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Wow, read this article about our 4th Qtr defense and who is good vs who is bad. Hint: It's not a good answer.

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2015/12/3/9841246/phoenix-suns-bad-4th-quarter-chandler-bledsoe-knight-tucker-morris-markieff

bwgood77 wrote:Wow, read this article about our 4th Qtr defense and who is good vs who is bad. Hint: It's not a good answer.

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2015/12/3/9841246/phoenix-suns-bad-4th-quarter-chandler-bledsoe-knight-tucker-morris-markieff

In the great words of Winston Churchill " I only believe in statistics that I doctored myself". Point being, if I am reading this correctly, if we learn how to play efficient offense then these numbers would change drastically. Bad shots, turnovers, and dumb fouls are killing us. A bad shot is just like a turnover to me. Great read and I hope we turn it around.

It's frustrating not being able to respond to PM's.

We help our opponent by our questionable shot selection that leads to easy buckets. Turnovers do the same thing. We need to fix it. perimeter defense has been terrible in the 4th as I alluded to after the Raptors game. Go Suns!!

Since our defense sucks so bad in the 4th, maybe instead of trying to go with defensive lineups to close out games when we have the lead, we should just put in our best offensive unit. I used to think we should preserve the shot clock, and get a good shot near the end to run out the time, but I think this takes the guys out of their groove...if they stay in the flow of the game, the shots fall....when we try to slow it down to run out the clock, our offense goes in the tank, and when that happens guys get discouraged...heck...Bledsoe missed a layup the other night near the end and laid on the floor and didn't get back on defense until the possession was almost over.

That is one thing many people didn't like about D'Antoni, that if we had that led in the 4th, we wouldn't slow it down and play D, but the best way to preserve the lead with those teams was to just continue the offensive flow...you get out of that and it takes you out of your game.

I think if/when Hornacek realizes this, that when things are flowing offensively, even if there is limited time, keep that offense out there. Of course, when things don't turn out right, and shots miss, then people will get mad that people were taking shots too early late in the game with a lead....so it's a tough thing to balance.

Didn't we start the season as one of only 4 teams in the top 10 of both offensive and defensive efficiency? Wheels have really fallen off without Chandler. Perhaps if we had a third rim protector behind Len, so we wouldn't have to play Tele/ Morris/ Leuer there, none of which is a defensive anchor, we might not have such a drop off.

I'd honestly flip Morris for a 3rd string rim protector, and a third string distributing PG (ala Ish Smith). Flip Archie for Solomon Hill.