Game11: Detroit(7-2)@Phoenix(7-3)

[eastsidecrossover]

It sucks that I can't watch the suns like I used to. Living up in Denver sucks for that part. so I read what yall right and read the game recap and boxscores.

first thing. Nice to see Amare grap 11 boards. Nice to see some of our bench guys step up, especially missing 3 guys as of now. I too think amare should get more touches, but I love what the big mans is doing for us. 16 and 9 is great compared to what most thought he would do. The big man still has it, and we need to feed him. Its also good to see Hill starting to pick it up.

Bad thing is, I think Dragic to me is not looking that good, that is one of the reasons Single is getting some mins. Thats an area of concern for me. I think if the right opportunity comes about, the suns need to snatch up a veteran backup PG. You can cut Single and put Dragic down in the D-league for some games.

I am still worried about a pure shooter outside of Nash for this team. We need that wing. Bell so far has been up and down, barbs is a good shooter, but not what I think this team needs. I think the key is amare, shaq and nash. I think they can take this team all the way if they want. If they play to there strengths and listen to the coach, this team has a chance to win it al.

Last year under MD, this would have been a lost I think. they did poor against playoff teams.

[Mr. Sun]

Bad thing is, I think Dragic to me is not looking that good, that is one of the reasons Single is getting some mins.

Dragic is a green rookie. Remember Kobe in his rookie year?

[suns12345]

I just had the best thought. obviously amundson been playing very well but is finding it hard to find time. next yr when hill retires it will go like this. we resign barnes and he stays starting sf. assuming diaw satys good and we dont trade him he moves from pf to sf. then resign amundson and he comes in behind amare and rolo behind shaq.

[NapoleonII]

Dragic isn't impressing anyone.

I don't see any flashes of....anything.

I'm liking Robin Lopez.


Overall, an impressive win over a Top 5 team without Barnes or Barbosa.

[rsavaj]

Dragic isn't sucking though, and that's good enough for me.

[rsavaj]

In other news, I fully expect to hear that Shaq's suspended for tmw's game.

[DaDragicShow]

Don't forget Tucker too.

[Mr. Sun]

next yr when hill retires it will go like this. we resign barnes and he stays starting sf.

Hill retiring? I don't think so. He will be back for another season.

[lilfishi22]

One more season with the Suns then off the somewhere else or retire.

I guess it doesn't make much difference whether Shaq's suspended or not since Porter will likely rest him since it's a b2b game. At first the foul on Stuckey definitely seemed flagrant from the pressbox angle, but from the camera people angle under the hoop, there was a definite play for the ball. Stuckey went down since he was still going up and Shaq was bringing the ball down with Stuckey stuck(lol) on it. Oh, well. More hatin' for Stern and co. from the Valley of the Sun when they make their visit.

[The Diesel]

That was a VERY dangerous foul by Shaq and he absolutely deserved to get ejected.

The team should fine and suspend him for pushing Porter away when Porter tried to get him to stop arguing with the refs.

[lilfishi22]

That was a VERY dangerous foul by Shaq and he absolutely deserved to get ejected.

The team should fine and suspend him for pushing Porter away when Porter tried to get him to stop arguing with the refs.

I didn't think it was overly dangerous. A lot of times there are blocks where the guy getting blocked falls back on his ass and could just as easily fall straight on his back. So there's always a danger when getting blocked straight up. The danger issue aside, was there a play for the ball? I believe so, and I think Shaq was going up with every intention and did make a play and contact with the ball as shown in other camera angles.

The fall was obviously caused by Shaq's block, but there's no way Shaq could've determined how Stuckey fell. If it's the case that it was all ball with no foul called, Stuckey would've fell the exact same way. So I don't think he deserved the ejection or a suspension. At the time, it would seem like a flagrant because of the way Stuckey fell so in a pressure situation where the refs had to make a decision quickly, it would seem appropriate (at the time) to call a flagrant foul.

As for Shaq pushing Porter away. If you look at the replay, Shaq was still arguing with the ref and was really into it. He even pushed Nash's hand away which was directly in front of him, so it would be reasonable he would do the same to, who he probaly thought was, another Phoenix Suns team member. Complaining to your coach and showing your frustration is part of the game, and I don't think it warranted any disciplinary action from the Suns organisation.

I remember a game against the Laker's a few seasons back when Bell thought he was called for a really bad foul on Kobe and had to go off. He was complaining to the ref and was finally persuaded to go back and then he had a few words with D'Antoni about how bad the officiating was and with the game still being played, D'Antoni told Bell to sit back on the bench. So he did but came back for seconds.

[eastsidecrossover]

Are you comparing Dragic with Kobes first year Mr. Sun??? Please don't, there is a huge difference man. Kobe came out of high school, dragic has played pro ball overseas, a huge diffrence man. He should be more ready for this game then a kid like Kobe was. Yes, he is green, but he is not showing those flashes of what is to come.

Come on The Diesel, Shaq does not need to get any disapline from the suns. That is a stupid take man. Just LAMO. I don't think that was a dirty foul at all. hard foul, but he went for the ball.

[NapoleonII]

I'm a firm believer a team should back up a player 99% of the time. This is no different. It was a hard foul, maybe even deserving of ejection. But Shaq is our anchor now, if he wants to knock a guy on his ass, then so be it. But I'm glad no one was hurt....it looked FAR worse than what it actually was.