Preseason: Game 2 l Los Angeles Lakers @ Phoenix Suns l Wednesday l 3:00pm l NBATV

[sasquatchBob]

:P

Liking Shamets dribble penetration, he is more than a shooter.

I was pleasantly surprised about that too. His defense looked bad though.

As someone already mentioned this years team feels like it's gonna be better than last years.

Its championship or bust?

Kind of feels like it. We still don't know what will happen with Ayton/Bridges extensions. Also Cam Johnson extension is around the corner. We won't be able to keep them all.

[Saberestar]

What a nice game, CP3 controlled the game since the first minute. 11 assists/ 1TO in 22 minutes.

Ayton and Bridges played really well. Bridges scored at least three mid-range shots, we are looking for him in those spots.

Shamet is a baller. He will surprise some people, he is a complete player. Skilled player. He can handle, pass, dribble, shoot...and he is a decent defender. He is smart and tough, so he will not be a liability on defense at all.

Cam Johnson looks bigger for real. At 6'8 he will survive playing backup PF with his new size for sure.

Crowder is underpaid. He makes a huge impact out there at just $10M per year. Master signing by James Jones.

We are set. We have a bit of everything, there are not holes on this roster at all.

[sunsbg]

2 deep at every position. Hopefully Jalen can give quality minutes at PF seeing how active he was in this game on the O rebounds.

CP3 looks in great shape, hitting 3s based on a practice video and this game. Remember his shot was off at start of last season and Suns winning 50% of those games. Much better team chemistry now as well. If no major injuries I expect nothing less than a finish on top of the West in RS standings and be well over 51.5 wins offered in the betting sites.

[pj0tr]

:P

Liking Shamets dribble penetration, he is more than a shooter.

I was pleasantly surprised about that too. His defense looked bad though.

As someone already mentioned this years team feels like it's gonna be better than last years.

Its championship or bust?

Last year wasn't given it was CP3's first year in Phoenix, and the fact that the SUns hadn't been to the playoffs in 10 years.

This year? Given the contract situation of Ayton, Bridges, and then Cam in 2 years? Yeah, especially with CP3 going to be 37.

Each year CP3 is in Phoenix now is a championship or bust year.

[Keith_myath]

Smith was solid on defense and will be a solid contributor off the bench for 5-10 mins, maybe more. Has absolutely no offensive game, though. Like rookie DA, no one gives him the ball and he doesn't move to get into good positions. If he and McGee play together, he'll be useless on O because McGee will be doing the screening in the pick n roll/pop's.

Lakers have no squad. They're just a list of randoms. A combination of some good individual scorers and some washed up has-beens who will contribute little, then some scrubs. If the has-beens and scrubs don't fire, then it'll be left to the big 3 to save the day and we all know how much of a stat-padder Westbrook becomes in that situation. That won't work with LeFlop demanding the ball.

[Fo-Real]

Anthony Davis looked hurt and gimpy after the second play of the game. Literally from after his second time up the floor, he looked hurt for the rest of the game.

[Fo-Real]

Also, we should be monitoring the waver wire pretty hard, Elf, Hutchinson, Randle and even Nader and Frank, look like an upgrade could shake loose somewhere!! And Smith is just even right now, only gets a pass because he is a young draftee.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Also, we should be monitoring the waver wire pretty hard, Elf, Hutchinson, Randle and even Nader and Frank, look like an upgrade could shake loose somewhere!! And Smith is just even right now, only gets a pass because he is a young draftee.

I think Elf and Frank will stick, and I have no idea what Nader is doing on this list, as he's pretty good.

Hutchison, though, gonna need to learn another language.

[Fo-Real]

Also, we should be monitoring the waver wire pretty hard, Elf, Hutchinson, Randle and even Nader and Frank, look like an upgrade could shake loose somewhere!! And Smith is just even right now, only gets a pass because he is a young draftee.

I think Elf and Frank will stick, and I have no idea what Nader is doing on this list, as he's pretty good.

