Howwere the late 80s early 90s Suns so good against Magic's Lakers?

mo2thewillyo · Post #1 » by **mo2thewillyo** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 4:49 am

I know the 86 Twin Towers Rockets and 89 Pistons also beat the Lakers and had success against them, but how were the late 80s/early 90s Suns so good against Magic's Lakers?

DavidSterned · Post #2 » by **DavidSterned** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 6:44 am

Because the Suns were really good even before Barkley got there. KJ, Chambers, Hornacek, Majerle, Eddie Johnson, and Mark West is a hell of an offensive group. Lakers were a little too dependent on Magic by that point and had begun to let off the gas by the time the 1990 meeting with Phoenix happened.

Cycklops · Post #3 » by **Cycklops** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 10:15 am

I can't imagine Magic handling Kevin Johnson on defense. If they didn't have anyone who could check Barkley, it probably was a bad match-up for them.

chrismikayla · Post #4 » by **chrismikayla** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 11:23 am

Cycklops wrote:I can't imagine Magic handling Kevin Johnson on defense. If they didn't have anyone who could check Barkley, it probably was a bad match-up for them.

Barkley wasn't there yet. As to the OP that Suns team was a HUGE matchup problem for LA. KJ was also a beast in that 1990 series that they won.

chrismikayla · Post #5 » by **chrismikayla** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 12:27 pm

DavidSterned wrote:Because the Suns were really good even before Barkley got there. KJ, Chambers, Hornacek, Majerle, Eddie Johnson, and Mark West is a hell of an offensive group. Lakers were a little too dependent on Magic by that point and had begun to let off the gas by the time the 1990 meeting with Phoenix happened.

Yes and KJ shredded the Lakers over the last two games averaging 33 points and 12 assists. I forgot how good this team was on offense and West was too physical for young Divac to handle. Spot on about the team being too dependent on Magic as he decided to take over and score 43 points in Game 4 AND 43 again in Game 5 but it still wasn't enough. They just ran into an offensive juggernaut that year.

https://youtu.be/OaR1fQAZVKA

Extra Medium · Post #6 » by **Extra Medium** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 11:21 pm

Kareem was gone. Magic and Worthy were both 30. Michael Cooper was playing his last season. The Showtime era was over but the Lakers didn't know it and tried to run with the younger and more athletic Suns who ran them off of the court. The following year the Lakers got wise and slowed it up and made it back to the Finals.

Mylie10 · Post #7 » by **Mylie10** » Tue Sep 1, 2015 12:41 am

Thunder Dan
HORNY
The Mayor

oldschooled · Post #8 » by **oldschooled** » Tue Sep 1, 2015 1:38 am

Mylie10 wrote:Thunder Dan
HORNY
The Mayor

Jeff Hornacek has the GOAT nickname imo.