Game 31: Charlotte Hornets (14-16) @ Phoenix Suns (20-10) l Wednesday l 7:00pm l FSNAZ

[Barkley6]

U really trying to dodge teams like some scared people!!!!! Face whoever you get, and win. Thats what contenders do!

Bunch of cowards afraid to face a real team lol

The only teams that really scare me are the Lakers and Utah.

Utah because I feel like we don't match up very well with them and the Lakers only because I know the refs will do everything in their power to make sure LeBron wins.

The last thing the league wants is a Phoenix-Milwaukee Finals, while both LA teams and Brooklyn are at home.

[TouchPassDario]

Why not now bro?

I just dont see is being good enough to compete and beat Jazz, Clippers or Lakers in a 7 game series. Besides CP3, Crowder, & Saric our team has very little experience in the playoffs. Not many teams miss playoffs for multiple years then add a few pieces and become contenders. I hope that I am wrong but I just dont see us in same conversation as those three teams above us.

7 game series come down to coaching. When you look back to the Nash era, every series we lost....we were the more talented team. We lost because we got outcoached. All your weaknesses and tendencies get exposed, teams take away what you want to do, and you've gotta do the same to them. I dont know how Monty will be in the playoffs, it seems like he gets things right eventually but it takes him a long time to get there. Can't do that in a seven game series.

I would say we lost those series because we were exploitable. Nash and Amare could be targeted because they were so bad at defense. I don’t think we have the same problem with this squad.

[TouchPassDario]

Bunch of cowards afraid to face a real team lol

The only teams that really scare me are the Lakers and Utah.

Utah because I feel like we don't match up very well with them and the Lakers only because I know the refs will do everything in their power to make sure LeBron wins.

The last thing the league wants is a Phoenix-Milwaukee Finals, while both LA teams and Brooklyn are at home.

Phoenix-Brooklyn would be a good Finals for the NBA. Not Lakers-Brooklyn, but better than Jazz-Brooklyn. Maybe better than Clippers-Brooklyn.

[Barkley6]

I just dont see is being good enough to compete and beat Jazz, Clippers or Lakers in a 7 game series. Besides CP3, Crowder, & Saric our team has very little experience in the playoffs. Not many teams miss playoffs for multiple years then add a few pieces and become contenders. I hope that I am wrong but I just dont see us in same conversation as those three teams above us.

7 game series come down to coaching. When you look back to the Nash era, every series we lost....we were the more talented team. We lost because we got outcoached. All your weaknesses and tendencies get exposed, teams take away what you want to do, and you've gotta do the same to them. I dont know how Monty will be in the playoffs, it seems like he gets things right eventually but it takes him a long time to get there. Can't do that in a seven game series.

I would say we lost those series because we were exploitable. Nash and Amare could be targeted because they were so bad at defense. I don’t think we have the same problem with this squad.

I dont think that tracks. Think about the Spurs series we played when we'd have Nash guard Bowen and Bell guard Parker. Obviously Duncan v Amare wasn't good for us on the defensive end, but Kurt Thomas played decent D on Timmy, but Amare always lit Duncan up on the other end.

[TouchPassDario]

Nash got put in PnR endlessly. Couldn’t just hide him.

Amare was never a bad 1v1 defender. He was AWFUL in space.

[bwgood77]

thanks for the laugh. Lol

We are not there yet, maybe in a year or two though.

Why not now bro?

I just dont see is being good enough to compete and beat Jazz, Clippers or Lakers in a 7 game series. Besides CP3, Crowder, & Saric our team has very little experience in the playoffs. Not many teams miss playoffs for multiple years then add a few pieces and become contenders. I hope that I am wrong but I just dont see us in same conversation as those three teams above us.

I think we can beat the Jazz. They are GREAT defensively and GREAT at shooting, so the matchup is interesting with two similar teams.

I do worry about them having more experience and blowing the 3-1 lead last year so being more determined.

BUT, even though Conley has been in the playoffs, CP3 has been there more than anyone on both teams. Then Crowder was in the finals last year.

We have a guy to match up with Gobert, and he took that matchup seriously last time, and was physical with him pushing him out of the paint. We can put Bridges on Mitchell. We can put Crowder on Bojan or Ingles....whoever is hotter. I think we can match them physically.

