2021 Playoff and Offseason Speculation - the playoffs. PLAYOFFS????

Post #3981 » by **lilfishi22** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 3:16 am

I want Saric to be playing well but what is it about him being totally unplayable to being somewhat playable (so far) in this series and going forward? What's different?

matt131 · Post #3982 » by **matt131** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 3:36 am

Clippers looking great without Kawhi or PG doing much. They are incredibly deep. Kenmard starting to play well, Boogie off the bench, rondo to control the bench unit. They've definitely started clicking.

MrMiyagi · Post #3983 » by **MrMiyagi** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 4:02 am

matt131 wrote:Clippers looking great without Kawhi or PG doing much. They are incredibly deep. Kenmard starting to play well, Boogie off the bench, rondo to control the bench unit. They've definitely started clicking.

And Utah is giving them hell without Conley...

matt131 · Post #3984 » by **matt131** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 4:05 am

MrMiyagi wrote:
matt131 wrote:Clippers looking great without Kawhi or PG doing much. They are incredibly deep. Kenmard starting to play well, Boogie off the bench, rondo to control the bench unit. They've definitely started clicking.
And Utah is giving them hell without Conley...

Yeah, that sure turned around quickly. Both teams are very good. I know we haven't beaten Denver yet, but if we do advance, I would still rather face the Jazz. It'll be tough to play against that Utah crowd for potentially 4 games. Favors looking really good off their bench as well.

MrMiyagi · Post #3985 » by **MrMiyagi** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 4:11 am

matt131 wrote:
MrMiyagi wrote:
matt131 wrote:Clippers looking great without Kawhi or PG doing much. They are incredibly deep. Kenmard starting to play well, Boogie off the bench, rondo to control the bench unit. They've definitely started clicking.
And Utah is giving them hell without Conley...

Yeah, that sure turned around quickly. Both teams are very good. I know we haven't beaten Denver yet, but if we do advance, I would still rather face the Jazz. It'll be tough to play against that Utah crowd for potentially 4 games. Favors looking really good off their bench as well.

I think I'd rather see LA. Greater chance of implosion IMO.

WeekapaugGroove · Post #3986 » by **WeekapaugGroove** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 4:19 am

lilfishi22 wrote:I want Saric to be playing well but what is it about him being totally unplayable to being somewhat playable (so far) in this series and going forward? What's different?

The Lakers athletic size wasn't a good for him. The rest of the way teams will be smaller and I'd imagine the suns might just go super small too with more Craig and Johnson.

To me he also doesn't look right physically. I don't know if it was the injury, covid, or just out of shape but he just isn't moving well out there. Hopefully he can play passable for the rest of the way and figure out his body this summer.

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DRK · Post #3987 » by **DRK** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 4:56 am

If Marcus Morris passed that back to Kawhi he was open to get another shot off. Instead he went for glory.
Love seeing Morris throwing up eggs. What a loser

RunDogGun · Post #3988 » by **RunDogGun** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 5:14 am

King4Day wrote:
RunDogGun wrote:
sunsbg wrote:
McGee is not doing better with 3mpg in two games during the playoffs. Jones is a genius, he knew Suns need someone like Craig in the finals vs Nets more than a stiff big.
But we could have had both, and we need a big who can defend and rebound, to get to the finals. It was Jones' biggest mistake in my opinion.

Jalen Smith says, "Hold my lemonade"

I still like the drafting of Smith. When he gets solid minutes, he does well. It sucked that he got Covid early on in the season, and I just don't think he was able to build some confidence after that.

RunDogGun · Post #3989 » by **RunDogGun** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 5:17 am

WeekapaugGroove wrote:
lilfishi22 wrote:I want Saric to be playing well but what is it about him being totally unplayable to being somewhat playable (so far) in this series and going forward? What's different?
The Lakers athletic size wasn't a good for him. The rest of the way teams will be smaller and I'd imagine the suns might just go super small too with more Craig and Johnson.

