What happened to Phoenix Suns Basketball?

Puff · Post #1 » by **Puff** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 1:01 am

We used to be run, gun and fun. Everyone had fun and played hard. Yeah, we never won a championship but I surely do not see a future championship in sight with the type of basketball we have been playing since the firing of Alvin Gentry.

I would like a championship, like everyone else, but I doubt that is happening anytime soon. In the meantime I want to be entertained and not be cursing our players for the poor play and effort. I used to curse the other team and the refs. At this point we are so bad it is not worth the effort.

Please bring back fun and gun Suns Basketball, soon.

SunsRback4Good · Post #2 » by **SunsRback4Good** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 1:15 am

I hope you realize that run and gun doesn't win championships, well for the Suns it never did. I would rather see a defensive minded team for once in my life so maybe just maybe we could finally win a championship but we never put that product on the court.

Calvin Klein · Post #3 » by **Calvin Klein** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 1:57 am

Have you watched anything from last season or even parts of this one? Hornacek is all about running.

Puff · Post #4 » by **Puff** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 3:17 am

Calvin Klein wrote:Have you watched anything from last season or even parts of this one? Hornacek is all about running.

Your buddy Hornacek does not have a clue.

Calvin Klein · Post #5 » by **Calvin Klein** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 3:20 am

Puff wrote:
Calvin Klein wrote:Have you watched anything from last season or even parts of this one? Hornacek is all about running.

Your buddy Hornacek does not have a clue.

I agree. We should stop the run and gun crap.

Puff · Post #6 » by **Puff** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 3:21 am

SunsReadyToRoll wrote:I hope you realize that run and gun doesn't win championships, well for the Suns it never did. I would rather see a defensive minded team for once in my life so maybe just maybe we could finally win a championship but we never put that product on the court.

For the most part we have sucked on defense this year and we are horrific on the offensive end.

I hope you REALIZE, we are never winning anything with Hornacek as our coach.

SunsRback4Good · Post #7 » by **SunsRback4Good** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 3:28 am

Puff wrote:
SunsReadyToRoll wrote:I hope you realize that run and gun doesn't win championships, well for the Suns it never did. I would rather see a defensive minded team for once in my life so maybe just maybe we could finally win a championship but we never put that product on the court.

For the most part we have sucked on defense this year and we are horrific on the offensive end.

I hope you REALIZE, we are never winning anything with Hornacek as our coach.

You bet I do realize we aren't winning with this coach so its time to get a defensive minded coach like Jeff Van Gundy.

Post #8 » by **lilfishi22** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 4:30 am

A good run and gun system is predicated on good team play and passing. The issue is the players on our team have blinders on when they have the ball. We don't have very good passing or spacing which meant our run and gun is based purely on individual talent rather than good team basketball.

Unlike the run and gun Suns team of yesteryears, it doesn't seem like anyone has bought into the team aspect of basketball at all this season.

saintEscaton · Post #9 » by **saintEscaton** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 4:34 am

What passes as our "offense" is a gimmicky corpse of the SSOL glory days without the system or prolific personnel. We were at least breaking teams down on the transition and fast breaks when Dragic was around but now thats over and we're forced to see just how terrible we are running the half court. I agree its about time we move on from nostalgia for the bygone era and find a new identity

In Len We Trust · Post #10 » by **In Len We Trust** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 7:06 am

We hired Jeff Hornacek over Brad Stevens, Budenholzer, and Jason Kidd :waaa:

aIvin adams · Post #11 » by **aIvin adams** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 6:13 pm

meh.

i like horny as coach still

this has been a rough season tho

SSOL · Post #12 » by **SSOL** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 7:45 pm

You guys realize that the league-leading Golden State Warriors are also run and gun (1st in pace) with over 100 possessions per game, right?

Post #13 » by **bwgood77** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:35 pm

lilfishi22 wrote:A good run and gun system is predicated on good team play and passing. The issue is the players on our team have blinders on when they have the ball. We don't have very good passing or spacing which meant our run and gun is based purely on individual talent rather than good team basketball.

Unlike the run and gun Suns team of yesteryears, it doesn't seem like anyone has bought into the team aspect of basketball at all this season.

Yes, we need shooters and high iq players. I think Warren is high iq, and that's about it. Maybe Wright and Kieff.

Without spacing, it's tough.

