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I can't understand all the negatie opinions round here.
In my point of view its pretty obvious that our team is not winning a championship.
So what are we trying to do with our group?
This is a transition season. We will try out and see how far we can go.
Will Amare be as good as he was once? Maybe not.
So if he is not worth the max. We got high potential to sign two good players for his salary in FA 2010.
Why? Our core group is competitive and i believe that there are many players out there who want to play with steve nash. So don't get your hopes too high on this season. Our team is doin some good things we never expected at the start. I can't imagine how the situation would be if we had a much more worse record so far. This team is doing good. It is far away from what it once was.

ps: Sorry for my bad english. Not a native speaker.

The Suns have played 13 road games and 6 home games and have a record of 14-5.
The Lakers have played 13 home games and 4 road games with a record of 14-3.

The Suns are probably not a championship caliber team, but they have had a solid start to the season during a pretty rough part of the schedule. You don't break that up or panic. You ride it out and see what happens.

When they hit a sweet spot in the schedule they could set themselves up for a top 4 spot in the much tougher Western Conference. You can't ask for much more than that.

No one thought of this team as championship material before the season started, but the hot start they had got people thinking, and they all want to give our hopes up because of a 2 game losing streak... the first one this year. 14-5 is not a bad thing, especially facing the Kings Saturday. I still predict an 8-8 swing this month, which is more than enough for the team to still make the play offs and show everyone what they have. Jan and Feb are much easier, and it will show. Don't give up hope people, we all knew December would be a sad month, and it's just starting off a little worse than expected...

Haha none of this reaction comes as a surprise. I think John VC said it best when he welcomed a new poster by saying "welcome to the most manic depressive board on earth".

If you read through this board anytime before the season started and then anytime after a loss, you'd think we were the worst team in the league. Nets fans are more optimistic for gods sake.

yes.... good moderate points.... sound advice..... glad to have some more global support

BUT...the concern of many is just what you (schnakenpopanz) outlined... a transition season... but a transition to what ?

Our core , if you consider Nash and Hill is, by most standards, pretty old to be thinking about the future.

We are fortunate enough to assemble a group of cast offs ...Dudley, Amundson, Frye... that actually contribute. We have a rook and 2 second yr men ... lopez, Clark, Dragic....we are hoping on. If 2 out of 3 pan out, it would be good, no excellent. Is this our real core ?

We have Stat, whose future is very uncertain... a future that includes as a possibility of us being stuck with a $17 million bill for nothing (if he lames up with another micro surgery) or him just riding it out and then forcing a trade or leaving for nullpunkt. I hate to think one of the better scenarios is he just declines his option and moves on, freeing up cash for some other FA. His play has furthered the anxiety. He is a risky investment.

We also have a couple of low IQ chuckers we call SGs.... one of which may be tradable... but they are the least of our probs.


I understand how some get irritated with the doom and gloomers (former charter member here) and the chicken littles and the anti-Nashers and Statters... but aren't they (sometimes we) also expressing their thoughts on this transitional period ? Many have been very consistent. We get our asses handed to us this month, expect their minions to grow.... some want to blow it up, some want a minor explosion... we get schooled many more times like the past two games, and it will not be a question of if, as much as when. This season is still very questionable, record be damned. The meatgrinding over the next month will set the tone for the remainder.


Why do you think Hill put in a 'Player' option for next yr ??? If Nash goes, he goes. And count on Nash leaving. I'd hate to see him languish his last 2 good yrs of ball just going through the motions while this team prepares itself for 2012.

I can see why we had such a low rating in the 'future power rankings'

I'm not panicking, but the problem is: this team, for as long as I can remember being a Suns fan, has been extremely susceptible to mental weakness. They don't respond well to adversity. This year's team seemed to be different thus far, by ultimately winning games in which they trailed the fourth quarter, and by not having two losses in a row. We'll see how they respond. If they can take down the Kings at home, then all will be well (until the next loss).

couldn´t say anything better than schnak did.

we ain´t going to win it all and we having fun with this team, so just relax, and like i said before listen to the beasty sounds from edge of sanity, haha:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwhzmUismio

enjoy....

btw, mace this video is for you, check it out ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4z9NEOn ... re=related

I have not had the heart to post because everyone is so out of it on here lately... this thread is very true, everyone needs to light a doub and relax....

schnakenpopanz wrote:I can't understand all the negatie opinions round here.
In my point of view its pretty obvious that our team is not winning a championship.

Are you serious? If it's obvious that the team is not winning a championship, that's the reason for the negativity. If the team is not a championship contender, it needs to improve until they're a championship contender.

If you're not weren't even thinking championship when the Suns had the best record in the league and they beat Boston in Boston, then you must have a severe loser mentality.

Even right now the Suns still have one of the best records in the league. To have zero hope and say that there's no way they will win it when they have one of the best records is beyond pathetic.

Apart from the "doom and gloom" of some Suns fans.

Some of the things they said do hold substance.


Yes, I agree, this season MOST suns fans were expecting a 0.500 season, barely making the playoffs (7th~8th seed etc).

Then the Suns come out and win 14 of there first 17.
Suns fans who predicted a tough season got excited, started proclaiming "Suns are elite, contender etc".


2 game losing streak later, the same fans are screaming "Its over, we're crap etc"

Fact is, Suns are not elite at the moment, they are having the same effect of "shocking" teams early with a pretty darn good offense. But as usual, against a good team (Magic, Lakers, Cavs), and a pretty good coach (Phil Jackson, Mike D'Antoni (knows Suns offense by heart) etc). What did you really expect?

What I THINK....
-I think Suns are going to be "okay" this season. Good chance of playoffs.
-Will lose to about 10 of the 16 playoff lock teams convincingly in a series.
-Doesnt need Stoudemire to maintain level of play.
-Will beat bad teams and lose to elite teams regularly.


