Suns Get Lakers in 1st Round

I know EXACTLY what you mean

...Except I wasn't really worried last year either. In fact, I naively went into it a year ago pretty much expecting either a sweep or at most a five-game series. This, despite sports writers everywhere saying the Suns were at risk to be upset by the Lakers. I just didn't think it could be done. I guess since the Suns did end up winning three straight against them, that five-game series was always possible, it just didn't happen that way. But still, fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

This time around, no sweeps predictions from me. I'd hope for five, but you know what? I'm not going to say that either. I think the Lakers are sitting on another level they've yet to show us (otherwise, I'm convinced they would have lost to SAC last night if they were really as bad as they have been playing lately). So with that in mind, I'll just be happy with four out of seven any way they come. But the Suns could really help themselves against SA if they can get it done sooner, rather than later.

by TexSUN on Apr 19, 2007 12:11 PM MDT reply actions

Game time!!!

Well time to get it into high gear. The playoffs are here!!

As you said Tex i'm leary of saying that the Suns will sweep the Lakers, or even get them in 5 games. Yet they have every reason to do so this time, unlike last year. But if anything is to be learned from last year we cannot give the Lakers even an inch, cause they will do all they can to mess with us. Thus we must do all we can to insure that we crush the Lakers mind, body and soul so we can head out of the first round early and prepare for what is bound to be a much tougher round two.

I think the key to ensurin a quick first round is that we must take the wind out of their sails in game one. If you guys remember the last playoffs we had a very unconvincing game 1, AT HOME!!! That of course should be avoided at all costs. So the Suns must do all they can to beat up the Lakers Sunday just like Bruce Lee taking down Brown Belt......no contest.

"Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating your enemy without ever fighting." Sun Tzu

by Turambar on Apr 19, 2007 12:35 PM MDT reply actions

Strike early, and go for a knock out punch!

Turumbar, I agree. The Suns need to become a Bruce Lee sparring a brown belt (or even a lower degree black belt) and deliver the knockout punch even before half time. Last year the Lakers were down by 7 at half time and they were thrilled about it because they had expected much worse. That gave them a lot of confidence.

Amare must avoid foul trouble (and T trouble) if the Suns are to win. Nash is still the MVP but Amare could make life easier for him, compared to last year.

by Vash01 @ Bright Side Of The Sun on Apr 19, 2007 2:55 PM MDT up reply actions

Hells yeah!!

Good to know someone reads my posts, lol. As I said the Suns need to come into this first series like friggen Spec Ops troops; cold blooded, professional and totally unstopable. Leave nothing to chance and absolutely ensure that the Lakers have no hope after game one, or atleast game two. I dont think people realise how important terminating the Lakers in 4 or 5 games is for the overall playoffs. We need time to rest for what will undoubtibly be a incredibly tough Spurs/Suns matchup in round two. If we can have that kind of rest before playing the Spurs then i'm almost certain that we will beat them and advance into the WCF.

GO SUNS!!!!

"Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating your enemy without ever fighting." Sun Tzu

by Turambar on Apr 19, 2007 3:01 PM MDT up reply actions

quick series

I agree, Lakers are much weaker right now, but with a scorer like Kobe, we need to go all out and be done in 4-5 games. Avoid those 2 tough 7 game series like we had to go thru last year!

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 19, 2007 4:22 PM MDT up reply actions

I am always worried

Regardless of who the Suns play (or any of my team in any sport, actually), and regardless of their record, I believe that any team can beat any other team (I wish I could believe that between the Mavs & GSW). Last year the Suns were heavily favored over the Lakers and they barely made it into the second round.

I think the Suns have a tendency to relax when they are up- it cost them a few games even this year. Combine that with the Lakers' Hall of Fame coach, who definitely has something up his sleeve.

I think this will be a tough series for the Suns. I do not want to hear any Suns player (Amare has already said that, unfortunately) talking about a sweep or 5 games to win the first round. They must believe this Lakers team will not be anything like the Sputtering team we saw in the regular season (particularly toward the end). The Suns will need to bring their A game to EVERY game. Last year they barely won the first game. They lost the second game, which I attended, and I was very disappointed. This kind of up and down performance is not indicative of a championship team. I hope they have learned it by now.

