Game 30: Portland TrailBlazers (18-11) @ Phoenix Suns (19-10) l Monday l 7:00pm l FSNAZ

[spanishninja]

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great thing about that play is that afterwards he didn't showboat or celebrate, he went right to talking with DA about the game.

[Frank Lee]

It's scary being a good team because now there's expectation.

Chemistry is outstanding, positionally we are set with power and depth in all positions (perhaps could upgrade Kaminsky to beat the Lakers).

The expectations of some are just too much. Every little mistake it criticized. I couldnt believe i saw a post about Ayton and how if he did something different on this one play he would have been in a better position to get an offensive rebound. It was a made basket. There was no rebound to be had. And Ayton is currently the #5 Offensive Rebounder in the league. Every little thing these guys do is put under a microscope. While we have a great team that many many of these people doubted in the preseason, some how their expectations have skyrocketed to a crazy high and honestly i dont think anything we do is good enough for them. We win games and they still tear players apart. 1 or 2 bad plays and that player is getting ripped to shreds by Suns fans all across the net. People need to chill a bit.

Yes maybe so Kerrsed.... But windows are small in the NBA… And ours is just a portal with CP3. If all you want is us to make the playoffs and adopt a mantra ‘get em next year’, then go ahead, overlook the so called little things. I guarantee you that’s not what Paul and Book are thinking. Why do you think they’re chewing on DA’s ear ....all.... the....time.

They know they have shot and now believe they can beat anyone. But they also know the importance of our Boy Wander ballin it up a notch. Granted, Kid Ayton is coming along, but he still has yet to adopt the ‘bring it all game every game’ mind set. He’s still making mental mistakes, he’s still slacking off* and has fumbly fingers. We can ride Book and CP only so far. Sure, we get the occasional ‘step up’ from others, but we have to have DA focused and playing smart/better (we don’t know what his best looks like yet) if this squad is to be a legit contender.

And keep in mind, this is a small window.





*A couple of times over the past few games I’ve noticed Ayton actually sprinting… The dude is effing fast as shipt. Honestly looked to cover ground/the court almost unnaturally. A GD blur. I don’t think there’s a center that could stay with him end to end. Granted, he likely can’t sustain that effort.... but then again.... why not?

[NapoleonII]

Besides Ayton's speed, he also has a lot of bounciness that he only pulls out once every 5 games or so.

There was an offensive rebound (that sure, went right into his positioning) but he caught it and went immediately up amid 3 defenders, threw it back in like a single fast thought. EXACTLY like Marion used to do 2-3 times a game.

It's nice to see Book and CP gelling, but yeah, our ceiling has always been up to Ayton.

He's putting it together.

[Mjee]

If Ayton plays like he did in those 2nd and 3rd quarters last night consistently... The sky's the limit for the Suns

[King4Day]

If Ayton plays like he did in those 2nd and 3rd quarters last night consistently... The sky's the limit for the Suns

Exactly.
And it's no secret. Fans are aware of it. Coaching is aware of it. I'm sure the players are aware of it too.

That's going to be the difference in how deep of a playoff run we can make.
If he keeps that up, then thinking championship isn't as far fetched anymore

[bigfoot]

If Ayton plays like he did in those 2nd and 3rd quarters last night consistently... The sky's the limit for the Suns

Exactly.
And it's no secret. Fans are aware of it. Coaching is aware of it. I'm sure the players are aware of it too.

That's going to be the difference in how deep of a playoff run we can make.
If he keeps that up, then thinking championship isn't as far fetched anymore

It's definitely no secret. National media and local media are always pointing out Ayton's passiveness. I'm happy if he plays defense, rebounds, and gets spoon-fed on the pick-n-roll. That's mostly what I expect out of him this season. He's certainly not a number 1 or 2 option on offense. Bridges may be the third option before Ayton and everyone should understand that situation.

[Seattlesun]

It's scary being a good team because now there's expectation.

Chemistry is outstanding, positionally we are set with power and depth in all positions (perhaps could upgrade Kaminsky to beat the Lakers).

The expectations of some are just too much. Every little mistake it criticized. I couldnt believe i saw a post about Ayton and how if he did something different on this one play he would have been in a better position to get an offensive rebound. It was a made basket. There was no rebound to be had. And Ayton is currently the #5 Offensive Rebounder in the league. Every little thing these guys do is put under a microscope. While we have a great team that many many of these people doubted in the preseason, some how their expectations have skyrocketed to a crazy high and honestly i dont think anything we do is good enough for them. We win games and they still tear players apart. 1 or 2 bad plays and that player is getting ripped to shreds by Suns fans all across the net. People need to chill a bit.

