Game 68: Phoenix Suns (37-30) @ Golden State Warriors (35-33) l Monday l 7:00pm l ESPN

[sunsbum]

Where KD fits here with Book and CP.

I mean CP will get his and fall back. Where is Ayton and Book in all this?

Monty has an issues with these guys already.

Prove me wrong.

Ever notice when Ayton scores a lot we lose?

[KLEON]

Kind of wish we had Ty Jerome now on our team as a 2/3rd string point guard right about now.

or Jevon Carter, who isn't really good at running a team either but he can hit open shots and stay in front of people

Or Melton

[Frank Lee]

D’Antoni wouldnt play half these guys. Has Moronty EVER used a time out just to give guys a blow????

3:20 left in the third, down 4, and antiCoach subs in Payne and Biyombo. Down by 12 to finish the thirdQ. Ballgame ….Jeezus.

[KLEON]

This aint 2014 no more. So Curry hates Cp and Klay hates Book. I hope they meet in the playoffs

[collidingNeurons]

here's a contrast in us and other good teams, Memphis is down their best player, their starting center and best bench player and yet are still playing more than competitively, purely on effort and having competent back ups, I'd trade our entire bench for their backup point guard... I just don't see how you cobble together and 8 or 9 man rotation out of the dregs of our bench. I find it hilarious we are hoping Shamet comes in to help. And yes I am feeling really negative, primarily because I don't like this team as much as I did before the trade even if we weren't good enough to win then, hated that trade at the time and hate it far more now and that will likely only increase with time

[RedIndian]

We traded 3 starting calibre players for KD, so it's not surprising we look bad without KD. The problem with the midseason trade is also that we haven't been able to fill the holes in the roster.

Shooting is a serious problem - can't rely on Okogie, Craig and Wainwright as your off-ball wing shooters.

Lee, Shamet and Ross are all decent shooters, but overlap positionally - so you can really play only one of those guys.

KD will plug all of these holes and more, but for as long as he's out, we'll have some issues offensively.

It's a credit to Monty's system that we continue to be a competitive team with basically just CP3, Book and Ayton as starting calibre players. The rest are all frankly 8-15 guys.

[grumpysaddle]

here's a contrast in us and other good teams, Memphis is down their best player, their starting center and best bench player and yet are still playing more than competitively, purely on effort and having competent back ups, I'd trade our entire bench for their backup point guard... I just don't see how you cobble together and 8 or 9 man rotation out of the dregs of our bench. I find it hilarious we are hoping Shamet comes in to help. And yes I am feeling really negative, primarily because I don't like this team as much as I did before the trade even if we weren't good enough to win then, hated that trade at the time and hate it far more now and that will likely only increase with time

Memphis lost like... 6 or 7 games straight recently. They've, overall, been far healthier than the Suns have all season until recently. Every team has had their struggles this season for the most part. A healthy Suns post-trade is a team no one in the league will want to play in the playoffs. Durant could probably play if the situation was that dire, but it's better to be cautious.

[collidingNeurons]

here's a contrast in us and other good teams, Memphis is down their best player, their starting center and best bench player and yet are still playing more than competitively, purely on effort and having competent back ups, I'd trade our entire bench for their backup point guard... I just don't see how you cobble together and 8 or 9 man rotation out of the dregs of our bench. I find it hilarious we are hoping Shamet comes in to help. And yes I am feeling really negative, primarily because I don't like this team as much as I did before the trade even if we weren't good enough to win then, hated that trade at the time and hate it far more now and that will likely only increase with time

Memphis lost like... 6 or 7 games straight recently. They've, overall, been far healthier than the Suns have all season until recently. Every team has had their struggles this season for the most part. A healthy Suns post-trade is a team no one in the league will want to play in the playoffs. Durant could probably play if the situation was that dire, but it's better to be cautious.

you're right and maybe KD fixes everything, but i have serious doubts. I know starting 5 is good for the Suns, but there's no guarantee we get them very often, KD Kyrie and Harden played a total of 16 games together. We have to have players that can step in when needed and we simply don't atm.

[MrMiyagi]

BUT WE HAVE KD!!!!!!!!!! IT'S WHAT WE ALL WANTED!!!!!! ISHBIA KNOWS ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

[grumpysaddle]

here's a contrast in us and other good teams, Memphis is down their best player, their starting center and best bench player and yet are still playing more than competitively, purely on effort and having competent back ups, I'd trade our entire bench for their backup point guard... I just don't see how you cobble together and 8 or 9 man rotation out of the dregs of our bench. I find it hilarious we are hoping Shamet comes in to help. And yes I am feeling really negative, primarily because I don't like this team as much as I did before the trade even if we weren't good enough to win then, hated that trade at the time and hate it far more now and that will likely only increase with time

Memphis lost like... 6 or 7 games straight recently. They've, overall, been far healthier than the Suns have all season until recently. Every team has had their struggles this season for the most part. A healthy Suns post-trade is a team no one in the league will want to play in the playoffs. Durant could probably play if the situation was that dire, but it's better to be cautious.

you're right and maybe KD fixes everything, but i have serious doubts. I know starting 5 is good for the Suns, but there's no guarantee we get them very often, KD Kyrie and Harden played a total of 16 games together. We have to have players that can step in when needed and we simply don't atm.