To me he also doesn't look right physically. I don't know if it was the injury, covid, or just out of shape but he just isn't moving well out there. Hopefully he can play passable for the rest of the way and figure out his body this summer.

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I agree, he just looks a step slower than the bubble. Shots are short, and he is lacking aggression. He does get fouled a lot, and doesn't get the calls, and that seems to frustrate him more.

RunDogGun · Post #3990 » by **RunDogGun** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 5:24 am

lilfishi22 wrote:I want Saric to be playing well but what is it about him being totally unplayable to being somewhat playable (so far) in this series and going forward? What's different?

Less minutes, so we didn't have him sucking for a long period of time? He took less shots in game 1 of this series, and made two of four. I don't think he played much better though.

RunDogGun · Post #3991 » by **RunDogGun** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 5:27 am

I don't care if Jokic won MVP, I am concerned the league will allow him to foul even more than he usually does, because he won.

AtheJ415 · Post #3992 » by **AtheJ415** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 6:19 am

As scary as Kawhi is we should be rooting for LAC at this point imo. Paul George is just inexcusably, unbelievably terrible. His defense is an unreal disaster and if he's not shooting well his offense is the same. He also will never stop shooting, so he'll cost them games himself.

Post #3993 » by **lilfishi22** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 6:41 am

AtheJ415 wrote:As scary as Kawhi is we should be rooting for LAC at this point imo. Paul George is just inexcusably, unbelievably terrible. His defense is an unreal disaster and if he's not shooting well his offense is the same. He also will never stop shooting, so he'll cost them games himself.

I still prefer Utah.

AtheJ415 · Post #3994 » by **AtheJ415** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 8:09 am

lilfishi22 wrote:
AtheJ415 wrote:As scary as Kawhi is we should be rooting for LAC at this point imo. Paul George is just inexcusably, unbelievably terrible. His defense is an unreal disaster and if he's not shooting well his offense is the same. He also will never stop shooting, so he'll cost them games himself.

I still prefer Utah.

If PG3 continues to play like this we should prefer any team he's on. Never has a star been this consistently terrible while chucking at this level since past prime Kobe.

Post #3995 » by **Qwigglez** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 9:53 am

I still prefer Utah as well. Paul George just kills us for whatever reason this season, maybe he's mad that Book made that shot in the bubble. Plus Rondo and Beverly will give CP3 nightmares, or perhaps even injure him.
I'd rather the Suns take their chances with the Jazz, where the Suns beat them twice this season when they were at full health, and another time when they basically didn't have anyone.

Mulhollanddrive · Post #3996 » by **Mulhollanddrive** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 10:14 am

Did we just become favourites in the West?

3-0 against Utah this season.

Post #3997 » by **Qwigglez** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 10:28 am

Mulhollanddrive wrote:Did we just become favourites in the West?

3-0 against Utah this season.

No, not yet. Media is still eating up Lakers, and then before this series started even heard many mention the Nuggets would take this because of the emergence of MPJ and the newly anointed MVP Jokic. I reckon the Suns have to be up 3-1 before the Suns start to get better coverage and become the favorites in the West. At which point, they'll talk about the CP3 effect more than anything and how the Suns were abysmal before he arrived, which is only about half true. I'd say the Suns with Rubio & Oubre would have still made the playoffs, maybe get to the 2nd round depending on the 1st round matchup, but probably not get very far.

But the 3-0 against the Jazz I mentioned about how one of those 3 games the Jazz didn't have Conley, Mitchell, or Gobert. 1st game against the Jazz was early in the season where the Jazz started 2-1 beating the Blazers, losing to the Wolves, and barely beating the Thunder by 1, then losing to the Suns by 11. I was told that the Jazz had a bad start to the season and just weren't clicking yet, since after the Suns they beat the Clippers and Spurs, but then proceeded to lose to the Nets and Knicks. After that the Jazz went 19-1 only losing to the Nuggets.
Anyway 2nd time facing the Jazz was on April 7th and Suns won by 4, 117-113. Jazz had a healthy roster here.

