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Robin Lopez...

He has regressed to the point where not only should he lost his starting job, but possibly not see any playing time at all. He has never rebounded well but this season has just been pathetic. On top of that he can't run the PnR effectively, plays weak defense, and just looks disinterested. I'm very upset about this as Lopez is key to this team doing well and has been a complete failure.

Hedo having a rough start is not a surprise. Give him some time to fit in and adapt to the new system. I'm not too worried about him other than Gentry playing him at the 4.

Speaking of Gentry...His rotations have been poorly managed thus far into the season. There is no doubt that Dragic has everything it takes to be a very good if not great player (just needs to develop a more consistent shot) yet he sees less time on the court then most bench players. Hedo is not a 4 and never will be so he needs to move to the three and either have Frye or Warrick at the 4 and lets get some playing time in for Lawal. He hasn't seen a second yet and he excels in our biggest weakness, interior defensive presence and rebounding.

The rotations can be fixed. Lopez on the other hand is a mystery and I'm starting to get worried about our long term status at that position. Now that I think about it...I have always been worried about the Suns center position but now more than ever.

LOL when the page was loading I was thinking of rebounding as their biggest problem and then Robin... HAHAHAHA and there you go I don't know but Robin is good when he's loose, remember his 30+ point game and also the break through dunk against OKC? Maaaan... good times with RoFro... but you are right.. Robin Lopez should man up! He need not to think about making mistakes on the floor, and just think he dominates!! hah easy to say. We definitely need some bigs who can play and rebound to help RoFro out. C'mon PHX beat Sac and then Beat LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!!!

solidrake13 wrote:LOL when the page was loading I was thinking of rebounding as their biggest problem and then Robin... HAHAHAHA and there you go I don't know but Robin is good when he's loose, remember his 30+ point game and also the break through dunk against OKC? Maaaan... good times with RoFro... but you are right.. Robin Lopez should man up! He need not to think about making mistakes on the floor, and just think he dominates!! hah easy to say. We definitely need some bigs who can play and rebound to help RoFro out. C'mon PHX beat Sac and then Beat LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!!!

The sad thing is you only mentioned one game and one break through dunk to defend him. Sadly that's not saying much.

Just_Win wrote:

solidrake13 wrote:LOL when the page was loading I was thinking of rebounding as their biggest problem and then Robin... HAHAHAHA and there you go I don't know but Robin is good when he's loose, remember his 30+ point game and also the break through dunk against OKC? Maaaan... good times with RoFro... but you are right.. Robin Lopez should man up! He need not to think about making mistakes on the floor, and just think he dominates!! hah easy to say. We definitely need some bigs who can play and rebound to help RoFro out. C'mon PHX beat Sac and then Beat LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!!!

The sad thing is you only mentioned one game and one break through dunk to defend him. Sadly that's not saying much.

Sadly you are correct.

According to Coro, there are no lingering effects from his back injury so it looks like the pressure to have a 'break-out season' might've gotten to him. Most likely a case of trying to do too much instead of just playing his game. Lopez also seems to have the misguided notion that he's a finesse center; getting too cute w/ post moves and laying everything off the glass. DUNK that ****!!!

Defensively, he's also regressed to trying to block every single shot at the expense of fouling.

Hopefully Lopez pulls it together cause it's sad that Frye is now considered our best 'big-man'.

Defensively he's certainly regressed. He's late on rotations, seems to overplay the ball handler on PnR situations too much and he just seems slow on the court. His defensive awareness just doesn't seem all there.

Offensively, as I mentioned before, Amare took a lot of pressure off Lopez and what we're seeing is guys not necessarily collapsing on our only inside "threat" but paying a lot more attention, defending him harder and boxing him out more often. The tip-in's he used to pick up a lot last season aren't really there either and I think that's because teams aren't so worried about another legit inside presence going for O boards anymore so they focus on keeping Lopez out of the paint in rebounding situations. It seems the only thing going for him right now is his mid-range jumper.

Yeah he's been very very very very very very ugly this year. Probably mostly stress of performing at an all-star level like everyone was talking about before the season started. He's not the kind of guy who's gonna step up in the spotlight, he needs someone else to absorb the attention

http://valleyofthesuns.com/2010/11/09/p ... f+the+Suns)&utm_content=ESPN

caused me physical pain

We need rebounds asap. Give lawal some minutes

Just one?

Rebounds are clearly the biggest problem right now. Nothing else, nor one specific player, is even close.

lilfishi22 wrote:Defensively he's certainly regressed. He's late on rotations, seems to overplay the ball handler on PnR situations too much and he just seems slow on the court. His defensive awareness just doesn't seem all there.