I also think...
-Stoudemire should be traded when an offer that gives the Suns a pick for 2010/2011 or a servicable player. A tough, inside banger will DO wonders for the current Suns setup and atleast improves the chances against the elite teams.

sometimes i miss the passion.
the passion dudley and amundson are bringing night in night out. and thats what i amare can blame for. i dont care if he is averaging only 5 boards a game. i want to see more hustle, more heart and more passion from him.
in sports success is based on mental toughness not only on your skills or iq.

so back to topic:
what is the optimum we can reach this season?
and how bright or dark is our future?
so 2010 the whole nba will change. why are we fearing it?
13 of the next 19 are at home. so we have really a good chance to get it all together.

I agree there is no need to panic. The team has far surpassed most people's expectations so far.

I think the problem in the last two games has been the incredibly stagnant offense. Yes the defensive effort has been very poor but at least if the offense was there they could just turn the game into a shootout and be in with a chance to win.

I watched both games and there was so much standing around from most of the team. Nash can get into the paint whenever he feels like but then no one rolls to the basket with him and often he is forced to make a risky pass to the permiter cos the other guys just seem to camp on the 3 point line.
Also I can't understand why there are so few pick and rolls with Nash & Stat. It is effective 95% of the time and yet they hardly used it the last 2 games.

Yes, in general the whole team is in a shooting slump and guys are missing shots they would normally make but when you aren't shooting well surely the better option would be to get lots of movement and try for easy midrange j's or inside shots instead of everyone standing outside the paint and continually chucking from down town with no rebounders. Throwing up quick 3's worked when we had Marion to help Stat clean up the offensive boards but now we have Frye who would rather be on the 3pt line than under the basket.

Anyway, I still think the team can definitely get back on track and will have a good record come season's end. For now we are all disappointed but come the weekend when the Suns have finally had some rest and got some practice time in, they should destroy the Kings and get back to winning ways.

Lopez
Clark
Dudley
Barbosa
Dragic

This is the Suns future, are you sure we shouldn't panic?

schnakenpopanz wrote:sometimes i miss the passion.
the passion dudley and amundson are bringing night in night out. and thats what i amare can blame for. i dont care if he is averaging only 5 boards a game. i want to see more hustle, more heart and more passion from him.
in sports success is based on mental toughness not only on your skills or iq.

so back to topic:
what is the optimum we can reach this season?
and how bright or dark is our future?
so 2010 the whole nba will change. why are we fearing it?
13 of the next 19 are at home. so we have really a good chance to get it all together.

Strange, but I never take comfort in having home games. It is not like we get the hometown calls like Utah gets. The plain fact is, if we aren't hitting our shots, and we stick w/ our starters, we lose. Once Gentry accepts this, and steps away from worrying about hurt feelings, we can use our bench well. We don't always have to start the second half with our starters. Play the players that are playing the best. If that means Amare sits until he can muster up some fire, so be it.

It seemed like in the Knicks game, we went to our bench, and we got back into the game. Then Studley goes to the bench, and our starters continued to suck. That is what I hated about D'Antoni. He would just stick with what was NOT working (if we were losing) until he just gave up. Lou is not getting enough mins in my opinion. I am not happy with JRich's up and down shooting, but at least when he sucks at shooting, he rebounds. There is far too much standing around lately, with no one cutting. Then we just let the other team cut and make wide open lay-ups.

I don't want to blow anything up. I just want these guys to play the game. But Gentry has to pull in the reigns a bit. Like when Frye is 2-11, and continues to shoot threes, while Gentry is encouraging him to do that. Why? No one is in position to rebound, so if he misses, it is just one and done. We've all seen Frye make the good pass, and take it to the hoop.

We really can't afford to lose any one player. Each brings things we need, but they have to all continue to play with heart, and for each other. That is the only way this team will win.

We just need to step up the defense, play the guys that want to win, and not just start the players with the biggest salaries and egos.

[Exit soapbox]

As for the questions I quoted: How the heck can we answer them? This team will go through growth spurts, and we will just have to deal with the highs and the lows.

MaryvalesFinest wrote:Lopez
Clark
Dudley
Barbosa
Dragic

This is the Suns future, are you sure we shouldn't panic?

why should we ??

Lopez [Brook Lopez's twin brother]
Clark [Top 5 talent in 2009 draft]
Dudley [MIP candidate]
Barbosa [Former sixth man]
Dragic [White Jesus]

what more can you ask for ??

Fire Gentry's Ass.

There, I am calm now.

Theres a chance for an 8 game losing streak and total freakout by the fans.

Even if that does happen I wont be worried though its a long season.

Mr. Sun wrote:Fire Gentry's Ass.

There, I am calm now.

What? Are you, and I'm not being facetious, serious or joking?

Before these 2 "devastating " games, Gentry sat in most peoples' top 3 for coach of the year. We all knew the Suns were overperforming so he probably wouldn't end up with COY, but may I ask what your reasoning is for firing him?

Jeez they win 14 of 17 and people's expectations go from Championship contenders to a team worth breaking up cos of two admittedly bad losses

Did ANYONE think they'd be at 14-5? I didn't, so I'm annoyed with their recent play but I'm not disappointed with our start

No. I am not back.

I just wanna let you guys know I attempted a Username change to Rocketman44 and was rejected.

Admins tell me I must wait until July 2010.

Don't message me telling me to change my name or post anti-Sunsman postings here just as I've seen all over the place about hurrying and changing my name.

I have no control.

Join me at Rockets forum if you wanna see me in July 2010.

Enjoy the rest of your lottery season ---> the lottery that belongs to OKC