I now refuse to read comments on arizonasports.com articles. Those people are full on idiots. We're good again! Lets enjoy it!

[TouchPassDario]

The problem is that Ayton does so many subtle things that casuals don’t notice, BUT OMG HE DROPPED A PASS.

Real ones know. Stotts gave him his props. Who cares what lame fans think. Ayton has moved from top50 to top30 this year and he should make AS game next year.

[King4Day]

It's scary being a good team because now there's expectation.

Chemistry is outstanding, positionally we are set with power and depth in all positions (perhaps could upgrade Kaminsky to beat the Lakers).

The expectations of some are just too much. Every little mistake it criticized. I couldnt believe i saw a post about Ayton and how if he did something different on this one play he would have been in a better position to get an offensive rebound. It was a made basket. There was no rebound to be had. And Ayton is currently the #5 Offensive Rebounder in the league. Every little thing these guys do is put under a microscope. While we have a great team that many many of these people doubted in the preseason, some how their expectations have skyrocketed to a crazy high and honestly i dont think anything we do is good enough for them. We win games and they still tear players apart. 1 or 2 bad plays and that player is getting ripped to shreds by Suns fans all across the net. People need to chill a bit.

This was me.
As a disclaimer, I tend to post more negative comments in my posts because it's the only way I can vent. My only Suns fan friends are out of state (I live in NC). If things are going well, I don't always comment on it because I know others will.

DA continuing to stare at shots going up. If he'd ever get into the habit of going after the offensive glass...
The shot went in but the defender had his back to DA. he could have went around him and grabbed an easy board if it missed.

There were instances where there were no rebounds to be had, but Moore and CamJo both went towards to the rim just in case. Imagine Ayton did what Moore did (this game) all the time. Moore got a few offensive boards because he went after it instead of staring.

You can look back and see how often I complain about this. It's not just yesterday. It's not one instance and if he's top 5, then it's scary to know he could be better than that if he'd stop staring at the rim.

The common thing to do when watching basketball on TV or in person is to follow the ball.
I usually watch players off the ball to learn what might be developing.
This reminds me of when he sets a screen and takes a second before he rolls (whereas Amar'e used to roll immediately with Nash).
He's improved here but it's the little things that can take you from good to great. If you aren't getting back on D, then taking the same time you stare at a shot, to go after an offensive board, is one of the little things that turn you from a good rebounder to a great one.

[Qwigglez]

It's an amazing feeling to know just how good your team can be. The scary thing for the league is, this Suns team isn't even at it's peak, and our core players haven't reached their full potential either, and yet we sit 4th in the Western Conference standings. I've been thinking before the season even began we'd be a top 3 team in the West and could make the Western Conference Finals, but now with AD having a lingering injury I think we might be able to do more.

[King4Day]

It's an amazing feeling to know just how good your team can be. The scary thing for the league is, this Suns team isn't even at it's peak, and our core players haven't reached their full potential either, and yet we sit 4th in the Western Conference standings. I've been thinking before the season even began we'd be a top 3 team in the West and could make the Western Conference Finals, but now with AD having a lingering injury I think we might be able to do more.

I try not to think that far ahead. I did when we were 5-1 and had my east coast fans telling me to slow down. Then we went on a slump.

A key thing in this run (for the most part) has been our defense.
If the 3's aren't falling, our defense can keep us in games.

And nobody can say our inexperience will cost us.
We reached the WCF when Nash came back and most of the team had no experience. Everyone had Dallas beating us in 04/05 and we won that in 6 games i think

[Biff]

That makes sense. The ORTG numbers also clearly indicate that the team is considerably better on offense when he’s not on the floor. Seems hard to conclude “the rest of the players take advantage of” his presence on the floor when they do much better collectively on offense when he sits.

Yeah, it can be hard to tell sometimes. I'm sure the attention Booker receives makes things a little easier for some of the other guys but his turnover problems, especially early on, really hurt us. He has always been a bit turnover prone and I really wish he could tighten that up a bit.

Wouldn’t you expect the team to score more points with Booker on the floor than off, if he “makes things a little easier” on them, given the extra defensive attention he draws?

Yes but only when Booker isn't turning the ball over so much. I think he does make things easier for his teammates because of the attention he receives but not when he's turning it over all the damn time, like he was early in the season. He really needs to get his turnovers below 3 a game for him to reach truly elite ORTG status.