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Wednesday, March 2nd @ 8.00pm AZT
Footprint Center
Phoenix, AZ

VS

TRAILBLAZERS
(25-36 | 9-18 Away)


G A. Simons
G J. Hart
G K. Johnson
G C. Elleby
F D. Eubanks

Reserves:
Watford/Brown III/Hughes/Blevins/Williams/McLemore


SUNS
(49-12 | 26-7 Home)


G Cam Payne (probable)
F Mikal Bridges
F Cam Johnson
F Jae Crowder
C Deandre Ayton

Reserves:
Shamet/Elf/Javale/Bizzy/Ish/Torrey/Holiday

OUT:
Devin Booker
Chris Paul
Dario Saric
Frank Kamisnky

---------------

Latest updates:

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Looking at the blazers current roster, I'd say that their weakness (with Nurkic out) is obviously in the frontcourt. If we can play big, actually rebound and BOX OUT and Ayton can be dominant and aggressive, we should take this game. They're not going to get a ton of offense from their backcourt. But their new lineup is still very scrappy. So, it'll be important for us to not surrender cheap fouls in transition. It we play aggressively and as a team having accountability, we should be able to blow this game open heading into half time.

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No wrist brace apparently and his shooting stroke and Rythm look fine. He better be playing in the blazers game.

Thanks for taking over the game threads. Much appreciated.

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Payne update

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So probably not tomorrow. Maybe Friday.

Ghost of Kleine wrote:

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No wrist brace apparently and his shooting stroke and Rythm look fine. He better be playing in the blazers game.

I would rather see him taking top of the key threes. I just don't see the point of starting him, if Book really is going to run the offense, and Payne is off in the corner waiting to shoot a three.

RunDogGun wrote:

Ghost of Kleine wrote:

Read on Twitter

?s=20
No wrist brace apparently and his shooting stroke and Rythm look fine. He better be playing in the blazers game.

I would rather see him taking top of the key threes. I just don't see the point of starting him, if Book really is going to run the offense, and Payne is off in the corner waiting to shoot a three.

This is just a snippet of practice. Why would he be shooting corner 3's exclusively? The point of Cam starting is to give Booker a break with creation and ball handling. It's clear Book is struggling to manage both being Iso Book and being Point Book, he's just not built like a Luka or Harden or Dame type. Even though Cam hasn't played well this season, he's still the 2nd best player on the team currently with the combination on creating, ball handling, scoring and shooting. And let's be honest, your gripe isn't with Payne starting but CamJo being moved to the bench. If both Cams started and Crowder moved to the bench, you'd be cheering

RunDogGun wrote:

Ghost of Kleine wrote:

Read on Twitter

?s=20
No wrist brace apparently and his shooting stroke and Rythm look fine. He better be playing in the blazers game.

I would rather see him taking top of the key threes. I just don't see the point of starting him, if Book really is going to run the offense, and Payne is off in the corner waiting to shoot a three.

I would much rather have Johnson start for us and move Crowder to the bench to bolster the benches defense and 3 point shooting, And also because Johnson is simply much more consistent. Then have Payne start beside Booker for now because he's just a much better basic facilitator than Booker is. And it'd allow Book to maximize his off ball role. Payton can lead off the bench as a facilitator in his best/ natural role ( Not a shooting guard MONTY)

And everything will hold fine rotationally. Monty can even have Crowder come in for Johnson situationally off the bench at times if needed or if Johnson needs rest. But Payne in my opinion is just more natural and a better ( more familiar within the role) playmaker than Book. So I'd personally Have Payne start beside Book, move Book back to his natural shooting guard role. Have Johnson start next to Bridges and move Crowder to a bench role ( it's time already for that change honestly).

Although I get why the front office might be doing that because they're trying to subtly suppress his value as much as possible prior to everyone going down and forcing their hand. But yeah, Payne needs to start in the backcourt with Booker to allow Booker to go back to his more comfortable position and to allow Payne to initiate the offense.

lilfishi22 wrote:This is just a snippet of practice. Why would he be shooting corner 3's exclusively? The point of Cam starting is to give Booker a break with creation and ball handling. It's clear Book is struggling to manage both being Iso Book and being Point Book, he's just not built like a Luka or Harden or Dame type. Even though Cam hasn't played well this season, he's still the 2nd best player on the team currently with the combination on creating, ball handling, scoring and shooting. And let's be honest, your gripe isn't with Payne starting but CamJo being moved to the bench. If both Cams started and Crowder moved to the bench, you'd be cheering

My gripe would be if Payne came in to basically play a sg role, and Booker would still be the one initiating the offense. If that was the case, it would be smarter to stay how we are. If Monty pulled his head out of his arse, and started CamJo over Crowder, hell yeah I would be cheering. But if Payne was in just to play point, but not used as the point, but instead as an "off guard", I would rather stick how we are starting now, with all our best wings playing together.

Calvin Klein wrote:

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That is great, now the bench will get that 10.8 points they need so badly. Hope Payne can score 17.5 points and shoot 50% from three to make up for what Cam gives us.

Ghost of Kleine wrote:
I would much rather have Johnson start for us and move Crowder to the bench to bolster the benches defense and 3 point shooting, And also because Johnson is simply much more consistent. Then have Payne start beside Booker for now because he's just a much better basic facilitator than Booker is. And it'd allow Book to maximize his off ball role. Payton can lead off the bench as a facilitator in his best/ natural role ( Not a shooting guard MONTY)

And everything will hold fine rotationally. Monty can even have Crowder come in for Johnson situationally off the bench at times if needed or if Johnson needs rest. But Payne in my opinion is just more natural and a better ( more familiar within the role) playmaker than Book. So I'd personally Have Payne start beside Book, move Book back to his natural shooting guard role. Have Johnson start next to Bridges and move Crowder to a bench role ( it's time already for that change honestly).

