Utah? Denver? or Portland?

Jdiddy701 · Post #1 » by **Jdiddy701** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 5:46 am

What team will we catch up to?

I believe Portland is the best team between the 3. I am thinking Utah is the team we can manage to beat for the 8th seed. We play them 2 more times before the All-Star break so expect those games to be playoff basketball atmosphere. If we manage to get the 8th seed, I would love to play Spurs 1st round. I think the team we can beat in the playoffs is the Spurs. Our players better know, it's now or never!!!!

What you guys think?

impulsenine · Post #2 » by **impulsenine** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 5:53 am

Jdiddy701 wrote:What team will we catch up to?

I believe Portland is the best team between the 3. I am thinking Utah is the team we can manage to beat for the 8th seed. We play them 2 more times before the All-Star break so expect those games to be playoff basketball atmosphere. If we manage to get the 8th seed, I would love to play Spurs 1st round. I think the team we can beat in the playoffs is the Spurs. Our players better know, it's now or never!!!!

What you guys think?

Don't confuse this year's Spurs with last year's (or for that matter, this year's Suns with last year's).

I was going to say, "I'm afraid of the Spurs in the playoffs," but then I realized I could've typed pretty much any team and said it truthfully. I'm cautiously hopeful about this little uptick, but I've been a Suns fan waaaaaaaaay too long to be too hopeful.

In unrelated news, in the Phoenix Suns' media office, there's a little plastic figurine of Stephen Marbury with a to-scale plastic championship trophy taped to his hand.

Jdiddy701 · Post #3 » by **Jdiddy701** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 5:57 am

Well how bout this.. If we make the playoffs, what team would you want to play? I think we have the best chance vs the Spurs. Another team we can beat is New Orleans. Both those teams aren't as good as their records say they are. I don't think we have a chance vs the Thunder, Lakers, Portland, Dallas, and Nuggets.

DBrimstone · Post #4 » by **DBrimstone** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 6:42 am

Jdiddy701 wrote:Well how bout this.. If we make the playoffs, what team would you want to play? I think we have the best chance vs the Spurs. Another team we can beat is New Orleans. Both those teams aren't as good as their records say they are. I don't think we have a chance vs the Thunder, Lakers, Portland, Dallas, and Nuggets.

No chance we beat the Spurs the way they're playing. Too much depth in every facet of the game. Too talented, too disciplined, too well coached. New Orleans and Nuggets however I feel cautiously optimistic about. MAYBE Portland... But I don't just don't know at the moment. Ask again when we're either going into the playoffs or lottery bound

Post #5 » by **lilfishi22** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 7:33 am

Even if we do make playoffs I don't see us getting past the 1st round. So if we do make playoffs, I hope we play the Lakers or the Spurs and hopefully make some noise at least.

Herman4MVP · Post #6 » by **Herman4MVP** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 7:43 am

Jdiddy701 wrote:Well how bout this.. If we make the playoffs, what team would you want to play? I think we have the best chance vs the Spurs. Another team we can beat is New Orleans. Both those teams aren't as good as their records say they are. I don't think we have a chance vs the Thunder, Lakers, Portland, Dallas, and Nuggets.

Wow - I know we are showing some promise right now but seriously? The Spurs? The best team in the NBA right now with almost double the amount of wins - they would CRUSH us like a cracker over soup. "Aaah, thank you - that's delicious."

1st reason why - we beat them last year so they will be pumped up to beat us
2nd reason why - we swept them last year so they would love to kill us out there
3rd reason why - it's Gentry vs. Popovich - enough said
4th reason why - we are not the same team as last year (Goran, Robin, Amundson, Barbosa, Amare....)

It's nice to see some better basketball from the Suns right now but we should not even bother getting dressed if the 1st round matchup would be against the Spurs this year.

Right now the way some teams are playing I think this is the situation:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Memphis - beatable
Denver - with all the effed up Anthony soap opera going on - beatable
Portland - just wait for injury number 47 this year - beatable
Utah - they seem to really struggle this month - beatable

So, if we get lucky and keep on improving our chemistry - we might have the chance at the 7th seed after all. But chances are still pretty slim to be honest. Just avoid the Spurs and the Thunder, everyone else has shown some problems this year. Dallas, the Lakers and New Orleans all had their fair share of struggles so who knows.

gino_giode · Post #7 » by **gino_giode** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 11:37 am

WTF is going on with the Blazers? THEY KEEP WINNING *Charlie Brown "ARRRGGGGHHHH"

You would think Roy, Camby, Oden, and the slew of other injured guys would put a dent in their game. Anyways, Kudos to Nate for coaching his ass off and LA for being a beast.

Post #8 » by **lilfishi22** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 11:51 am

They are a mentally tough team. Very well disciplined despite being so young. JVG made a great comment during that Boston game about how POR lost their best player but went about their business and found ways to win. We are a better team than what our record says but we have to nut up, show some toughness and find ways to wins.

DRK · Post #9 » by **DRK** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 11:55 am

The Lakers are beatable. I actually would be happy if we met them in the first round. The Laker Train seem to be running out of gas. kobe is becoming his old self, and Pau Gasol has fallen off the face of the earth - stats wise.

If we do face up to San Antonio in the first round, there is only one way to beat them. Play fast paced-high octane offence, and run on the break at every oppotunity. If we play slow with them, they will slowly, but painfully murder us.

Post #10 » by **rsavaj** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 2:34 pm

We should turn this into an official stickied "playoff watch" thread methinks.

San An is actually playing faster than we are I think, so running would suit them. No Barbosa, no Lou, no Goran(he's pretty much nonexistent...), I don't like our chances.

Weirdly enough I think we can do much better against LA, but if they'll have homecourt, we'll have a very difficult time stealing a game there.

Of course, we have to make it first...

