Suns Just Another Team

IamBBAnalysis · Post #1 » by **IamBBAnalysis** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:29 pm

Right now the Suns are on pace to win around 65 games or so. Without the injury to Chris Paul maybe they could have gotten to 68-69. Impressive, right? A high # usually reserved for teams that are considered clear favorites to win a title. The next best team in the NBA will not even win 60 games this year.

Yet I get the impression with the media and fans that the Suns are just barely at the top of a list of teams that could win the title this year...along with the Bucks, Sixers, Nets, Heat, Celtics, and Warriors. Does anyone else find this kind of odd? This was a team that almost won last year and is WAY better this year...with improved play at EVEHypRY position plus adding key frontcourt depth.

Hypothetically, what if the Warriors and Suns switched records? What would the talk be? Or just the Celtics or 76ers even? Is this just the media just doing their usual thing or is there some reason for all this? Just because the Suns have not won a title yet? That seems flimsy.

kuclas · Post #2 » by **kuclas** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:39 pm

Suns record after cp3 went out is misleading. It’s actually a good time for him to be out

They really haven’t beaten anyone since the injury. I guess at Miami is a good win (no butler). But had a pretty cupcake schedule since all star break.

If cp3 is healthy they could go far. As far as cp3 takes them. Another finals run is my prediction.

pipfan · Post #3 » by **pipfan** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:42 pm

I have them and Miami as the best-coached teams in the league-they runs their stuff SO well, and their D rotations are tight. I would be surprised if they didn't make the Finals, but I could see them losing again

Post #4 » by **bisme37** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 7:48 pm

Y'all need to turn your TVs off lol. They can't annoy you if you don't let them.

Suns are comfortably leading the recent RGM poll on who will win the title this year. To me they are the clear faves in the West and at least slight faves to win the championship.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2175924

HotelVitale · Post #5 » by **HotelVitale** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:03 pm

It's not remotely unusual for the team with the best record not to be seen as a runaway favorite for the title, and the Suns fit in that category for a couple good reasons. They're a disciplined team that executes beautifully on both ends of the court, and they're generally more talented than the other team on any given night--which means they're going to dominate in the RS. But when teams switch schemes, slow the game down, extend their minutes, and tighten up their effort in the PO, that edge tends to falter off some and it becomes more about talent improvising what it needs to do to win. PHX won't be lacking in that dept but they won't be lapping the field like in the RS (at least when CP3 stayed healthy).

IamBBAnalysis · Post #6 » by **IamBBAnalysis** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:14 pm

bisme37 wrote:Y'all need to turn your TVs off lol. They can't annoy you if you don't let them.

Suns are comfortably leading the recent RGM poll on who will win the title this year. To me they are the clear faves in the West and at least slight faves to win the championship.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2175924

That is kind of my point though...you just said "slight favorite" and not odd-on favorite.

SkyBill40 · Post #7 » by **SkyBill40** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:14 pm

kuclas wrote:Suns record after cp3 went out is misleading. It’s actually a good time for him to be out

They really haven’t beaten anyone since the injury. I guess at Miami is a good win (no butler). But had a pretty cupcake schedule since all star break.

If cp3 is healthy they could go far. As far as cp3 takes them. Another finals run is my prediction.

Uh, what? They beat the hell out of Chicago the other night and they're seen as contenders in the East. But I guess that doesn't count, right?

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NZB2323 · Post #8 » by **NZB2323** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:21 pm

The Suns should be the favorite to come out of the west, but they’re not sexy. CP3 and Booker shooting midrange jumpers isn’t as exciting as Curry making 3s 4 feet beyond the arch. Ayton shooting jump hooks isn’t as exciting as Giannis, Embiid, or Morant dunking over everyone. Having the best 3-9th players on your team and not turning the ball over isn’t compelling tv. If someone made a highlight compilation of Westbrook’s turnovers, Morant’s dunks, Curry’s 3s, and Suns highlights, the Suns highlights wouldn’t get as many views.

They’re not exceeding expectations because they had the best record last year, they’re not the comeback Warriors, the upstart Grizzlies, the Nets with Harden and Embiid, the Nets with Durant/Irving/Simmons, or the train wreck Lakers.

All 5 of those teams are better storylines than the Suns or the Bucks, but talking about how we’ll probably have a rematch of last year’s finals isn’t as exciting as talking about the Grizzlies, Warriors, 76ers, Nets, or Lakers, so that’s who the media will talk about.

iLLmatic860 · Post #9 » by **iLLmatic860** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:22 pm

Suns are a great team but I dont see them winning a chip. I still think a healthy Lakers can eliminate them in a series but thats asking for too much

Post #10 » by **Michael Jackson** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:26 pm

SkyBill40 wrote:
kuclas wrote:Suns record after cp3 went out is misleading. It’s actually a good time for him to be out

They really haven’t beaten anyone since the injury. I guess at Miami is a good win (no butler). But had a pretty cupcake schedule since all star break.

If cp3 is healthy they could go far. As far as cp3 takes them. Another finals run is my prediction.

Uh, what? They beat the hell out of Chicago the other night and they're seen as contenders in the East. But I guess that doesn't count, right?