Although I get why the front office might be doing that because they're trying to subtly suppress his value as much as possible prior to everyone going down and forcing their hand. But yeah, Payne needs to start in the backcourt with Booker to allow Booker to go back to his more comfortable position and to allow Payne to initiate the offense.

I don't get that though, but it sure seems like Monty is purposely trying to limit CamJo. His minutes had been down before CP3 got injured. But I guess we have to make up for the Sham, and his terrible shooting. Either way, say goodbye to CamJo's 20 point games. Monty has shown he can't figure out how to give CamJo enough minutes to reach close to what he gives us When he starts.

RunDogGun wrote:

lilfishi22 wrote:This is just a snippet of practice. Why would he be shooting corner 3's exclusively? The point of Cam starting is to give Booker a break with creation and ball handling. It's clear Book is struggling to manage both being Iso Book and being Point Book, he's just not built like a Luka or Harden or Dame type. Even though Cam hasn't played well this season, he's still the 2nd best player on the team currently with the combination on creating, ball handling, scoring and shooting. And let's be honest, your gripe isn't with Payne starting but CamJo being moved to the bench. If both Cams started and Crowder moved to the bench, you'd be cheering

My gripe would be if Payne came in to basically play a sg role, and Booker would still be the one initiating the offense. If that was the case, it would be smarter to stay how we are. If Monty pulled his head out of his arse, and started CamJo over Crowder, hell yeah I would be cheering. But if Payne was in just to play point, but not used as the point, but instead as an "off guard", I would rather stick how we are starting now, with all our best wings playing together.

I don't believe that's the plan. Otherwise Monty might as well stick with the current starting line up with Cam/Bridges at the wings, both of whom are better shooters. The thinking is obviously to give Booker another ball handler/creator to play with and push him back off ball.

RunDogGun wrote:

Calvin Klein wrote:

Read on Twitter

That is great, now the bench will get that 10.8 points they need so badly. Hope Payne can score 17.5 points and shoot 50% from three to make up for what Cam gives us.

Whatever Payne gives us will supplement what Cam is giving us with both playing. Someone else's minutes will go down some...probably Shamet's or the rest of the starters with a bit fewer minutes.

Part of the reason Cam scores more starting is because we are shorthanded and him and the other main guys get more minutes with Crowder or Paul/Payne out and Book moving to pg.

bwgood77 wrote:

RunDogGun wrote:

Calvin Klein wrote:

Read on Twitter

That is great, now the bench will get that 10.8 points they need so badly. Hope Payne can score 17.5 points and shoot 50% from three to make up for what Cam gives us.

Whatever Payne gives us will supplement what Cam is giving us with both playing. Someone else's minutes will go down some...probably Shamet's or the rest of the starters with a bit fewer minutes.

Part of the reason Cam scores more starting is because we are shorthanded and him and the other main guys get more minutes with Crowder or Paul/Payne out and Book moving to pg.

CamJo has only started when one of our players are out. He started when both Ayton and Crowder were out. He shoots better starting, because he is a shooter, and shooters usually do better when they get started early. This has been one of my points every time. "Start CamJo, get him going early". Getting our best "volume" three point shooter started early only opens the court for other starters to work. You know this. Plus he is smarter than all the rest of our healthy players. But if everyone thinks CamP will come in totally healthy and ready to give what CamJo does....well I just don't see that happening. Plus if his off hand is still sore, it will affect his dribbling and ball handling. Shamet should not play at all, he is our poorest defender. He is too easily exploitable on defense, and his shot is still off. As far as what Payne and Johnson gives us, it will be on average 7 points less if Johnson comes off the bench. I hope Payne can "supplement" those points and three point shooting.

But we all know Monty will wait 7-8 minutes to get CamJo in the game, and even longer for him to get up enough shots to get his rhythm. That is just not smart basketball.

I agree with starting CamJo, but I'm okay if that doesn't happen until next year.

What's inexcusable tho is not having him at least end games with the starters. His shooting is automatic, his versatility is really underrated too, on both ends. Jae Crowder is never going to posterize anybody at this point - CamJo might. He might take it in and get some free throws, not throw up a weird little bail-out floater. We need his Klay-like shooting next to Booker/Paul/Ayton.

But I get that Crowder brings a lot of intangibles and defensive intensity/communication. Our defense is really freaking good when we're locked in, and is key to our contending. And at this stage, you basically want Crowder to shoot it when he's open and bring it on defense - keep his game simple. That means a lot of time with the starters.

NapoleonII wrote:I agree with starting CamJo, but I'm okay if that doesn't happen until next year.

What's inexcusable tho is not having him at least end games with the starters. His shooting is automatic, his versatility is really underrated too, on both ends. Jae Crowder is never going to posterize anybody at this point - CamJo might. He might take it in and get some free throws, not throw up a weird little bail-out floater. We need his Klay-like shooting next to Booker/Paul/Ayton.

But I get that Crowder brings a lot of intangibles and defensive intensity/communication. Our defense is really freaking good when we're locked in, and is key to our contending. And at this stage, you basically want Crowder to shoot it when he's open and bring it on defense - keep his game simple. That means a lot of time with the starters.

Great post!

I just want a W. Hopefully Payne is playing.

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Well that's not great

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