Where we really kill them is our depth.

I really think we could beat the Lakers too if not for LeBron just being in the playoffs and finals every year and having the will to win.

I do not think we can beat the Clips. Kawhi will be on a mission. They match up in depth. They have two of the best wing defenders in the NBA.

I think the Clips CAN beat the Lakers because Kawhi is just as much as a killer as LeBron and has already beat him in the finals once and won the finals another time...he will not be intimidated.

If not the Suns, I will pull for the Clips in the finals...they have never won. I'd rather see Denver there (if not the Suns) but they can't beat the Lakers or probably Jazz this year anyway.

I'd love to see Indy in the east and would pull for them against the Clips. Giannis kind of deserves to make the finals and the Bucks haven't won in forever (if they ever did but maybe did with Alcindor).....and wouldn't mind seeing Toronto again either.

I'd love to meet Utah in the 2nd round though and have the LA teams meet too. The Clips would be a fun series and LA would be one more playoff matchup after so many and losing to them in our last meeting also in the WCF.

[TouchPassDario]

Clippers are a better playoff team than Lakers and Utah.

Getting rid of Trez (who got ABUSED in the playoffs), and replacing him with Ibaka was a huge win.

Would love to see Lakers or Jazz take out Clippers. Opens up path for Suns to get to Finals and face Nets.

[Barkley6]

Why not now bro?

I just dont see is being good enough to compete and beat Jazz, Clippers or Lakers in a 7 game series. Besides CP3, Crowder, & Saric our team has very little experience in the playoffs. Not many teams miss playoffs for multiple years then add a few pieces and become contenders. I hope that I am wrong but I just dont see us in same conversation as those three teams above us.

I think we can beat the Jazz. They are GREAT defensively and GREAT at shooting, so the matchup is interesting with two similar teams.

I do worry about them having more experience and blowing the 3-1 lead last year so being more determined.

BUT, even though Conley has been in the playoffs, CP3 has been there more than anyone on both teams. Then Crowder was in the finals last year.

We have a guy to match up with Gobert, and he took that matchup seriously last time, and was physical with him pushing him out of the paint. We can put Bridges on Mitchell. We can put Crowder on Bojan or Ingles....whoever is hotter. I think we can match them physically.

Where we really kill them is our depth.

I really think we could beat the Lakers too if not for LeBron just being in the playoffs and finals every year and having the will to win.

I do not think we can beat the Clips. Kawhi will be on a mission. They match up in depth. They have two of the best wing defenders in the NBA.

I think the Clips CAN beat the Lakers because Kawhi is just as much as a killer as LeBron and has already beat him in the finals once and won the finals another time...he will not be intimidated.

If not the Suns, I will pull for the Clips in the finals...they have never won. I'd rather see Denver there (if not the Suns) but they can't beat the Lakers or probably Jazz this year anyway.

I'd love to see Indy in the east and would pull for them against the Clips. Giannis kind of deserves to make the finals and the Bucks haven't won in forever (if they ever did but maybe did with Alcindor).....and wouldn't mind seeing Toronto again either.

I'd love to meet Utah in the 2nd round though and have the LA teams meet too. The Clips would be a fun series and LA would be one more playoff matchup after so many and losing to them in our last meeting also in the WCF.

If the LA teams meet before the WCF, I like our chances to be their opposition.

It would be kind of an interesting turnaround from a narrative standpoint if a year after Gobert mocked COVID and was likely the reason the league shut down....the Jazz ended up in the Finals.

[Barkley6]

Can you tell how starved we are for playoff basketball? 3 pages in the Charlotte game thread and maybe 2 posts about the Hornets or the game. LOL

[TouchPassDario]

We are ten point favorites. Not much to say at this point.

I think we put Mikal on Melo. We should. He’s the head of the snake. Let CP mark Rozier. Hayward is hurting, so Book can handle him.

[TouchPassDario]

One interesting note. Charlotte opponents are taking 41 threes per game (2nd most itl).

Bombs away.

[spanishninja]

One interesting note. Charlotte opponents are taking 41 threes per game (2nd most itl).

Bombs away.

as long as it's the right way. can't just jack up shots like against Detroit first game

[JohnWall2]

Missed the last two games so looking forward to this one. Be interesting to have a good look at Ball as well.