I feel confident going against the Jazz, but I just wouldn't say the Suns are the favorites just yet.

suns12345 · Post #3998 » by **suns12345** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 1:16 pm

Qwigglez wrote:I still prefer Utah as well. Paul George just kills us for whatever reason this season, maybe he's mad that Book made that shot in the bubble. Plus Rondo and Beverly will give CP3 nightmares, or perhaps even injure him.
I'd rather the Suns take their chances with the Jazz, where the Suns beat them twice this season when they were at full health, and another time when they basically didn't have anyone.

plus i like Utah way more so would more happily see them in the finals than the clips if we didnt make it.

WeekapaugGroove · Post #3999 » by **WeekapaugGroove** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 4:16 pm

suns12345 wrote:
Qwigglez wrote:I still prefer Utah as well. Paul George just kills us for whatever reason this season, maybe he's mad that Book made that shot in the bubble. Plus Rondo and Beverly will give CP3 nightmares, or perhaps even injure him.
I'd rather the Suns take their chances with the Jazz, where the Suns beat them twice this season when they were at full health, and another time when they basically didn't have anyone.

plus i like Utah way more so would more happily see them in the finals than the clips if we didnt make it.

Yeah when I was watching last night at first I had the stance that I really didn't care who wins this series because if the suns do advance I think they both would be tough opponents. And it's the conference finals so it's not like it should be easy.

Then the more I watched I realized I hate this clippers team and I just don't want to see a Morris bother do well so f them and go Jazz.

I don't think either matchup is particularly easier for the Suns. Both teams do a lot of things well and if they are hitting their 3s they win.

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sasquatchBob · Post #4000 » by **sasquatchBob** » Wed Jun 9, 2021 4:18 pm

AtheJ415 wrote:
ImNotMcDiSwear wrote:
bwgood77 wrote:
I doubt it. But funny you mention. I started to write a post about maybe trading Saric for him, possibly in a 3 way if he opted in. He seems like a guy that might need a new situation but would have to be a guard off the bench. He can handle and has been a decent shooter in the past.

I don't know why he hasn't played as well since Miami though. I thought of Payne though and how our 3 guard rotation is pretty solid so I don't know if we need him unless we were to see injury to one of our 3 guards, or if Payne left for whatever reason.

One thing I've learned about James Jones is that he doesn't take flyers on guys. He brings players in who want to be here, who buy in, who are ready to work in an assigned role and earn their minutes.

Which is all to say, players are either on our short list or they're not, and I don't feel I have any clue who would or wouldn't be on it.

I agree that Saric is the player who is most likely to be sent packing, as pretty much everyone else on the roster seems to be succeeding in their role. I could see us losing Craig or even Frank to a team willing to offer more money, but like most here I expect us to pay Cam Payne. Richardson could be a good add if we lose Craig.

I really hope CP3 doesn't try to break our bank and accepts something closer to $30 per year than to $40, but I'm not counting on it. I supported Sarver's low-cost approach during the tank with the expectation that he would spend big when the time came, but I didn't expect our roster to get so expensive so fast. It's going to be hard to put a supporting cast around these guys if doing so puts us in danger of paying the repeater tax. Then again I hear all the new age factories are being built in AZ, so who knows. Maybe Phoenix is a big enough market now to support that kind of investment. Those Valley jerseys are dope.

Richardson is a very good role player. And I don't see any way any team offers Frank anything more than the minimum so doubt that scenario is possible. He really shouldn't even play on our team, and I could argue he's the worst player in the NBA for 2 years in a row now. Could see Craig getting paid for a bigger role elsewhere though.

Frank is actually solid. Definitely not the worst in NBA. He's limited but he fits our system well. Good passer and crafty around the basket. I think even someone like Ayton can learn footwork from guys like Kaminsky and Saric. Both are not athletic at all but they have good footwork and are good passers. That being said I hope Suns sign someone better than Kaminsky

Will we extend Bridges or will Sarver not pay 4 players big money for 1 or 2 years?