Gentry to find a rotation and stick with it, and not decide everything needs to be shaken up every time they lose a game.
Also, Robin Lopez is a 7 foot center who has started to play a little better this year, gain some athleticism back, and there is no way he is going to steal Gortat’s minutes. Is there really no one out there who would be willing to give us a backup point guard and a late draft pick for him? I find that hard to believe…
No Bassy, no Warrick
Price
Redd
Chilly
Keef
Lopez
that’s not a bad bench unit, but I think Gentry needs to stop subbing 5 out at once. It worked in 09/10 because Dragic/Barbosa/Dudley/Lou/Frye was about as perfect a bench unit as you can have, but our guys don’t have the chemistry(or the time to form it) to form that kind of a coherent unit.
Gentry needs to keep doing what he’s doing, which is intermingling the units. 1-2 starters, 3-4 bench players at a time. He’s been doing that more often recently and it’s been helping us win games.
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."
If you replace price and or bassy with a decent pass first pg
The second unit might actually flow
Bassy is a scoring pg eho is undersized and not a great shooter or play caller.
Price is a defender type pg eho also doesnt get others invloved.
If we could get a guy who can pass and hit the open shot when its there we’d be solid. I wonder if the FO is searching through the dleague with the emergence of J. Lin
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Feb 12, 2012 11:29 AM MST via Android app up reply actions
This
He can’t be subbing a whole group of bench players in the game at once like we did with our dominant bench going to the WCF. I think that is something Gentry is learning on the fly.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
LOL
I haven’t seen the word pulchritudinous in a looooong time. Nice usage.
"We never tried Amar'e, Nash, and a live Grizzly bear." -Scott Howard, January 18, 2010
"All they’re fighting for is to stay as obscenely rich as they are now, based on their ability to bounce a ball and throw it in a hole." East Bay Ray, October 10, 2011
"the players and owners are squabbling over how to divide the pie that WE BAKE FOR THEM." East Bay Ray, October 31, 2011
Well, you haven't been reading Jim's posts, then.
"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
"In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip."
I was just using it in a conversation the other day…
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Feb 12, 2012 11:30 AM MST up reply actions
ive noticed
the bench seems to play better on road,alot of these home games like houston starters get rolling and bench loses eit,unlike sacto last night,good job
skitsophrenics are never alone-Just ask scott howard
The bench has performed
much better since Hak and Brown do not get off the bench. People bashed ones who loved Lou, but give Lou credit he knew his role and was outstanding with the Suns.
Hak and Brown didn't play in that Thursday bench implosion.
As Alex notes, our bench players are sort of a mixed bag of meh, and Gentry is trying to make some lemonade out of it. We can be fairly certain that Hak and Brown will re-enter the rotation at some point and maybe have a good game or two, and then we’ll be saying that putting them back in gave the team a boost.
Blogging Suns basketball for Bright Side of the Sun from California wine country.
Twitter: @EastBayRaymundo
by East Bay Ray on Feb 12, 2012 11:30 AM MST up reply actions
Yea I wish we resigned him instead of getting hak
Would have been cheaper but more production.
"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose"
by phxpurple on Feb 12, 2012 11:31 AM MST via Android app up reply actions
The Phoenix Suns' 2nd Unit...
Consistently inconsistent.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
60% of the time
It works. Every time.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
So what's the deal with Hak and Brown?
Are they just not going to play for the rest of the season?
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
not if
the team plays the way it has since atl,and no one gets hurt.
skitsophrenics are never alone-Just ask scott howard
by stevedavis_ on Feb 12, 2012 11:48 AM MST up reply actions
I’m sure you’ll see them in the near future. The guys in front of them are not significantly better, so all it takes is another cold streak
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Or 3 games in 3 days.
"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
"In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip."
yup
I can’t see us going into this b2b2b two man deep on any position other than C.
Based on matchups I can see us using some combo of Hak and Brown against bad defensive team like the Warriors or a team that lets you run a lot like the Nuggets.
Also getting 2 wins in this strecth would be a steal. I fear going 1-2…
Feed the cutter!!!
by Piotr Szczesniak on Feb 13, 2012 7:01 AM MST up reply actions
We really need
Aaron Brooks back. Or any decent PG.
Joe Saunders: "They Giants played a really good game, so hats off to us"
Replacing Telfair with Brooks would be huge
As mediocre as Brooks was last season you gotta figure he has been humbled by a China season and unlike a ton of players in NBA he will be in shape and motivated.
There is an outside chance another team would make him an offer the Suns wouldn’t match, but usually PG is not a position you can substitute a random player. NY, LA, and Miami come to mind, but now LA and NY seem set in their roster at guard.
