bwgood77 wrote:Jesus_H_Macy wrote:bwgood77 wrote:
OK, but missing Book is pretty big too, especially when you are missing your two backup guards.
Anyway, I don't know what Monty was thinking with that bench. He really was mad about the bench play. Right when Ish checked in for Bridges (Okogie and Biz had just checked in a little earlier), it was 32-24, and they went on a 10-0 run before Cam hit a 3 and Ayton checked back in.
We 1,000% should have beat this team tonight. They were without Luka and Wood. We were missing Book, which matters but not as much as them missing Luka matters for them. Payne being back might help but doesn't really move the needle much. In my opinion Shamet being out is a plus for us.
Monty's rotations make no sense. The only valid explanations I can come up with now that we have most people back are:
1) He's doing the Pop thing of trying to get everyone some time and experience so they're ready if they need to be called upon. Which I actually think is good. But it shouldn't be happening all in one game, and overall it probably shouldn't be happening with more than a few players over any particular 20 game period. I know the injuries required some weird rotations but they're just seems to be no pattern or consistency to it. Jock and Biz are a good example. What's the pattern there? Biz will get sat after having a great game. Same with Jock. If you're going to try and give both of them burn give them at least 10 games straight of the same role before you swip swap
2) He's trying to do a "hot hand" and/or effort thing, but that seems impossible since he often ices the people with the "hot hand" like I mention above. And there's plenty of games I've seen where some guy just doesn't have it but Monty keeps playing him. And I'm referring to the bench guys, I know that there's different considerations for starters.
3) It's for trade purposes. Trying to show other teams what guys have got in the tank. This is the only one I might buy
I don't claim to be the best analyst, I'm just a super fan. But too often to me it looks like Monty doesn't have a plan. I don't necessarily want him or Jones to get **** by Ishbia, but I'm not convinced we couldn't do better either. What good is "good culture" when it results in historic playoff no-shows and a team who's fans are frequently complaining won't play hard or act like they care? Any voice can eventually be tuned out.
True (Luka more important than Book(, but missing Book, Payne AND Shamet, means that when Paul rests we don't have another primary ball handler. I don't know why Lee was in there. Washington at least should have been in there the whole time Paul sat at least. Lee shouldn't have gotten a shot.
But neither guy is Dinwiddie. So them missing Luka but having Dinwiddie playing 40 minutes is a nice backup. Probably one of the best, or could start. That's important.
I don't know man... I understand the point you're trying to make...but is their 3rd string ball handler really that much better than ours?
I think maybe, despite how down on the team I am right now, might still think more of them than they really are. IMO if both of these teams are healthy we should wipe the floor with them 9 times out of 10, like we had been doing up until whatever the **** happened in the playoffs last year. Luka is inarguably better than Book if we're all going to be honest with ourselves, but I (perhaps foolishly) think that out of the top 10 players across both teams we have either seven or eight of them, and if Paul isn't cooked we at minimum have two of the best three if not 3-of-4 or 4-of-5. Take away their two best players and our best and, what 6th or 7th? best players, we have no excuse not to win.
And neither explanation for that makes me feel very good about the state of the team.... Either we are massive underachievers, whether because of some faults with the players or coaching or both... Or we just really aren't that good even at our best. If a fully healthy Suns is anything less than a heavy favorite against a fully healthy Mavs then Ishbia needs to elevate and detonate this team when he takes over, because Dallas is nowhere near championship quality.