Hutchison, though, gonna need to learn another language.

They all looked like trash yesterday. I like Nader, just saying that if someone surprisingly decent gets released, he shouldn't be guaranteed a spot, if an upgrade exists you do it.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

A few hot takes from last night:

- Cam Johnson has looked like an absolute stud his first two games. Dead-eye from deep range. Best he's ever looked. If he played like this all the time, he'd be a $20 million man, maybe even an All-Star.

- Love that floater Ayton added this offseason. Looks like he'll be more aggressive as a passer. Pay this man.

- McGee dramatically improves our second unit. He and Payne already have chemistry.

- CP3 ain't lost a step. He and Bridges have great chemistry. Bridges is at his best working off others and will always do better next to playmakers, rather than as the playmaker.

- And of this I have no doubt: We're better than we were last season. Look out!!!

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Also, we should be monitoring the waver wire pretty hard, Elf, Hutchinson, Randle and even Nader and Frank, look like an upgrade could shake loose somewhere!! And Smith is just even right now, only gets a pass because he is a young draftee.

I think Elf and Frank will stick, and I have no idea what Nader is doing on this list, as he's pretty good.

Hutchison, though, gonna need to learn another language.

They all looked like trash yesterday. I like Nader, just saying that if someone surprisingly decent gets released, he shouldn't be guaranteed a spot, if an upgrade exists you do it.

Yeah but, like, we ain't adding five players off the waiver wire.

[Fo-Real]

I think Elf and Frank will stick, and I have no idea what Nader is doing on this list, as he's pretty good.

Hutchison, though, gonna need to learn another language.

They all looked like trash yesterday. I like Nader, just saying that if someone surprisingly decent gets released, he shouldn't be guaranteed a spot, if an upgrade exists you do it.

Yeah but, like, we ain't adding five players off the waiver wire.

Bro... I'm saying that each one is replaceable, not cut every one of them 10 minutes ago. The world isn't completely literal.

[bwgood77]

I've always said I think there is a very good chance we are better but don't end up as high in the standings. If LAL and GS are healthy, we have a key injury, Dallas improves (big if but they nearly beat a healthy Clippers team and Luka can carry a decent supporting cast). Then Utah. Denver and the Clips injuries could hurt them but Murray will be back at some point.

Dallas also had their entire starting lineup out for 2 weeks which really hurt them.

Then again, we could finish as high. I just know if we are a better team and finish with a worse record, lower in standings, or don't get to finals (which requires a lot of luck too), it may not be because blame needs to be thrown around..but that other teams are healthier and we are still improving with our young core while Paul is aging.

If we traded Bridges or Ayton we definitely fall way down to a play in game.

[oddity]

AD seemed a bit gimpy at times, not sure if it's because he's out of shape but looking at his first half minutes he still isn't 100 percent yet.

At halftime the Lakers guys were saying he has the most falls per game in the league

[oddity]

I've always said I think there is a very good chance we are better but don't end up as high in the standings. If LAL and GS are healthy, we have a key injury, Dallas improves (big if but they nearly beat a healthy Clippers team and Luka can carry a decent supporting cast). Then Utah. Denver and the Clips injuries could hurt them but Murray will be back at some point.

Dallas also had their entire starting lineup out for 2 weeks which really hurt them.

Then again, we could finish as high. I just know if we are a better team and finish with a worse record, lower in standings, or don't get to finals (which requires a lot of luck too), it may not be because blame needs to be thrown around..but that other teams are healthier and we are still improving with our young core while Paul is aging.

If we traded Bridges or Ayton we definitely fall way down to a play in game.

Dallas definitely got hit hard by injuries last season, but that supporting cast is basically dead weight for Luka to carry.

GS and LAL have problems as well. GS has to get their lineups together, get healthy, and stay healthy, and incorporate multiple young players into their core lineup all at once. The Lakers have a few big-time names with big-time problems (Lebron with age and injuries, AD hurting himself with his nonstop flailing, and Russ' highly questionable decision-making at times), and a motley crew of scrubs trying to redeem themselves off the bench. If Nunn is anything like he was last night, he is not going to make a difference for this team, and Deandre Jordan can barely even dunk now, it's actually a joke.

