Before I lay into Kerr for losing this game for us (yes, that is a gross exaggeration but the Moron Meter needs to be feed) let me drop a few nuggets of insight from this game that I wasn't able to share last night due to Cox Internet fail.
HOLY HELL - IS IT THE PLAYOFFS ALREADY!!! I honestly don't care about the loss just to have been able to watch that game. What a blast. It is not often you can enjoy a loss but if you didn't have fun watching that game you need to have your heart beat checked. If you need more proof ask Mrs. Stan who was woken up by screams, shouts and ultimately groans at 11pm last night.
We all knew how awesome Roy was but Suns fans for whatever reason we have managed to avoid his destruction of us. Whether that's due to Bell being inside his head (and shorts) or what, we've finally seen up close and personal what a stone cold killa this kid is.
BUT since we have in fact slowed him with Bell and he DID in fact go off for a career night against Bell's replacement, it is hard in all fairness NOT to count that against Kerr on the Moron Meter. It's only one point folks and I am not saying JRich can't be a good defender. I am not even saying Roy's going off what his fault. But facts is facts.
The Suns shot 57% from the field and 67% from three. And lost! You said you wanted the old Suns back well guess what. You got it. The defensive rotations were (as expected) bad. The 16 to 6 turnovers were worse. 15 to 7 on the offensive glass sucked. And Amare only having two boards in the 2nd half is a mystery.
Still, give the Blazers credit for a) playing their collective asses off and refusing to lose 12 straight b) hitting everything from the end of the 3rd Q on be it an open shot or contested c) running their offense in such a way as to abuse our defensive immobility in the paint aka Shaq d) stepping up the D and closing out the game which for a young team is critical. This was a big step forward for the Blazers. I still think the Suns are the better team right now but the gap closed a lot last night.
Best of all. If you didn't notice. Perhaps you were watching the Blazers fans slap ass with each other. Or maybe you were fixated on Robin Lopez hair or Nick Batum's very very long arms....but the Suns. Had. Fun.
When was the last time you saw our guys have that much fun playing basketball with each other. Slapping hands. Pumping fists. Laughing.
I don't exactly know if the exorcism of the Bell-Diaw Cancer was the cure or if Terry Porter turning the dogs loose to run did it but this is the happiest I have seen a Suns team in two years. If you don't think that bodes well you are on Planet Crack Pipe.
But as I said - the beast needs to be feed. So Kerr gets a Moron Point for Roy going for a career night against JRichardSun AND for the way the Blazers pick and rolled Shaq to death forcing the Suns into a zone which the Blazers promptly shot to pieces. That's two Moron Points btw but he also gets a Genius Point for solving whatever was ailing the Suns achy breaky hearts.
Chemistry has returned to Phoenix. Warning....explosions may result