One cannot ignore the Kobe factor either. Kobe is capable of changing the outcome of a game entirely on his own. Can Raja et al. play top level defense every time? Can the shooters make key shots? Unless the Suns do that, it will be tough to even make it to the second round. The playoffs are a whole new beast. Last year when the playoffs started, nobody would have believed that Miami would win the title.

The Suns need to be very careful. Their fans need to be very careful in their expectations. Every time I read someone implying that the Suns would take of the Lakers easily, I cringe. The reality will not be like that. It will be a tough fight; it may even go into a 7th game again. Never underestimate the Zen Master. He can play mind tricks on players- his and the opponents'.

I am not going to say that the Suns will win. I have been burned too many times to do that.

by Vash01 @ Bright Side Of The Sun on Apr 19, 2007 2:11 PM MDT reply actions

Wow

not a believer yet huh?... go Lakers!!!

by Trvs on Apr 19, 2007 2:31 PM MDT up reply actions

Game time

Dan,

The Suns official site shows game time as noon for the 1st game (I am going!). Where did you find the 1pmPST/4pmEST?
Not that it matters. I will go there early to secure a good parking place and just enjoy the playoff atmosphere.

by Vash01 @ Bright Side Of The Sun on Apr 19, 2007 2:51 PM MDT reply actions

You're right

Sorry about that. I meant to put noon but was telling my wife I wished it was at 1:00 and accidentally put that down as the official time. Think they'll change it because I want it that way?

by Dan @ Bright Side Of The Sun on Apr 19, 2007 3:27 PM MDT up reply actions

Posting from behind enemy lines

Greetings all, I've been lurking here for a few months but I thought I would crawl out of the woodwork now that the playoffs are here. As you might guess from my username I am a Suns fan living in Laker-land, and this is the series I have been hoping for all year. I've been listening to LA radio all day, here's the take from here: there is one local homer in particular who will never predict anything but a Laker win, and true to form he is calling for that. Otherwise, there is quite a bit of "maybe if things go just right anything can happen", but most of all there is a strong sentiment of "we're doomed". They are not all homers here, and there is actually a fair amount of "let's face reality". The Suns are stronger this year, the Lakers are weaker this year, the Lakers sort of snuck up on the Suns last year, the Suns were dinged up and now are not, and the Lakers are the exact opposite. The Suns are in their heads!

by SoCalSun on Apr 19, 2007 3:41 PM MDT reply actions

I',m a suns fan in dallas

YES!!! we have them surrounded!

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 19, 2007 4:25 PM MDT up reply actions

haha

wait a sec, we have phx surrounded?? haha

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 19, 2007 4:26 PM MDT up reply actions

Welcome!

thanks for posting! it's great to have more contributors, especially when they can let us know what the "enemy" is thinking.

Now, if we could just find a Suns fan from San Antonio, we would have someone from the top three cities we are most likely to face in the western conference finals.

Maybe we should set up a "Behind Enemy Lines" section for you guys to post what the thoughts in the opposing team's territory are like?

by Dan @ Bright Side Of The Sun on Apr 19, 2007 5:15 PM MDT up reply actions

A bit OT: Spurs site

I signed up for the Spurs site. It is an interesting site because it has fans of many NBA teams and their favoritism is revealed right next to their names. I have not posted there yet.

May be there are people in SA that will take note of the Suns 'Bright side' and post here.

I have become a frequent visitor to Goldenstateof mind and occasional visitor to the Mavsmoneyball. The GSOM site is very nice; there is a lot of excitement and positive vibes there.

by Vash01 @ Bright Side Of The Sun on Apr 20, 2007 10:50 AM MDT up reply actions

Welcome to the "dark side"

I share your pain of being a Suns fan in Southern California.

I'm surprised there's still as much support for the Fakers; typically, the Angelinos (pathetic fair-weather fans they are) jump off the bandwagon quite quickly.

Unfortunately, the folks up here in Bakersfield, while far more fervent in their team support, are exponentially more ignorant (apparently, not only should Bryant be MVP, but he should also win the Nobel Prize for Peace, as well as be on the fast-track for Sainthood).