I think we are honestly just being overly cautious with anything injury-wise. Suns went all out last season during the regular season and it got them nowhere. The cool thing is that we have Durant locked up for 3 seasons after this one, so we can patch holes in the offseason. If he continues to be injured 90% of the time for the rest of his career, it's obviously a bad trade in retrospect, but i think he'll be okay, they're just making sure he'll be available for the playoffs because this season has been cursed in the injury aspect. I'm just pooped out on the doom and gloom after a decade plus of it. Tired of being negative, so I'm trying out a positivity thing.

[Frank Lee]

GState is a well coached team. We are not.

[Revived]

Can't beat a team shooting over 50% from the 3 on almost 40 attempts while we are too scared to shoot more than 20 attempts. I don't care if we're shooting 20%, we don't improve on that if we don't shoot.

It’s not difficult to hit 50% on wide open looks for most professional basketball players. And defensively we’re seeing the effect of losing DPOY runner-up.

[collidingNeurons]

Memphis lost like... 6 or 7 games straight recently. They've, overall, been far healthier than the Suns have all season until recently. Every team has had their struggles this season for the most part. A healthy Suns post-trade is a team no one in the league will want to play in the playoffs. Durant could probably play if the situation was that dire, but it's better to be cautious.

you're right and maybe KD fixes everything, but i have serious doubts. I know starting 5 is good for the Suns, but there's no guarantee we get them very often, KD Kyrie and Harden played a total of 16 games together. We have to have players that can step in when needed and we simply don't atm.

I think we are honestly just being overly cautious with anything injury-wise. Suns went all out last season during the regular season and it got them nowhere. The cool thing is that we have Durant locked up for 3 seasons after this one, so we can patch holes in the offseason. If he continues to be injured 90% of the time for the rest of his career, it's obviously a bad trade in retrospect, but i think he'll be okay, they're just making sure he'll be available for the playoffs because this season has been cursed in the injury aspect. I'm just pooped out on the doom and gloom after a decade plus of it. Tired of being negative, so I'm trying out a positivity thing.

I get that and after seeing KD play for those 3 games I was beginning to feel better about it all, but then after watching these last two games where we just lost due to effort and IQ i am not feeling it again especially knowing this team is completely capped out and very injury prone and aging at some very major pieces and we will be trying to find cheap cast offs and marginal players to fill those roles again next year without a major trade.. trust me i get the tired of being doom and gloom. I've been a Suns fan for a very long time as well but i am just not seeing hope atm

[Frank Lee]

Come on Grump… we are sentenced to minimum deals and a 7 mill man to patch holes. We’ll likely lose Okogie.

This is the reality for the next 3 years. We will be battling age and injury with marginal talent. We have no prospects. 0 and really inly Ayton as a tradable piece anyone would be interested in

[grumpysaddle]

you're right and maybe KD fixes everything, but i have serious doubts. I know starting 5 is good for the Suns, but there's no guarantee we get them very often, KD Kyrie and Harden played a total of 16 games together. We have to have players that can step in when needed and we simply don't atm.

I think we are honestly just being overly cautious with anything injury-wise. Suns went all out last season during the regular season and it got them nowhere. The cool thing is that we have Durant locked up for 3 seasons after this one, so we can patch holes in the offseason. If he continues to be injured 90% of the time for the rest of his career, it's obviously a bad trade in retrospect, but i think he'll be okay, they're just making sure he'll be available for the playoffs because this season has been cursed in the injury aspect. I'm just pooped out on the doom and gloom after a decade plus of it. Tired of being negative, so I'm trying out a positivity thing.

I get that and after seeing KD play for those 3 games I was beginning to feel better about it all, but then after watching these last two games where we just lost due to effort and IQ i am not feeling it again especially knowing this team is completely capped out and very injury prone and aging at some very major pieces and we will be trying to find cheap cast offs and marginal players to fill those roles again next year without a major trade.. trust me i get the tired of being doom and gloom. I've been a Suns fan for a very long time as well but i am just not seeing hope atm

KD is the hope. A healthy KD fixes almost everything. Suns lost tonight because they played at GS, to a healthy GS team who is more talented with the available roster. Inserting KD kind of nullifies that and swings the overall talent edge to the Suns. Basically, it's all hinged on Booker and KD being healthy, but if so, you've got a much better chance at a title than they had prior to the trade. KD expires the same season, I believe, that Bridges is a FA. I could see Bridges coming back to team back up with Book at the peak of their primes.

