Game 44: Trailblazers (31-11) @ Suns (25-18)

[Revived]

I'm not even sure if it's Hornacek though or if the team just started playing selfishly. It seems they are playing for themselves, like they get on the bus, watch highlights of their own plays, and show each other like... "man check out this sick crossover I did right here", or "check out this shot I can't believe I made that".
That's why I think we need a trade or something, some veteran to change the mentality of the team, something. I feel our players don't trust each other enough or they still need to develop some chemistry. We have the talent to be a good team even in the Western Conference.

they get a big lead and then try and show off and play selfishly because they feel comfortable and think its ok to let their guard down. Some player feel like its their time to raise their value. Others are just straight up chuckers and will get hot and cold.

Its because we have guys on our team who are on their last year of their contracts and are trying to play for their next contract. Then we have some other guys who just got new contracts and trying to show they deserve it. Green, and Marcus both fall into this category. To some degree, Dragic as well.

[charley barkles]

When Dragic, IT and Bledsoe score over 15 a game, chances are we are winning. I love the three guard line up. Hornacek has done a great job with the Suns. Put ANY other coach on this team and we would not be in playoff contention. Green would be foolish to leave Phoenix. Hornacek lets hm get away with a lot but it always manages to work out.




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We are 8-0 when they all score 15+, I think.

[NTB]

I'm not even sure if it's Hornacek though or if the team just started playing selfishly. It seems they are playing for themselves, like they get on the bus, watch highlights of their own plays, and show each other like... "man check out this sick crossover I did right here", or "check out this shot I can't believe I made that".
That's why I think we need a trade or something, some veteran to change the mentality of the team, something. I feel our players don't trust each other enough or they still need to develop some chemistry. We have the talent to be a good team even in the Western Conference.

they get a big lead and then try and show off and play selfishly because they feel comfortable and think its ok to let their guard down. Some player feel like its their time to raise their value. Others are just straight up chuckers and will get hot and cold.

Its because we have guys on our team who are on their last year of their contracts and are trying to play for their next contract. Then we have some other guys who just got new contracts and trying to show they deserve it. Green, and Marcus both fall into this category. To some degree, Dragic as well.

And also Bledsoe (new contract), IT(new contract), Markieff(new contract), Wright(newcomer), Tucker(new contract)

[Sunsss]

Um no. Blowing a big lead and actually getting into a deficit isn't what anyone calls "a good game".

I bet nobody on the Suns coaching staff this was one of their best games of the year.

Blow out game.. The Suns don't learn anything. Media sees it as Suns were hot and Portland was not. Which was the case. Portland comes back and takes the lead with 2 mins left and Suns come back with fight is what I like. Somebody tell me what the Suns record is in close games? They needed a win like that against a good team. Made the win so much better. Suns don't win a game like this earlier in the season. They are learning how to close games. It all started with the Clippers, OKC, and Memphis over time loses.


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You should watch this Rockets-Warriors game right now.

GSW is up 26 and yet if you looked at their hustle and not the score, you would think their down 3.

GSW doesn't ever stop trying hard like PHX does when they get 20+ pt leads. Suns need to have that same mentality.

As you say that it turned into a 9-point game with 3+ minutes to go and Kerr put Curry and Thompson to close out the game.

[JTrain]

Is it not mathematically possible for a team to finish 9th in the conference but win their division and therefore be the four seed?

[MilotheSlayer]

We're 8-2 in January. The best part of this is that we're winning games without killing it from behind the 3pt line. I like seeing us fight out wins even when our bread and butter isn't going from us. I feel bad for the teams that have to play us when we get those shots to start falling. Since our 6 game losing streak in early Dec we're 14-4 and all 4 loses could have been W's if our shots had fallen. I think we're starting to turn the corner.

[NTB]

Is it not mathematically possible for a team to finish 9th in the conference but win their division and therefore be the four seed?

If your division totally sucks and all the teams in that division finishes at the bottom of the conference... Why not?