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In all fairness I don't think anyone feels the Bulls are contenders right now or at least for the past month or so. Sacramento beat them too... It's not a big feather in the cap IMHO/

That being said the Suns are not getting the respect they deserve for sure. Good news is they get to change that narrative in the playoffs

IamBBAnalysis · Post #11 » by **IamBBAnalysis** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:27 pm

HotelVitale wrote:It's not remotely unusual for the team with the best record not to be seen as a runaway favorite for the title, and the Suns fit in that category for a couple good reasons. They're a disciplined team that executes beautifully on both ends of the court, and they're generally more talented than the other team on any given night--which means they're going to dominate in the RS. But when teams switch schemes, slow the game down, extend their minutes, and tighten up their effort in the PO, that edge tends to falter off some and it becomes more about talent improvising what it needs to do to win. PHX won't be lacking in that dept but they won't be lapping the field like in the RS (at least when CP3 stayed healthy).

That's a good point. What are saying kind of sounds like the old San Antonio Spurs teams and Detroit team...teams that dominated in the playoffs when in their primes.

IamBBAnalysis · Post #12 » by **IamBBAnalysis** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:28 pm

SkyBill40 wrote:
kuclas wrote:Suns record after cp3 went out is misleading. It’s actually a good time for him to be out

They really haven’t beaten anyone since the injury. I guess at Miami is a good win (no butler). But had a pretty cupcake schedule since all star break.

If cp3 is healthy they could go far. As far as cp3 takes them. Another finals run is my prediction.

Uh, what? They beat the hell out of Chicago the other night and they're seen as contenders in the East. But I guess that doesn't count, right?

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Destroyed Miami too.

SkyBill40 · Post #13 » by **SkyBill40** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:31 pm

The Suns don't get the same kind of media coverage as other teams and likely won't even if they were to win the title. They ROFLstomped the Lakers the other day and I didn't see a single reference to it on ESPN. Why? Because it doesn't fit the narrative.

The only pub the Suns are getting right now is because of Sarver's investigation and that's just sad.

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hardenASG13 · Post #14 » by **hardenASG13** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:37 pm

IamBBAnalysis wrote:
SkyBill40 wrote:
kuclas wrote:Suns record after cp3 went out is misleading. It’s actually a good time for him to be out

They really haven’t beaten anyone since the injury. I guess at Miami is a good win (no butler). But had a pretty cupcake schedule since all star break.

If cp3 is healthy they could go far. As far as cp3 takes them. Another finals run is my prediction.

Uh, what? They beat the hell out of Chicago the other night and they're seen as contenders in the East. But I guess that doesn't count, right?

Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk

Destroyed Miami too.

They have one loss since Cp3 went down when both payne and booker have played. Played 2 of those games without their starting and backup pgs, and one without their best player (booker) at Milwaukee. They have been very good without cp3, with payne putting up nearly identical numbers and none of the players cp3 supposedly elevates having any issues without him.

Post #15 » by **bisme37** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:46 pm

IamBBAnalysis wrote:
bisme37 wrote:Y'all need to turn your TVs off lol. They can't annoy you if you don't let them.

Suns are comfortably leading the recent RGM poll on who will win the title this year. To me they are the clear faves in the West and at least slight faves to win the championship.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2175924

That is kind of my point though...you just said "slight favorite" and not odd-on favorite.

There are a ton of great teams in the league. And I'm not aware of what CP's status is for the postseason. In any case with so many challenging teams out there I think being the favorites by any degree is pretty cool and a complement.

Also I mean, I'm just one guy. Everyone has their own opinion on these things and you aren't going to change that. If the Suns win the title this year we all all see it with our own eyes and until then what anyone says about it doesn't really mean or change anything. Titles aren't won in the media or on RGM, or in the regular season for that matter.

jc23 · Post #16 » by **jc23** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 8:48 pm

Just because you are good doesnt mean you are good for ratings. deal with it.

Calamity_Cometh · Post #17 » by **Calamity_Cometh** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:01 pm

I prefer my teams to remain out of sight. Saves me having to cringe at poor takes regarding them.

pj0tr · Post #18 » by **pj0tr** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:05 pm

iLLmatic860 wrote:Suns are a great team but I dont see them winning a chip. I still think a healthy Lakers can eliminate them in a series but thats asking for too much

If CP3 is out for Round 1, Lakers should and will be favored over the Suns in a 7 game series.

That is why the Suns do not get talked about.

EDIT: Even if CP3 is healthy, the Lakers will have the 2 best players in a series between the Suns by far.

So, why would they be favored? Teams with superstars win in the postseason, and if the Lakers 2 superstars are healthy, well... Suns will not be favored.

Ben-N1ce · Post #19 » by **Ben-N1ce** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:08 pm

AD thinks they got lucky

SkyBill40 · Post #20 » by **SkyBill40** » Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:11 pm

pj0tr wrote:
iLLmatic860 wrote:Suns are a great team but I dont see them winning a chip. I still think a healthy Lakers can eliminate them in a series but thats asking for too much

If CP3 is out for Round 1, Lakers should and will be favored over the Suns in a 7 game series.

That is why the Suns do not get talked about.

Uh, no. Cute take though.

The Suns don't get talked about because they're not the draw the Lakers are in the media circus. Paul was out versus the Lakers recently and we all saw the outcome of that game. The Lakers got SMOKED.

Davis isn't a guarantee to be back and it would seem that will not be the case. It's doesn't really matter though as we're ready. Paul is actually ahead of schedule for a return and is already getting shots up. That doesn't mean he'll be playing in this last stanza of the regular season, but he will be rested come playoff time.

Besides...the Lakers have to survive the play in and there's still a real chance Portland closes the gap and bumps them out entirely.

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