Ahh, well...in another 2 weeks, they'll be looking forward to watching the Oakland Raiders muck another season ;)

flim springfield

by DrStrom on Apr 20, 2007 3:02 AM MDT up reply actions

Welcome SoCalfan!

Nice to have you here, SoCalfan! Nice to hear about how the Lakerfans are thinking right now. Hopefully the Suns can put them out of their misery early (with a sweep....OOPS! Did I just jinx our team? :) )

by Vash01 @ Bright Side Of The Sun on Apr 19, 2007 4:04 PM MDT reply actions

SoCalFan

Thanks for posting, it should be cool reading your local thoughts being in L.A. during the series!

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 19, 2007 4:28 PM MDT reply actions

Speaking of enemy viewpoints...

Somebody posted this on phxsuns.net, and it was interesting enough I thought I'd cross-post it here. Basically, it's an LA sportswriter's decidedly anti-koolaid view of the Lakers.

by TexSUN on Apr 19, 2007 6:55 PM MDT reply actions

The computer likes us

According to this article the Suns are going to win it. The WhatIfSports computer simulation has determined that the Suns have a 26% chance of winning the championship, which doesn't sound all that impressive at first glance, but according to the article, is over nine percentage points higher than Dallas, and five higher than second-place Detroit. San Antonio (5.7%) barely registers in comparison.

The article goes into a lot more detail as to why the Suns were chosen, which I won't go into because frankly, I was just on my way to bed and am about to drop of exhaustion right in front of the keyboard. But suffices to say, I'd be really encouraged by this article--except I think that same simulation picked us to win the last two years as well. So goes to show, nothing can replace actually playing the games...

by TexSUN on Apr 19, 2007 10:06 PM MDT reply actions

nice,, thx

and being a healthy team, last yr would have been different with a full roster I think

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 19, 2007 10:10 PM MDT up reply actions

Ok, this IS my last post of the evening.

Darn insomnia! :)

Anyway, here is a nice article I found on yahoo about the Suns getting prepared for the playoffs. Lots of quotes from lots of guys, and I was especially impressed with what Nash had to say:

Leading the way, of course, is Steve Nash, a leading contender for what would be his third straight MVP trophy.

Nash is going through morning and evening workouts in preparation for Sunday's series opener in Phoenix.

"I've done that my whole career," he said. "It's a good time to fine-tune everything and really be in the best position I can be in. I'm not going to be out here running sprints or anything, but I just want to be sharp and give myself the best chance to help my team win as many games as possible."

These playoffs, with the Suns healthy, should be the best test yet of whether the team's frenetic, fast-paced style can succeed in the postseason, when the game usually turns rough and slows down. Nash thinks that's a non-issue, though.

"I have confidence in the system," he said, "but that's not going to be the determining factor on whether we make it. It's going to be the intensity and how much heart we show."

"We've got to continue to sacrifice for one another. That's the main thing," he said. "Everyone is going to be fired up to play, but is everyone going to stay focused and really understand what it takes collectively? The type of commitment to each other it takes to win?

"That's going to definitely be a characteristic of the team that wins it all."

Oh, and for the people on phxsuns.net who have been clamouring all evening for the Suns to become "Amare's team", would you rather have your team leader say something like the above, or something like this:

"It won't go seven games," [Amare] said. "That's just the way I feel."

Amare: SHUT UP!!!!! Stop trying to motivate the opponent!!!

I'd like to think he's right, but come on!!!

by TexSUN on Apr 19, 2007 10:50 PM MDT reply actions

the link

thanks

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 19, 2007 11:46 PM MDT up reply actions

Silence is golden

The best thing for a player is to keep quiet. Amare is doing just the opposite and he is hurting his team by giving motivation to the opponent.

by Vash01 @ Bright Side Of The Sun on Apr 19, 2007 11:06 PM MDT reply actions

I agree

I know amare has improved in a lot of areas, but how not to motivate another team and keep humble is not one of them. Makes me think his #1 number is all about him, not the each one..teach one reason he gives.

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 19, 2007 11:45 PM MDT up reply actions

Playboy 2007 may interview

Couldn't find the word playboy on text search on this site, so I'm guessing this interview hasn't been linked to yet.