-- He really does look like he's scrambling when he shows on the PnR - like he barely gets out there to harass the man, then he's scuttling back. More like he's doing what he's been told to do, but to no real effect ....

Offensively, as I mentioned before, Amare took a lot of pressure off Lopez and what we're seeing is guys not necessarily collapsing on our only inside "threat" but paying a lot more attention, defending him harder and boxing him out more often. The tip-in's he used to pick up a lot last season aren't really there either and I think that's because teams aren't so worried about another legit inside presence going for O boards anymore so they focus on keeping Lopez out of the paint in rebounding situations. It seems the only thing going for him right now is his mid-range jumper.

That's a very good point - it's easy to forget that Amar'e also made a lot of other things happen, just by his presence, so it's not just his numbers that are missing now but his effect on the game around him.
I still think it was the right thing to let him go, though. I'm just not sold on how we spent the $$$

but I've said that before and will now retire the sentiment

I've been nagging about this guy for the past couple years, especially when people would say "oh with amar'e gone, he'll do great" and what not.
NO.
This guy has NO offensive skills whatsoever, and to top that, he's weak as a 7 footer and gets a blocked shot once in a while, after picking up 2 fouls and missing 5 easy rebounds.
WASTE OF A DRAFT PICK.
Trade Robin and Earl, PLEASE

sunsfan3 wrote:I've been nagging about this guy for the past couple years, especially when people would say "oh with amar'e gone, he'll do great" and what not.

I don't recall anyone ever saying that.

lilfishi22 wrote:

sunsfan3 wrote:I've been nagging about this guy for the past couple years, especially when people would say "oh with amar'e gone, he'll do great" and what not.

I don't recall anyone ever saying that.

Me neither.

Anyone notice how much better Nash is playing since he stopped trying to spoon feed Robin Lopez?

Top "problems" with the Suns, IMO:

1. Robin Lopez--Simply put, he isn't playing well
2. Power Forward spot---IMO, Warrick needs to be our PF
3. Jared Dudley isn't playing enough
4. Channing Frye is out of shape, however this will work itself out...

Robin Lopez isn't playing well at all but we saw what he could do last season as a starter. Our season changed once he moved into the starting lineup. He played really, really well for those 31 games, and helped out against the Lakers in the playoffs. Heck, we know he still has it, what with his 18/14 game against Odom/Gasol this season, but he's playing so, SO tentatively because of his back injury and it's really messing him up.

I don't think Frye is out of shape. Anyone else think that?

rsavaj wrote:Robin Lopez isn't playing well at all but we saw what he could do last season as a starter. Our season changed once he moved into the starting lineup. He played really, really well for those 31 games, and helped out against the Lakers in the playoffs. Heck, we know he still has it, what with his 18/14 game against Odom/Gasol this season, but he's playing so, SO tentatively because of his back injury and it's really messing him up.

I don't think Frye is out of shape. Anyone else think that?

Other than being out of shape, what would you attribute to a career 40% three point shooter coming into a new season and recording a paltry 23% from beyond the arc?

Look, I would never say that I have 'sources', because I think that stirs up way too much bad information on these boards, but I was told that Frye came to camp and pulled a Boris Diaw---If you recall, the only basketball break Channing Frye took last off-season was his honeymoon. He was deterimined to earn himself a geat year, and possibly a contract---Which he successfully did earn. He has a significantly different life now that he has a wife and child, and I believe that he came to camp out of shape.

Yes, we saw what Lopez could do last season as a starter, when Amar'e Stoudemire was his offensive power forward attracting all of the front court attention. Let's keep in mind, the Suns swept the Spurs with Lopez sitting on the bench---To me, that proved that while he played OK, Robin Lopez as a starter was not a key to the Suns success. In any event, its pretty easy to see that Lopez never really showed a great ability to rebound the basketball. Now that there's more pressure put on him to play well, its simply being exposed for what it is. We can see by Lopez's diminishing minutes that he's losing Gentry's trust, and rightfully so. He simply makes mistake after mistake after mistake when he's in the game.

Obviously his back could be an issue here as well, but I haven't heard anything about that. Anyone else have an update on that?

YFZblu wrote:

rsavaj wrote:Robin Lopez isn't playing well at all but we saw what he could do last season as a starter. Our season changed once he moved into the starting lineup. He played really, really well for those 31 games, and helped out against the Lakers in the playoffs. Heck, we know he still has it, what with his 18/14 game against Odom/Gasol this season, but he's playing so, SO tentatively because of his back injury and it's really messing him up.

I don't think Frye is out of shape. Anyone else think that?

