NBA PLAYOFFS: Game 1: Phoenix Suns @ Minnesota T-Wolves l Saturday l 12:30pm l ESPN

[Frank Lee]

I radio-ed this one. Was Wishbea in the crowd??

[sasquatchBob]

This is how you show up for the first game of the playoffs? Sad, really. And future is no brighter. Im anti-Saber right now. We should have never traded Bridges

Not anti you man. That didnt sound correct. Im just upset by how bad this situation is

[LV-Suns]

When they were just showing Brunson warming up and showing he had assisted or scored 3,841 points this year, a Knicks record, I just thought about how we took Elie Okobo two spots before him. We also already had Bridges, his championship teammate.

That disaster of a summer set this team back 20 years. A McD masterclass. A year later, we dumped De’Anthony Melton instead of Okobo to the Grizzlies because Booker liked Okobo more.

[Ryu]

When they were just showing Brunson warming up and showing he had assisted or scored 3,841 points this year, a Knicks record, I just thought about how we took Elie Okobo two spots before him. We also already had Bridges, his championship teammate.

That disaster of a summer set this team back 20 years. A McD masterclass. A year later, we dumped De’Anthony Melton instead of Okobo to the Grizzlies because Booker liked Okobo more.

You forgot we played in the Finals 3 years from there?

[Qwigglez]

Ehh... just one game.

Not sure what happened with Booker, but we can't be having him playing emotionally. He didn't end the season focused like he did last season, and I'm unsure why he seems to be in some sort of slump. Hopefully this game is a wake-up call.

[SunsRback4Good]

Ehh... just one game.

Not sure what happened with Booker, but we can't be having him playing emotionally. He didn't end the season focused like he did last season, and I'm unsure why he seems to be in some sort of slump. Hopefully this game is a wake-up call.

Damn! Saberaster has multiple accounts on this site.

[Revived]

Read on Twitter

Even media people are starting to recognize the only thing Vogel is good for is complaining about refs.

[Hitachi77]

My biggest worry after “owning” then in the regular season was that they would get over the hump in the playoffs for the first time after making adjustments. Now it’s them with confidence and us on our heels. That’s kind of what happened with Milwaukee. In a way I’d rather go 2-1 or 3-1 against a team in the regular season than sweep, because it gives you a chance to come off a loss while the pressure is off. Keeps you mentally in check.

Still, not giving up after losing game 1 on the road.

[SunsRback4Good]

My biggest worry after “owning” then in the regular season was that they would get over the hump in the playoffs for the first time after making adjustments. Now it’s them with confidence and us on our heels. That’s kind of what happened with Milwaukee. In a way I’d rather go 2-1 or 3-1 against a team in the regular season than sweep, because it gives you a chance to come off a loss while the pressure is off. Keeps you mentally in check.

Still, not giving up after losing game 1 on the road.

Bro it’s pretty much over at this point. No team in NBA history losses by nearly 30 points then all of a sudden bounces back to win the series. I’d be very surprised if Phoenix forces a game 6 you can quote me on this after series is over.

[Hitachi77]

My biggest worry after “owning” then in the regular season was that they would get over the hump in the playoffs for the first time after making adjustments. Now it’s them with confidence and us on our heels. That’s kind of what happened with Milwaukee. In a way I’d rather go 2-1 or 3-1 against a team in the regular season than sweep, because it gives you a chance to come off a loss while the pressure is off. Keeps you mentally in check.

Still, not giving up after losing game 1 on the road.

Bro it’s pretty much over at this point. No team in NBA history losses by nearly 30 points then all of a sudden bounces back to win the series. I’d be very surprised if Phoenix forces a game 6 you can quote me on this after series is over.

Lol it def happens.

[Mulhollanddrive]

If we fire Vogel tonight I think we can win in 7

95 points with Durant, Booker, Beal, Allen, Nurkic, Gordon, O'Neale

I could get them to 100

[Calvin Klein]

I radio-ed this one. Was Wishbea in the crowd??

i dont think so

[kennydorglas]

Don't ever buy a Ferrari to someone who can't drive it at all. What a **** waste.

[SunsRback4Good]

Don't ever buy a Ferrari to someone who can't drive it at all. What a **** waste.

Ishbia purchased the Ferrari and Ferrari is the entire Suns team?