Playboy Nash Interview

trying something...hope it works

The pdf file says may 2007, so it's new. Nothing ground breaking, but I did like the KJ comment to Nash...(you must read to know it...)

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 20, 2007 12:56 AM MDT reply actions

found..

found this on mavs moneyball blog

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 20, 2007 12:57 AM MDT up reply actions

Great article!

Hey, thanks so much for posting that. I hadn't seen the article. Look at KJ building up the self esteem, what a guy. It's definitely a trip to look back at Nash, backing up KJ, and realizing that he had a couple MVPs (hopefully three) and all this potential hidden in there!

I was beginning to think maybe pictures were banned on this blog. Did you actually cut that photo out of the PDF File? If so, a standing ovation to you my friend... not only for the link but the extra effort with the photo!!!

by Trvs on Apr 20, 2007 1:29 AM MDT up reply actions

thanks

yep, the kj comment to nash really says alot about Kj. I used hypersnap to grab the photo, it costs $30, google it of you want, I use it for my job so I already had it.

The photo needs to be online already to embed it into this blog, maybe there's multiple ways, but here's how I did it.

I used hypersnap which is simple software which takes a picture of an active window or entire screen, but is much more flexible than a screen print shot. Then I cropped the pic out of the hypersnap photo, then I used ftp le to load photo onto my website www.myerfamily.net, I named the photo nashmay2007.jpg

so, if you go to www.myerfamily.net/nashmay2007.jpg you should see the same pic load up.

The code to load an image into this blog is

(1 blank space after img, not a whole line)

Not sure on rules of Internet as far as this blog goes, I'm guessing if it's a fun personal website,
links, photos, etc aren't a big deal, but if your site is a business, playing music of someone, someone else's photos, etc requires approval from the owner of the music or photo.

Not sure where this blog falls into, it doesn't ask for money, and is obviously non-profit, (Dan),
let me know because I'd love to add more pics but want to make sure no of us do it without knowing it's ok, instead of guessing.

thanks (still looking on san antonio for a suns fan :-) )
and

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 20, 2007 9:34 AM MDT up reply actions

code didn't show for img tag

will try again

img src="http://myerfamily.net/nashmay2007.jpg"
but with < before img part like and
> after last quote ">

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 20, 2007 9:42 AM MDT up reply actions

Very nice work...

As I posted in a recent Diary, it sure would be great if more people threw up some pictures of the games, players, etc., maybe even some videos... along with all the interesting commentary. A picture really does say a thousand words. Being way over in Utah, I don't get to see 99% of the games, besides the playoffs. Maybe I'll go for that NBA TV thing next year.

I agree with you, I can't imagine anyone is going to get prosecuted for sticking a picture on here as many other bloggers do... but nobody else seems to know for sure I guess. I'll check out hypersnap. Thanks!

by Trvs on Apr 20, 2007 11:27 AM MDT reply actions

Arizona?

Actually... the more I read on here the more it seems that only a couple people who post actually live in Arizona? I could be completely wrong but it's just a guess. I wonder how much the last couple years have really turned the Suns into more of a nationwide team? They're just so much fun to watch!

by Trvs on Apr 20, 2007 11:46 AM MDT up reply actions

i've noticed this also

Texas, L.A., Utah, etc. what I like about this blog is everyone is serious about basketball and always putting up new links and info and making smart comments, not bashing each other. It's mostly a waste of time reading the azrepublic comments or nba.com game comments from bloggers. Glad to have you

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 20, 2007 12:16 PM MDT up reply actions

nba tv thing

I think there is also something called a sling box.

Link to sling box

If you know someone already paying for cable service in AZ, like I do (my parents), you can buy this sling box device for $120-$200 and set it up there. Once set, it can stream any channel to the internet where you can view your tv while anywhere (with internet). As you might know, a lot of tv shows are now putting up their episodes for free watching online. Examples include Lost and Heroes. If you want to know more, ask. The main advantage I think is for the nba subscription which I think costs $100-200 for video online has the disadvantage of only lasting 1 yr before you have to pay again for another year. The sling media box
is a one time fee. I'm thinking of getting one. If it was legal, I would ask dan about loading it on this web page for people to watch live games, but I'd guess it isn't.

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 20, 2007 12:52 PM MDT up reply actions

I wish...