Other than being out of shape, what would you attribute to a career 40% three point shooter coming into a new season and recording a paltry 23% from beyond the arc?

Look, I would never say that I have 'sources', because I think that stirs up way too much bad information on these boards, but I was told that Frye came to camp and pulled a Boris Diaw---If you recall, the only basketball break Channing Frye took last off-season was his honeymoon. He was deterimined to earn himself a geat year, and possibly a contract---Which he successfully did earn. He has a significantly different life now that he has a wife and child, and I believe that he came to camp out of shape.

Yes, we saw what Lopez could do last season as a starter, when Amar'e Stoudemire was his offensive power forward attracting all of the front court attention. Let's keep in mind, the Suns swept the Spurs with Lopez sitting on the bench---To me, that proved that while he played OK, Robin Lopez as a starter was not a key to the Suns success. In any event, its pretty easy to see that Lopez never really showed a great ability to rebound the basketball. Now that there's more pressure put on him to play well, its simply being exposed for what it is. We can see by Lopez's diminishing minutes that he's losing Gentry's trust, and rightfully so. He simply makes mistake after mistake after mistake when he's in the game.

Obviously his back could be an issue here as well, but I haven't heard anything about that. Anyone else have an update on that?

Seth Pollack on bright side was my source for Robin's back.

if you remember at the beginning of last season when Amare was coming back from injury, he played really, really weakly as well. Lopez has never been a great rebounder but check out the splits for our team before Lopez and after Lopez. He is the only chance we have this season at really contending.

Even if Frye's shot isn't falling, he's contributing more to this team than he did last season. His defense and rebounding has been MORE than solid, IMO. His looks are wide-open. We know that he's a streaky shooter(see last year's playoffs). Eventually, the law of averages will take over and he'll start hitting those wide-open shots. He really doesn't look out of shape to me.

rsavaj wrote:

YFZblu wrote:

rsavaj wrote:Robin Lopez isn't playing well at all but we saw what he could do last season as a starter. Our season changed once he moved into the starting lineup. He played really, really well for those 31 games, and helped out against the Lakers in the playoffs. Heck, we know he still has it, what with his 18/14 game against Odom/Gasol this season, but he's playing so, SO tentatively because of his back injury and it's really messing him up.

I don't think Frye is out of shape. Anyone else think that?

Other than being out of shape, what would you attribute to a career 40% three point shooter coming into a new season and recording a paltry 23% from beyond the arc?

Look, I would never say that I have 'sources', because I think that stirs up way too much bad information on these boards, but I was told that Frye came to camp and pulled a Boris Diaw---If you recall, the only basketball break Channing Frye took last off-season was his honeymoon. He was deterimined to earn himself a geat year, and possibly a contract---Which he successfully did earn. He has a significantly different life now that he has a wife and child, and I believe that he came to camp out of shape.

Yes, we saw what Lopez could do last season as a starter, when Amar'e Stoudemire was his offensive power forward attracting all of the front court attention. Let's keep in mind, the Suns swept the Spurs with Lopez sitting on the bench---To me, that proved that while he played OK, Robin Lopez as a starter was not a key to the Suns success. In any event, its pretty easy to see that Lopez never really showed a great ability to rebound the basketball. Now that there's more pressure put on him to play well, its simply being exposed for what it is. We can see by Lopez's diminishing minutes that he's losing Gentry's trust, and rightfully so. He simply makes mistake after mistake after mistake when he's in the game.

Obviously his back could be an issue here as well, but I haven't heard anything about that. Anyone else have an update on that?

Seth Pollack on bright side was my source for Robin's back.

if you remember at the beginning of last season when Amare was coming back from injury, he played really, really weakly as well. Lopez has never been a great rebounder but check out the splits for our team before Lopez and after Lopez. He is the only chance we have this season at really contending.

Even if Frye's shot isn't falling, he's contributing more to this team than he did last season. His defense and rebounding has been MORE than solid, IMO. His looks are wide-open. We know that he's a streaky shooter(see last year's playoffs). Eventually, the law of averages will take over and he'll start hitting those wide-open shots. He really doesn't look out of shape to me.

I agree, Frye has done a nice job of playing a more game this year, its really nice to see. I personally don't think his shooting is a streak shooting issue, but we can agree to disagree---I have no problem with that. Either way, I think we can both agree that within the next week or two he'll start figuring out the shooting...Weather it be a rhythm thing or a conditioning thing.

Anyway, if Lopez's back is truly the issue, IMO, he needs to play fewer minutes and receive fewer touches--Something that seems to be happening now. Next stop, quit playing Hedo at PF!