[SkyBill40]

All the trite **** we always see about teams like "don't worry guys just the regular season" "they'll turn it on the playoffs" "doesn't matter how you win" is always BS.

No, teams that have have evident problems have them regardless. How you win matters, because it's a matter of what's sustainable. A team that wins all sorts of close games luckily or due to schedule favorability or whatever factor likely isn't actually good and cannot be relied upon against better competition, etc.

In our case, we stink. It's evident we stink. We never were good. This experiment simply isn't working.

Blow it up. Start fresh.

And those who know me for 20 years on this site know that I hate intentional rebuilds. And we're still suffering through ours from 10 years ago.

Rebuild on the fly. Get rid of the roster and turn it over quick. Doesn't need to be a 10 year loser mentality process. We've already had that.

I agree with you, but the problem is that all our tangible assets are gone. The team is depleted for a decade and honestly we need to suck to rein in some of the hubris Ishbia has shown. Making the Durant trade was bad enough, but following it up with the Beal move was too much... even if it meant getting rid of broken down Paul and clank-o-matic and Monty Williams fave Landry Shamet.

Ishbia tried to make this a sprint a mile into a marathon and now we're gassed and there's no Gatorade in sight.

We can salvage assets by blowing it up. Trade KD to Houston for the same package they were offering for Bridges. Trade Booker to the Heat or something and get back Jaquez and picks. At that point Beal will want to get traded too so send him to NYK or Philly for picks and contract fillers.

Doing as you've described would be a bold face admittance of failure, and I just don't see Ishbia doing something like that. Maybe, surprisingly, but pretty unlikely. I'm figuring it's only a matter of time before Jones is replaced anyway and then we're REALLY see the wheels go round and round.

[schnakenpopanz]

The last game of the season almost worked as a game 1 in a way. They then had a week to make adjustments. Now it’s our turn. I’m guessing RON will be put into the starting lineup regardless of Allen’s injury status.

Someone remind me why Bol was completely scrapped out of nowhere?

Eubanks to Vogel is like Shamet to Monty. That's why

[Son of Ra]

All the trite **** we always see about teams like "don't worry guys just the regular season" "they'll turn it on the playoffs" "doesn't matter how you win" is always BS.

No, teams that have have evident problems have them regardless. How you win matters, because it's a matter of what's sustainable. A team that wins all sorts of close games luckily or due to schedule favorability or whatever factor likely isn't actually good and cannot be relied upon against better competition, etc.

In our case, we stink. It's evident we stink. We never were good. This experiment simply isn't working.

Blow it up. Start fresh.

And those who know me for 20 years on this site know that I hate intentional rebuilds. And we're still suffering through ours from 10 years ago.

Rebuild on the fly. Get rid of the roster and turn it over quick. Doesn't need to be a 10 year loser mentality process. We've already had that.

Preach. There's room for everyone on this train, hop in! Unfortunately tho...it's the Pipe Dream Express.

[Puff]

Does anyone really think that it would have been horrible for Booker if we would have drafted Doncic, instead of Ayton?

Doncic always shows up in the playoffs.

As I remember Booker also struggled in the last Olympics but was chosen again.

[Revived]

Does anyone really think that it would have been horrible for Booker if we would have drafted Doncic, instead of Ayton?

Doncic always shows up in the playoffs.

As I remember Booker also struggled in the last Olympics but was chosen again.

Doncic is a #1 which Booker can never be. Booker is a #2/#3 level player.

But no I don’t think it’d be terrible. People said both Kyrie and Luka are players that need the ball in their hands to be effective and yet they figured it out just fine. Booker and Luka would’ve done the same.

[Sunlight]

Trade Booker ASAP!!! It’ll only get worse from here on out. He doesn’t have a winning mentality nor can he carry a team. Trade him while he sorta still has value.

That's why you don't pay a mentally weak one way player a super max contract. And be in the same tough situation forever as the Bulls with Lavine. Impossible to succeed. How many times has Booker carried a team in the postseason like Jimmy Butler or Kawhi Leonard have. Booker is not a leader but an assistant player. CP3 knew how to use Booker in the right way, while guardian angel Bridges protected the mistakes on the defensive end and Ayton made room on the offensive end. Now that all three are gone, the talk of MVP is suddenly ended.