Unfortunately, I don't know anybody in Arizona or I'd be all over that sling box.

Speaking of TV shows, any idea if "The Office" episodes are online anywhere? I miss it every Thursday.

by Trvs on Apr 20, 2007 1:15 PM MDT up reply actions

the office

one of my favorite shows, yet to be free online, at least not yet

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 20, 2007 1:27 PM MDT up reply actions

If the Lakers want to get motivated...

... the Lakers just need to read this stuff.... Some rips from that book, follow up comments, and what the Lakers think of what Amare said:

Here's some excerpts:

"As the Suns see it, the Lakers trek along the low road," McCallum wrote. "Bryant is arrogant. [Kwame] Brown is just a big body with nothing behind it. Smush Parker was a Sun for a couple of weeks [in 2004-05] and no one rued his departure. Lamar Odom is just too damn big and long. Luke Walton seems like a nice guy ... but he laid out [Tim] Thomas in Game 3 and triggered a miserable chain of events [for the Suns]. Sasha Vujacic is an all-universe whiner with an unpronounceable surname. Plus, Phil Jackson sits on a throne."

"This is when we're at our best, when we're changing ends on the fly," Coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They have no answer for it. Kwame is awful. Odom's a very average defender. Vujacic can't guard anybody. And Bryant in the open floor takes chances that aren't good."

"They're talking about Kobe and how great it is that he's playing with the team," D'Antoni said. "Well, isn't that what you're supposed to do? Now he's the savior because he's playing that way? He's no god. He does what he's supposed to be doing, which is what we learned in kindergarten. Share the ball and play."

Bryant said the Lakers would "put [Stoudemire's] clairvoyancy to the test," and other Lakers weren't so sure the series would be done so quickly.

"That's his opinion," Walton said. "If he thinks it's going to go four, good for him. They've proven they're a great team. We're the ones that are going to have to play great basketball if we want to win. They've played great basketball all year and they've got home-court advantage, but I don't think it's going to be a four-game series."

Ha Ha... I can't wait for Sunday!!!

by Trvs on Apr 20, 2007 1:02 PM MDT reply actions

Yeah, saw that

I'm wondering if maybe I'm being a little too hard on Amare for the comments he made. I still don't like it, though. It probably won't matter against the Lakers, but I'd just as soon he not open his mouth like that before the Spurs series. (Which if I'm remembering right, is exactly what he did in 2005).

by TexSUN on Apr 20, 2007 1:10 PM MDT up reply actions

EXTERMINATUS !!!

Good to hear all of us getting pumped up for the game Sunday. I'm even more so now that i found a station in Germany that will be airing it. YIPEEEEE!!!!! Im gonna comandeer some bar in Bonn and force all the other Germans to watch, it'll be fun. All while I cheer wildly wearing my Matrix jersey and drinking as much Kolsch as possible. It will be glorius.

I'm convinced that if we beat the Lakers like a baby seal in the first game that we'll be in for smooth sailing for the next 3 or 4 after. As I said earlier on this board we must get out of this series in at the MOST 5 games. We'll need every day of rest we can to prepare for the uber 2nd series. If the Suns leave nothing to chance then they shall own, but they must never give the Lakers an inch of ground.

"Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating your enemy without ever fighting." Sun Tzu

by Turambar on Apr 20, 2007 1:26 PM MDT reply actions

Lock n Load

How's this for new uniforms for the Suns?

http://www.adriansmith.co.uk/gallery/large/c_as_1024.html#2

BTW that's how we should look after the Lakers series: triumphant over our enemies and cooly awaiting the next challenge.

"Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating your enemy without ever fighting." Sun Tzu

by Turambar on Apr 20, 2007 1:37 PM MDT up reply actions

THE BATTLE FOR RINGS

NEXT STEP TO THE 2007 NBA FINALS

BLACK "HIS THUNDEROUSNESS" JESUS AND THE SUNS SIDE OF THE FORCE

VS.

KOBE "STILL BUSY TRYING TO LEARN SOME REAL SKILLZ WITH MY STEVE NASH HOW-TO-BE-A-PLAYA DVD" BRYANT AND THE KAREEMS

47 HOURS

by The Humongous on Apr 20, 2007 1:59 PM MDT reply actions

More about Steve and Dirk (and Amare :( )

Ok, I hesitated before posting this, because it leads off with yet another quote from Amare that comes off as a diss against Nash, but the rest of the article is probably worth reading, so here it is.