While we're at it, Utah has its own issues, ala Rudy Gobert not fitting into any playoff-ready lineup without getting isolated and butchered by opposing guards. Memphis is dangerous but very young. Portland should honestly just blow it all up, but whether they trade for simmons (smh) or run with their existing lineup it just won't be enough to push them into true contention.
Denver I'm pretty scared of, but Murray has to return from injury and their bench still needs improvement.

We could definitely be the 1 seed in the west this year if healthy, because everyone else is just as shakey as we are, if not more so.

[bwgood77]

I've always said I think there is a very good chance we are better but don't end up as high in the standings. If LAL and GS are healthy, we have a key injury, Dallas improves (big if but they nearly beat a healthy Clippers team and Luka can carry a decent supporting cast). Then Utah. Denver and the Clips injuries could hurt them but Murray will be back at some point.

Dallas also had their entire starting lineup out for 2 weeks which really hurt them.

Then again, we could finish as high. I just know if we are a better team and finish with a worse record, lower in standings, or don't get to finals (which requires a lot of luck too), it may not be because blame needs to be thrown around..but that other teams are healthier and we are still improving with our young core while Paul is aging.

If we traded Bridges or Ayton we definitely fall way down to a play in game.

Dallas definitely got hit hard by injuries last season, but that supporting cast is basically dead weight for Luka to carry.

GS and LAL have their own problems. GS has to get their lineups together, get healthy, and stay healthy, and incorporate multiple young players into their core lineup all at once. The Lakers have a few big-time names with big-time problems (Lebron with age and injuries, AD hurting himself with his nonstop flailing, and Russ' highly questionable decision-making at times), and a motley crew of scrubs trying to redeem themselves off the bench. If Nunn is anything like he was last night, he is not going to make a difference for this team, and Deandre Jordan can barely even dunk now, it's actually a joke.

While we're at it, Utah has its own issues, ala Rudy Gobert not fitting into any playoff-ready lineup without getting isolated and butchered by opposing guards.
We could definitely be the 1 seed in the west this year if healthy, because everyone else is just as shakey as we are, if not more so.

I agree, but I also think many of these teams can click depending. Luka carrying dead weight still nearly beat a healthy Clippers team that I don't think we would have beaten. I like our additions more than most people so I think we are better.

I think we can be the #1 seed but if things click better and teams avoid more injuries this year, others could even improve their record and playoff play to a greater degree.

[RaisingArizona]

Hutch will beat out Nader for minutes.

[darealjuice]

I said it last year too, but this season should be our best shot at winning it all. Continuity is important, and we're basically returning our entire rotation. Booker's starting to enter his prime, Bridges and Ayton are in contract years, and the Cams solidifying their roles. We might have won it all last year if we had JaVale backing up Ayton, and Shamet's shown in preseason that he can do more than just stand around and shoot. CP3 and Crowder aren't getting any younger. It should be a fun year.

[ATTL]

Its not enough for the suns to succeed, i want the Lakers to fail.

[RunDogGun]

Our shinny new toy led our team in turnovers, and missed both threes he took. It seems strange everyone seems super happy with that. I still don't understand why CamJ doesn't get more shots, while we have multiple chuckers unloading. It will be nice to have Booker back, just hope he doesn't chuck as well.

I still didn't like how the Lakers were allowed to make contact on every defensive play, including obvious fouls not called, and then even their scrubs got touch fouls called for them. It was naive to think the league would change it's favoring certain teams, even after we made the finals.

Besides the scrubs playing poorly, the team looked solid. I just hope we can get CamJ more shots and minutes, it would suck to waste his talent two years in a row. I liked how Jalen went after the boards. Hopefully his playing time increases if his play increases, but 9 boards in 21 minutes is nice to see. McGee played well.