hornets/suns

[slamvangundy]

Knicks fan here. I posted my thoughts on your game, and thought you guys might be interested in hearing the thoughts of a neutral observer...

Wow. Anyone see NBA on TNT tonight?

Tonight was a battle between the two best point guards in the NBA. Nash is a flashier player, but Chris Paul won the battle in terms of substance. He got into the paint at will, and as the whole Suns defense would collapse on him, Hornets would just get the open shot.

What really surprised me though was that the Hornets managed to beat a loaded suns team without Tyson Chandler. Melvin Eli truly held his own, and James Posey was a difference maker, taking charges, draining open threes and just generally playing intelligent basketball. Mo Pete had a suberbly efficient game, and was dangerous from behind the line, as well as Peja.

On the Suns who really surprised me was Goran Dragic. He played a solid chunk of time in the fourth quarter allowing Nash to rest. He was superbly active on defense and did a great job managing the offense. His stat line was lame, but the fact the Suns prevented the Hornets from going on a run while Nash rested was a big deal in my opinion. Nash having a legit backup will make a big difference, if he makes it to playoff time with some gas in the tank. Shaq was extremely effective in limited minutes, and was surprisingly energetic both on defense and on the boards. 8 Boards. 8 Points on 4 Shots. In only 22 minutes. Boris Diaw looks like he is back on form from two years ago and Grant Hill was great.

If the suns hadn't turned it over 24 times tonight (compared with 10 turnovers for the Hornets), it might have been a different game. Anyway, I am really hoping one of these teams upsets the Lakers in the playoffs this year. The Suns and the Hornets are two of the most likable and exciting teams in this league, and I will be pulling for them in the Western Conference.