I'm not sure what to think of the quotes from Amare. This is the second time (with an entirely different writer) that we've seen something in print where given a choice between Dirk and Steve, Amare has picked a third party (first Shaq, then Kobe). Perhaps the Suns need to temporarily trade Amare to the Lakers and let him see how much fun it is to play with a guy who has to have the ball all the time, then maybe he'd be able to better appreciate playing with a guy who's defining characteristic is to share. Sigh

However, the article does point out that the writer asked Amare the question a few weeks ago when the Suns were in their late-season slump, so maybe he would give a different answer if asked today.

by TexSUN on Apr 20, 2007 9:03 PM MDT reply actions

My take...

on this subject, I'd have to say that Amare just doesn't know what it's like playing without an MVP guard feeding him the ball every night. He really just doesn't understand how much better Nash is making life for him. Maybe from that perspective, he views the MVP as more of an individual, athletic kind of award... and gives his vote to the guys that absolutely dominate (in an athletic/ physical way) like Kobe and Shaq.

It's definitely annoying that these writers bring this stuff up right as the playoffs start (probably not a coincidence).... Anybody want to see our Suns being the best of friends and complimenting each other back and forth. This was just a couple months ago and they seem like a very tight team to me...

by Trvs on Apr 20, 2007 9:27 PM MDT up reply actions

Awesome!

Thanks, Travis. Nice to see some good press out there too.

by TexSUN on Apr 20, 2007 10:08 PM MDT up reply actions

video

THANKS!!! That was cool! I especially liked the explanation about all these family and friends, and agents telling suns players you should be the mvp, or you should be the center of the media, and the coach is telling them to not be selfish to make the team stronger. Deep (probably often missed, i know i missed it) insight about conflicting directions. I have heard from others about the suns great chemistry, and it's a big part of the reason they're so much fun to watch. Can you imagine this team if joe johnson was still on it. But a lot of players have this deep need to be recognized for personal achievements instead of team achievements. That's why I think Kobe isn't much fun to watch as Bird or Jordan. Yeah, Kobe is incredible, but he's selfish where Jordan and Bird were great passers also.

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 20, 2007 11:07 PM MDT up reply actions

nice link,

thanks for posting it, interesting, Amare and Matrix
have moments when they're fantastic, but between marion getting his ego upset about not enough recognition and amare and his number 1 jersey and quotes, the teams chemistry worry me more than their skills. Skill wise, they're the best, but chemistry,
we'll see.

On dirk, he's making millions, he's doing what he loves, you'd think he'd learn to not be selfish about the media. It's common sense nba stars get media, and superstars get more.

I'd love to see Nash go for 70+ points in a win. I know he shoots well enough, but the Kobe people need to know others could score a lot, but don't because they'd rather be part of a team. If Dallas wants to make Nash shoot, well he should light it up!

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 20, 2007 10:42 PM MDT up reply actions

nice link was reffering to More about Steve and D

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 20, 2007 11:08 PM MDT up reply actions

Do it!

I think Nash deserves one game during this Kobe/ Suns series where he gets to take as many shots as Kobe... what would all those Kobe fans say when Nash is shooting 53% on 25 shots a game from all over the court.

... actually, I just wanted to see if we could get to 50 comments on this one post. Just three more to go!!!!

by Trvs on Apr 20, 2007 11:48 PM MDT up reply actions

He's done it before

I think he shot something like 20-28 in that game against the Mavericks a couple of years ago when he scored 48 points in a playoff game. The Suns lost, though, so I doubt he's in any hurry to repeat that performance. One thing I will never forget about that game: With the Suns hopelessly behind in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Nash had a decent look for a shot that would have given him an even 50 points. Instead of taking it, he passed the ball to a teammate instead. It had no impact on the outcome whatsoever, but said a lot about Nash as a person and as a player.

by TexSUN on Apr 21, 2007 12:28 AM MDT up reply actions

i agree but...