If in the end of the season, standings were like this: 9th Suns, 10th Clippers, 11th Lakers, 12th Warriors and 13th Kings then we could be 4th i guess based on the "division leader" rule.

[Christine-In-AZ]

Didn't notice any of Horny's lineup.. Seemed okay tonight, except when Plumlee was in during the first half.

I thought Plumlee played pretty good. +24 in 10 minutes of PT +/-
5 rebounds (2 offensive boards), a steal, a disruption, no TOs and 4 points, decent overall "D"

...thought it should be mentioned.

[Revived]

I thought Plumlee played pretty well.

[RunDogGun]

Is it not mathematically possible for a team to finish 9th in the conference but win their division and therefore be the four seed?

The action of being ninth in a conference yet win their division is possible. You would just have to have atleast four teams from the other two divisions be better than you, and all the teams in your division be worse than you.

[JTrain]

[LukasBMW]

We won tonight because Hornacek didn't be a stupid moron and finish the game with Blesdoe/Dragic/IT on the floor like he has in some of our past losses.

The triple point guard lineup is great to run up the score or disrupt the game in the 2nd or 3rd quarters, but during crunch time when rebounding and defense win games, running 3 point guards is just downright stupid.

[Revived]

The Suns led 58-33 and 66-43 but crumbled when the starters replaced four reserves who were plus-20 in the half. Portland ended the half with a 9-0 run.

"That's strictly because we didn't move the ball," Hornacek said.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/2 ... /22147013/

Cap'n obvious.

How sad is that our starters are the ones who lost the lead for us in the first half?

[Qwigglez]

^In that situation I think you put in Goodwin and other deep bench guys. Because they'll try to run plays, they'll play hard on both ends to try and prove coach to allow them to play more. They cut our lead by 6-8 then we can put our starters in. Instead we immediately put in the starters who wanted to play selfish ball. Very frustrating to say the least.

[MrMiyagi]

At first I was like "Holy F*ck! Did a fan seriously just cream a cheerleader?" But then I scrolled over it. That's hilarious.

[Revived]

Portland is starting Kaman at center, how come nobody has thought up a Plumlee for POR 1st rd pick trade?

Even when RoLo gets back, POR might probably prefer Plumlee over Kaman as the backup.

[thamadkant]

Portland is starting Kaman at center, how come nobody has thought up a Plumlee for POR 1st rd pick trade?

Even when RoLo gets back, POR might probably prefer Plumlee over Kaman as the backup.

Kaman is still a good back up center, the guy schooled Len and Plumlee, remember he was once a 19/11/2 center, who got injured too much.

Kaman > Plumlee even at this point.... maybe not in consecutive back to back games, but Kaman will do until RoLo is back.. next week.

[bigfoot]

BTW I hope I don't jinx him but could a case be made that over the past 5-10 games, IT is the most unselfish player on the Suns? I don't know what his assists look like but he sure is passing that ball and finding open shooters more than Bledsoe or Dragic.

He gets those assists BECAUSE he doesn't pass it. He often holds the ball and makes a play at the end of the shot clock. Sometimes they are assists rather than shots.

It is still hero ball.

Must be drinking

[NavLDO]

We need to win via blowout once in a while. Shows the team we can do it. Not every game should be a heart attack. We shouldn't be scraping for each win.

In the last 10 games, we beat PHI and TOR by 16, MIN by 11, and just last game the LAL by 15. I consider any win by 10+ pretty much a blowout. What do you mean by blowout...25? 30?

[MathiasPW]

BTW I hope I don't jinx him but could a case be made that over the past 5-10 games, IT is the most unselfish player on the Suns? I don't know what his assists look like but he sure is passing that ball and finding open shooters more than Bledsoe or Dragic.

He gets those assists BECAUSE he doesn't pass it. He often holds the ball and makes a play at the end of the shot clock. Sometimes they are assists rather than shots.

It is still hero ball.

Must be drinking

I want some of that drink, too