YFZblu · Post #11 » by **YFZblu** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 3:15 pm

Honestly guys, the Suns wouldn't do well against any of the top 5 in the West.

The Boston game was as close as it gets to a 'scheduled loss' for the Celtics, and the Hornets victory wasn't anything I'd write home about. I'll need to see more before I start saying we matchup well against any playoff team in the WC.

Post #12 » by **rsavaj** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 3:29 pm

YFZblu wrote:Honestly guys, the Suns wouldn't do well against any of the top 5 in the West.

The Boston game was as close as it gets to a 'scheduled loss' for the Celtics, and the Hornets victory wasn't anything I'd write home about. I'll need to see more before I start saying we matchup well against any playoff team in the WC.

Oh I agree. Right now we're a first and out in like 5 games, but if we keep improving, I think we can make a series out of it.

Post #13 » by **lilfishi22** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 4:20 pm

rsavaj wrote:
YFZblu wrote:Honestly guys, the Suns wouldn't do well against any of the top 5 in the West.

The Boston game was as close as it gets to a 'scheduled loss' for the Celtics, and the Hornets victory wasn't anything I'd write home about. I'll need to see more before I start saying we matchup well against any playoff team in the WC.

Oh I agree. Right now we're a first and out in like 5 games, but if we keep improving, I think we can make a series out of it.

+1 yep. I don't feel good about any of the top 5 but if I had a choice, I'd take Lakers or Spurs in the 1st round. I just think if we lose, then we lose like we would if we played any other team in the top 5. But if we win, then wow! Hahaha

JohnVancouver · Post #14 » by **JohnVancouver** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 9:45 pm

Da_Reel_Kboy wrote:The Lakers are beatable. I actually would be happy if we met them in the first round. The Laker Train seem to be running out of gas. kobe is becoming his old self, and Pau Gasol has fallen off the face of the earth - stats wise.

If we do face up to San Antonio in the first round, there is only one way to beat them. Play fast paced-high octane offence, and run on the break at every oppotunity. If we play slow with them, they will slowly, but painfully murder us.

Now Ol' CRazy Pills is saying he wants to be traded - at least, that's the headline I saw. Haven't had time to read the story yet

JohnVancouver · Post #15 » by **JohnVancouver** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 9:46 pm

Da_Reel_Kboy wrote:The Lakers are beatable. I actually would be happy if we met them in the first round. The Laker Train seem to be running out of gas. kobe is becoming his old self, and Pau Gasol has fallen off the face of the earth - stats wise.

If we do face up to San Antonio in the first round, there is only one way to beat them. Play fast paced-high octane offence, and run on the break at every oppotunity. If we play slow with them, they will slowly, but painfully murder us.

The Spurs are running like we used to this year - well, not exactly like we used to (no-one will ever match the Suns pre-Shaq)

it would be interesting

MrMiyagi · Post #16 » by **MrMiyagi** » Wed Feb 2, 2011 11:05 pm

I'd personally want the Lakers or Spurs. Not really in terms of match-ups, but I'm thinking with a go big or go home mentality. If we win then we give the middle finger to one of our rivals and send them home. I'm not expecting much in terms of the playoffs this year unless we make another trade that really makes us that much better, so if we lose, yeah it sucks it was to one of them again, but it's not like we had that much of a chance at the title anyways.

JohnVancouver · Post #17 » by **JohnVancouver** » Thu Feb 3, 2011 2:29 am

MrMiyagi wrote:.....I'm not expecting much in terms of the playoffs this year unless we make another trade that really makes us that much better, so if we lose, yeah it sucks it was to one of them again, but it's not like we had that much of a chance at the title anyways.

I'll settle for ruining LA's year. I dont; hate the Spurs anymore - better them than KG, I say. I'd be happy to see ORL win it

DRK · Post #18 » by **DRK** » Thu Feb 3, 2011 11:53 am

JohnVancouver wrote:
Da_Reel_Kboy wrote:The Lakers are beatable. I actually would be happy if we met them in the first round. The Laker Train seem to be running out of gas. kobe is becoming his old self, and Pau Gasol has fallen off the face of the earth - stats wise.

If we do face up to San Antonio in the first round, there is only one way to beat them. Play fast paced-high octane offence, and run on the break at every oppotunity. If we play slow with them, they will slowly, but painfully murder us.

The Spurs are running like we used to this year - well, not exactly like we used to (no-one will ever match the Suns pre-Shaq)

it would be interesting

They're running more, and jacking up threes. I'm pretty confident that we'll beat them at our own game.

Calvin Klein · Post #19 » by **Calvin Klein** » Thu Feb 3, 2011 12:05 pm

As long as they're healthy, I don't think we have much of a chance.

Last year we had Amare, the whole team was rolling, had awesome chemistry, the bench was one of the best in the league. The Spurs weren't 100% healthy. Both Manu and Paker were coming off recent injuries / playing injured.

nanoclarkology · Post #20 » by **nanoclarkology** » Sat Feb 5, 2011 1:12 am

I was looking at best case, possible case and no case scenarios. Right now if we win every game (thus the best case scenario) up until the All Star Break then we will be at 30-24. We will go into the ASB on a 10 game winning streak. Yes, big ifs blah blah it is the best case scenario going into the ASB.

Now at the same time last year 53 games in we were 31-22. Thus 54 games in and being at 30-24 isn't that bad right? Well that is my opinion.

On a more probably scenario we can be 28-26. Losing to Dallas and OKC tonight. I think these are both still winnable games. The other games should ( if I remember correctly) be winnable games.

With a 28-26 record into the ASB and the way I looked at the after ASB games. If we take care of business against the fodders of the league that will give us 15 wins.

The question I then pose is " Is a 43-39 record good enough for the Western Conference 8th seed?