Brooks has played with almost the entire Suns roster so it only makes sense that he finish the season and look for his payday in the summer.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Feb 12, 2012 1:36 PM MST reply actions
Hello Beavis.
We meet again.
Just because Steve Nash has that "dirty hipster" look doesn't mean he's in need of a shower. Steve Nash bathes in the tears of his victims on a nightly basis.
Mark of a Beast, baby. Mark of a Beast.
by NashMV3 on Feb 12, 2012 2:19 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Depends on the cost
If Brooks can hit a few threes, he’;d be invaluable, but last year he was about this bad as well, and he isn’t a PnR point guard at all.
Maybe a Brooks, Price, Redd, Morris, Lopez bench would work OK? I
If possible, I’d rather sign Chandler. He solves three issues (athleticism, defense and 3s) and he is a better bet. Remember Tim Thomas? We got that dude PAID, so Chandler would have to think a half season here, shooting wide open threes and playing next to Nash, would set him up for a big payday in the of season.
You can go 10 or even 11 deep...
so long as you don’t play a second unit all together. the key is to take out some of the starters sooner (say after 7 mins for maybe Hill and/or dudley) and leave some starters longer (say Gortat). So that you have some starters (frye, Dudley, Gortat or even occasionally Nash or Hill with the second unit).
In fact some of this is what has actually been what has been happening. I just think you can get some individual play out of really all the bench guys, its just that as a unit you don’t have nearly enough scoring potential, especially not as a unit.
I also think its important not to panic over the Houston game too much. the bench has had some moments. But on an off night they were badly exposed by a top flight second unit.
The Houston game bothers me still
I feel like Gentry was outcoached in the end.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Feb 12, 2012 1:54 PM MST up reply actions
I think he tried to de-emphasis Nash
And to get Nash the ball in different ways and it failed.
If he had run PnR after PnR, we’d have said the same thing in reverse. Gentry still makes boneheaded decisions (like leaving Nash in for a single defensive play at the buzzer against Memphis) but I think the Houston game wasn’t one of his worst – it was just poor execution by the players not named Nash.
the thing with the Houston game was that it was a kind of perfect storm..
The starters came out on fire, but couldn’t build a big lead because of the number of offensive rebs. Houston got in the first quarter. That kept it close, so that by the time the starters came back, after a really bad spell by the bench, their was a really big deficit to recover from. They managed to make a big move in the third, but even despite a superb effort by the starters overall, they were only up a couple coming into the 4th. That was just a bad setup for a struggling bench, and the starters had to be a little gassed or likely to succumb to a mean reversion on the shooting.
If either they had boarded the ball better in the first, or got just a little scoring from the second unit in the second, the game would have been much more managable, with a decent lead coming into the 4th, or because he could have pulled Nash earlier in the 3rd.
Also coming into the game, the bench had recently played ok-ish, so there was no reason to expect the complete ineffectualness of the bench. Because of that, I can’t put too much on Gentry for the Houston game.
The problem for the Suns really has been the hole that was dug by the 4 big home losses earlier in the season against beatable teams…(NJ, NOH, Tor and Cleve). Even a couple of wins out of those 4 and we would have been much better set up to handle a tough loss to Houston.
That chart
Basically blew my mind.
"If Gortat pulls off a real Dream Shake in-game this year I will shave my head.
Mark my words." Piotr Szczesniak 12/12/11 2:12 PM
Cardinals, Suns, D-backs for life!
The best bench lineup imo has price as pg
As he can defend well and at least gets the suns into a set reasonably quick. Part of the suns bench scoring problems come from not getting into an offense until there is 12 seconds on the clock.
I would love to see
Price
Redd
Chill
Keef
Lopez
That would give us a solid defensive and rebounding team, with some scoring in there too
Carter having a glazed-eyes contest with Boris Diaw. Carter's winning, but Diaw might respond by eating his eyes.
Have you guys visited Brooks FB page?
https://www.facebook.com/AaronBrooks?ref=ts
Bunch of Faker fans and Portland fans asking him to sign there haha.
Twitter: @FredLegittt
Makes Sense...
He torched those teams in the playoffs and Blazers/Lakers are really struggling at PG.
by oLLiE Boombayay on Feb 12, 2012 10:27 PM MST up reply actions
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- Lamar Odom to New York? Dwight Howard on the move? For now, it’s all talk
- David West hilariously denies each and every one of his young fans a high-five (VIDEO)
- Behind the Box Score, where the Miami Heat are moving on to the conference finals
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