[TouchPassDario]

One interesting note. Charlotte opponents are taking 41 threes per game (2nd most itl).

Bombs away.

as long as it's the right way. can't just jack up shots like against Detroit first game

We were okay from 3 against Detroit (17/52 or a shade under 33%). We lost that game because of the 21 turnovers. Three point shooting volume is usually inversely related to turnover rate, so we were ESPECIALLY bad at ball-handling that game in which we lost in OT.

[spanishninja]

One interesting note. Charlotte opponents are taking 41 threes per game (2nd most itl).

Bombs away.

as long as it's the right way. can't just jack up shots like against Detroit first game

We were okay from 3 against Detroit (17/52 or a shade under 33%). We lost that game because of the 21 turnovers. Three point shooting volume is usually inversely related to turnover rate, so we were ESPECIALLY bad at ball-handling that game in which we lost in OT.

I'm not talking about the entire game. I'm talking about the second half specifically. they noticed that the 3 was no longer dropping and they kept shooting it anyway.

[Qwigglez]

Why not now bro?

I just dont see is being good enough to compete and beat Jazz, Clippers or Lakers in a 7 game series. Besides CP3, Crowder, & Saric our team has very little experience in the playoffs. Not many teams miss playoffs for multiple years then add a few pieces and become contenders. I hope that I am wrong but I just dont see us in same conversation as those three teams above us.

I think we can beat the Jazz. They are GREAT defensively and GREAT at shooting, so the matchup is interesting with two similar teams.

I do worry about them having more experience and blowing the 3-1 lead last year so being more determined.

BUT, even though Conley has been in the playoffs, CP3 has been there more than anyone on both teams. Then Crowder was in the finals last year.

We have a guy to match up with Gobert, and he took that matchup seriously last time, and was physical with him pushing him out of the paint. We can put Bridges on Mitchell. We can put Crowder on Bojan or Ingles....whoever is hotter. I think we can match them physically.

Where we really kill them is our depth.

I really think we could beat the Lakers too if not for LeBron just being in the playoffs and finals every year and having the will to win.

I do not think we can beat the Clips. Kawhi will be on a mission. They match up in depth. They have two of the best wing defenders in the NBA.

I think the Clips CAN beat the Lakers because Kawhi is just as much as a killer as LeBron and has already beat him in the finals once and won the finals another time...he will not be intimidated.

If not the Suns, I will pull for the Clips in the finals...they have never won. I'd rather see Denver there (if not the Suns) but they can't beat the Lakers or probably Jazz this year anyway.

I'd love to see Indy in the east and would pull for them against the Clips. Giannis kind of deserves to make the finals and the Bucks haven't won in forever (if they ever did but maybe did with Alcindor).....and wouldn't mind seeing Toronto again either.

I'd love to meet Utah in the 2nd round though and have the LA teams meet too. The Clips would be a fun series and LA would be one more playoff matchup after so many and losing to them in our last meeting also in the WCF.

Wow. Do I detect a little bit of homerism from Bdub? I agree with your assessment, though I think the Clippers series could come down to a game or two of who's hot and who's not. We barely lost to the Clippers earlier this year and it was mostly because PG was hitting insanely tough shots, I doubt he can replicate that kind of performance over a 7 game series.

Also to SunsRBack4Goodness when I saw your response earlier first thing I thought of was the Nets when they traded for Jason Kidd over 20 years ago. Jason Kidd was 28 and their roster consisted of rookie Richard Jefferson, Kerry Kittles with 4 years in the league, Kenyon Martin who was in his second season, Keith Van Horn had 4 years in the league, and Todd MacCulloch who had 2 years of experience. They made it all the way to the Finals. It shows the difference of what a point god can do for your team. I posted a video in the CP3 thread where it highlights how much CP3 knows about the game, calling out plays on defense, always talking, etc.

[ducler]

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[SunsRback4Good]

If you were told that Suns would have a better record over the Lakers after 30+ games would you believe it? It actually may happen today.

[Qwigglez]

Great Book makes all-star team. Here comes an underwhelming 16 point performance from him. Still a Suns win 118-96.

[spanishninja]

Great Book makes all-star team. Here comes an underwhelming 16 point performance from him. Still a Suns win 118-96.

I still want him to kill the Hornets, just to make a statement.