[grumpysaddle]

Come on Grump… we are sentenced to minimum deals and a 7 mill man to patch holes. We’ll likely lose Okogie.

This is the reality for the next 3 years. We will be battling age and injury with marginal talent. We have no prospects. 0 and really inly Ayton as a tradable piece anyone would be interested in

I'm not being baited into negativity. Nope!

[Revived]

Memphis lost like... 6 or 7 games straight recently. They've, overall, been far healthier than the Suns have all season until recently. Every team has had their struggles this season for the most part. A healthy Suns post-trade is a team no one in the league will want to play in the playoffs. Durant could probably play if the situation was that dire, but it's better to be cautious.

you're right and maybe KD fixes everything, but i have serious doubts. I know starting 5 is good for the Suns, but there's no guarantee we get them very often, KD Kyrie and Harden played a total of 16 games together. We have to have players that can step in when needed and we simply don't atm.

I think we are honestly just being overly cautious with anything injury-wise. Suns went all out last season during the regular season and it got them nowhere. The cool thing is that we have Durant locked up for 3 seasons after this one, so we can patch holes in the offseason. If he continues to be injured 90% of the time for the rest of his career, it's obviously a bad trade in retrospect, but i think he'll be okay, they're just making sure he'll be available for the playoffs because this season has been cursed in the injury aspect. I'm just pooped out on the doom and gloom after a decade plus of it. Tired of being negative, so I'm trying out a positivity thing.

The team has to give more to the fans to be positive about. Sure James Jones did damage control and said KD could play if it was playoffs and maybe he could…but how effective would he even be?

Sure we can assume a player that’s missed a ton of games the last 4 seasons and is turning 35 later this year will be okay going forward and stay pretty durable. But logic, facts and data, not “doom and gloomy, doesn’t indicate that.

We’re gonna be relying on Booker, Ayton and 36 yr old CP3 to carry us while KD’s on this “precautious” injury rehab. I honestly feel it’s just a matter of time before Booker, Ayton or CP3 get injured as well with having to do so much and the heavier load.

[lilfishi22]

Can't beat a team shooting over 50% from the 3 on almost 40 attempts while we are too scared to shoot more than 20 attempts. I don't care if we're shooting 20%, we don't improve on that if we don't shoot.

some times teams are gonna shoot lights out no matter what you do but tonight there was very little effort closing out or rotating, as bad as our so called role players played this was on their defense and coaching, and we just make so many stupid and careless mistakes, KD won't fix that

KD fixes a hell of a lot of issues.

This factor is consistently underrated. It's more than the 25-35pts you might expect on a nightly basis.

- It's guys going back to their normal roles and not having to do more than that can
- It's guys being able to focus their energy on defense because they aren't asked to pick up the scoring slack.
- It's being able to play different bench line ups with a Book/KD instead of DLee and Ross together for example
- It's his ability to cover rotations on the defensive end which makes our overall defense better
- It's securing rebounds after DA has left his post to help
- It's the decreased defensive attention, Book, DA, CP3 and other guys has to deal with when KD is out there
- It's having a guy outside of Book who can get you a good percentage bucket when you need it.

It goes on

[collidingNeurons]

you're right and maybe KD fixes everything, but i have serious doubts. I know starting 5 is good for the Suns, but there's no guarantee we get them very often, KD Kyrie and Harden played a total of 16 games together. We have to have players that can step in when needed and we simply don't atm.

I think we are honestly just being overly cautious with anything injury-wise. Suns went all out last season during the regular season and it got them nowhere. The cool thing is that we have Durant locked up for 3 seasons after this one, so we can patch holes in the offseason. If he continues to be injured 90% of the time for the rest of his career, it's obviously a bad trade in retrospect, but i think he'll be okay, they're just making sure he'll be available for the playoffs because this season has been cursed in the injury aspect. I'm just pooped out on the doom and gloom after a decade plus of it. Tired of being negative, so I'm trying out a positivity thing.

The team has to give more to the fans to be positive about. Sure James Jones did damage control and said KD could play if it was playoffs and maybe he could…but how effective would he even be?

Sure we can assume a player that’s missed a ton of games the last 4 seasons and is turning 35 later this year will be okay going forward and stay pretty durable. But logic, facts and data, not “doom and gloomy, doesn’t indicate that.

We’re gonna be relying on Booker, Ayton and 36 yr old CP3 to carry us while KD’s on this “precautious” injury rehab. I honestly feel it’s just a matter of time before Booker, Ayton or CP3 get injured as well with having to do so much and the heavier load.

it's inevitable that star players get hurt and when you are older with a history of injuries it's going to be more frequent and take longer for recovery as time goes on, good teams with some semblance of competent depth can over come those periods, the same way the suns could the last couple years, now without any of the main 4 this team is going to struggle and i think it will likely be that way till this era ends

[Revived]

If they showed half the effort in the second half as they did in the first, then maybe this game swings in the Suns favor.