Post #14 » by **bwgood77** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:37 pm

SSOL wrote:You guys realize that the league-leading Golden State Warriors are also run and gun (1st in pace) with over 100 possessions per game, right?

They are also good defensively. I certainly don't want to be a strictly defensive focused team. That really isn't very fun for me to watch. I don't really enjoy watching teams like the Pacers, Hornets, Bulls or Griz as much as the more offensive oriented teams.

thamadkant · Post #15 » by **thamadkant** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:51 pm

SSOL wrote:You guys realize that the league-leading Golden State Warriors are also run and gun (1st in pace) with over 100 possessions per game, right?

Warriors are an evolution of the Suns SSOL era...

they made sure their big man is a defensive savant (Bogut) and they have 4 very versatile defenders (Green, Iguadala, Barnes, Thompson), Suns SSOL era only had Marion and Bell who played good defense.

If Suns had a defensive big man who could pass back in the SSOL days... you have the Warriors.

Besides, we havent seen Warriors in a slowed-down environment yet... but I think they look good. Only a well-oiled team can push them and beat them in a 7 game series (Spurs, Grizzlies, Hawks)

JTrain · Post #16 » by **JTrain** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 9:05 pm

I don't care what our identity is, I'd just like to have one. And I'd like to see players who want desperately to win and are willing to put in the consistent effort to do it. If we have that we will be fun to watch regardless of the record.

letsgosuns · Post #17 » by **letsgosuns** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 9:36 pm

I believe you can win a championship with any kind of offense as long as you are a great defensive team. That is proven every year by each team that wins the championship. Think of all those years the Mavericks could not win the title with that great offense built around Dirk. They finally won once they got Chandler and had Kidd and Marion. Three defensive minded players with Chandler being the key. Shawn Bradley, Erick Dampier, whoever else the Mavericks plugged in at center prior to 2010-11 sucked. They got a great defensive center and bam, won the title. I think they could have repeated too if Cuban did not let Chandler go.

The Suns legitimately have their franchise center. Everyone can see it. Alex Len is already on his way to being an elite defensive center and could become a DPOY candidate very soon. I think he can become an all star as long as he stays healthy. I would like the Suns to build the team around him.

When it comes to identity, I am fine with having a running team as long as the Suns emphasize being a top defensive team. And by top I mean I want the Suns to be a top 5 defensive team. However, as currently constructed, that is impossible. Hornacek is never going to be a coach that does that. Secondly, the Morris brothers are nowhere near the kind of players that can be on a top defensive team unless they hardly play. You also are going to have a hard time being a great defensive team with an undersized backcourt. So obviously this team is going to need some major retooling. I am 100% willing to go forward with Len, Goodwin, and Warren and then trade whatever else for an elite power forward prospect that can defend and rebound. Unless the Suns can get a championship caliber superstar in free agency or through trade, I am all for going the OKC route and building through the draft. I have that much confidence in McDonough's drafting capabilities.

MrMiyagi · Post #18 » by **MrMiyagi** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 10:20 pm

I think that the majority of us just like to over react to the situation at hand by romanticizing the past and the future, but hey that's just me.

Post #19 » by **lilfishi22** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 11:06 pm

bwgood77 wrote:
lilfishi22 wrote:A good run and gun system is predicated on good team play and passing. The issue is the players on our team have blinders on when they have the ball. We don't have very good passing or spacing which meant our run and gun is based purely on individual talent rather than good team basketball.

Unlike the run and gun Suns team of yesteryears, it doesn't seem like anyone has bought into the team aspect of basketball at all this season.

Yes, we need shooters and high iq players. I think Warren is high iq, and that's about it. Maybe Wright and Kieff.

Without spacing, it's tough.

We need a floor general as well which is why I was not happy to see Ennis go because I could see him being that guy. We need someone that can pass, control tempo and be an extension of the coach. Bledsoe has passing skills but setting up plays and controlling tempo isn't natural for him.

Post #20 » by **bwgood77** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 11:42 pm

lilfishi22 wrote:We need a floor general as well which is why I was not happy to see Ennis go because I could see him being that guy. We need someone that can pass, control tempo and be an extension of the coach. Bledsoe has passing skills but setting up plays and controlling tempo isn't natural for him.

Yeah, Ennis seemed like the exact type of point guard I love. Go figure.