Yes it says a lot about Nash, and we're lucky to have such a point guard, but some of the mavs are saying that;s how they'll play against us. There plan is to make Nash shoot, I think it'd only make his game better if he had the ability to turn selfish when the other team is over-playing his passing. I saw that game where Nash was 20-28, what amazed me was his shooting percentage, wow.

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 21, 2007 12:44 AM MDT up reply actions

for you travis (number 50!)

The youtube video above was great and there are 2 more parts!!

Link to part 2

and

Part 3

night

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 21, 2007 12:53 AM MDT reply actions

Great linkage...

I had no idea there was another 15 minutes! That was one hell of a video. Thanks for the find.

Anybody worried about the chemistry of this team and getting all bent out of shape because of a comment or two from Amare or Marion, should watch these recent videos. This is a tight group and like any other team, everybody just wants their credit. I can't think of another team in the NBA with more passion and chemistry... and more potential. The Lakers need to be worried about chemistry right now, not us.

by Trvs on Apr 21, 2007 3:54 AM MDT up reply actions

Yes, it is a concern but...

I still believe that when the playoffs begin, the egos will go away temporarily and the Suns will play as a team.

I did not like Amare's comments either. Before Nash signed with Phoenix, the team had a 28-win season and Amare' was on that team. Nash feeding the ball to Amare' was a big part of the strategy. How quickly he forgot.

On the flip side, even though STST comes across as pompous, self centered, and ungrateful, he works hard to achieve his goals and they are not purely his. He is aware that there is a team he is playing with. His goal to be an all star this year seemed almost laughable at the start of the season, but he achieved it. When he saw that his tecnical fouls were hurting the team, he controlled himself for many weeks. He may have done it for his own ego, and not for the team, but when he meets those goals, the team gets some of those benefits.

Humility is not STAT's trait. It may never become his trait. May be he needed to be tough to survive in a very difficult environment and any kind of perceived softness would not be acceptable to him.

I still don't understand his answers to the question Nash vs. Nowitzki for MVP. May be he feels that neither is deserving. As long as his teammates can live with it, the Suns will be fine. If it destroys the team chemistry, he could be traded, but I don't believe the Suns will trade him. I am not so sure about Marion.

by Vash01 @ Bright Side Of The Sun on Apr 21, 2007 1:27 AM MDT reply actions

trade

I agree with the positives amare has brought regardless of the comments. I wonder who we could get for him, obviously there are alot of teams with superstars that might think about it. hmm....also I'm sure amare only playing in phx doesn't give him full perspective on just how lucky he is to be where he is.

That's why I like Nash. and Barbosa so much, both of them fully realize they're living a dream and you can see in their play how much fun they're having. But... Amare really has shown in the playoffs that he can rise to the occasion and be unstoppable. Just look at the spurs series 2 yrs ago or the recent dallas games, especially the close one.

The Suns are always the big 3, Trix, STAT, and Nash, but they might have to make room for Barbosa soon and be the big 4. Those videos were from an espn show called NBA stories. The suns one was on recently (few weeks ago) but I missed it, sure am glad to see it. I also saw the first part of the raptors NBA stories and am looking for the second (which was taken off youtube for some reason. Really gives you a perspective on Toronto over the last 2 years.. interesting.

by jasonsuns1 on Apr 21, 2007 9:05 AM MDT up reply actions

Amare in playoffs

From what I heard, Amare was great in the 2004-2005 playoffs. I don't know if he can achieve that level. I heard that he does not have the same explosiveness. The tendency to get in foul trouble could hurt the Suns a lot because the opponents will try to get him in foul trouble and some of them will succeed. He was not very effective against SA recently so I don't think we can assume he will be great in the playoffs. Of course I am hoping that he will be.

We definitely have big 4, with the addition of Barbosa. I love that guy. He is talented, unselfish, team oriented, says the right things. I particularly liked what he said after the Chicago game after he shot the 3 pointer to take the lead. His teammates mobbed him and they were celebrating but not LB. He said there still was one second left on the clock, and anything could have happened. That's my guy. Why can't Matrix and STAT be as much team oriented as LB? Raja is another one I love. He is a warrior and he will sacrifice himself for the team.

by Vash01 @ Bright Side Of The Sun on Apr 21, 2007 7:51 PM MDT reply actions