Personal Assessment of Suns (new fan perspective)

[|||-Abaddon-|||]

I too had my skeptics about this trade for Shaq, but I for one am impressed overall about the transition. However, I think its quite evident to everyone that Shaq can still play, and this wont change. Shaq's game revolves around using his strength and the strong leg base that he has, and the Phoenix system should really utilize this is upcoming games.

I dont see, with the type of players that we have, that we must resort to high-pick-and-rolls during the game, specifically when we can't buy a basket. Shaq is a walking double/triple team, and with the amount of shooters on this team, it shouldn't be a problem to run these inside-out plays we so desperately need.

I'm not saying we should drastically change our offensive system to match Shaq's polarizing presense, but we should definetely run more post plays for the Diesel.

Basically, we have 3 main offensive sets that we can prescribe to:

Shaq in the low post -- this revolves around an inside-out game we can utilize. Amare can hit the 15-foot, and I'm sure we dont mind any of our other plays spotting up for threes....

Amare on baseline/face up -- Amare has terrific speed off the dribble, but he is not a true back to the basket post player, yet this yeilds alot more diversity in our offensive gameplan.

Nash -- well to start things off I was deeply unimpressed with this guys leadership and cluth factor towards the end of the game. His turnovers were costly, and in a scenario where the game is tight --- his scrambling to find the open man just didnt pan out, and I dont imagine it ever will. There was one possession where Barbosa had the ball in his hands for crappy shot towards the end of the shotclock -- just horrible basketball to end a game -- the Laker defense isn't even that spectacular --- basically, we should have a structural, organized set towards the end of our games, and this starts with pounding it to Shaq daddy.

Which is where Shaq comes in -- plays down the strech really count, and should be persued with caution and care. Basically we should be pounding the ball down to Shaq and utilzing his ability to attact doubles to free up spaces for our shooters.

We have to run more post plays, specifically towards the end of the game. Shaq tends to put teams into the penalty early, and we need dribble penetrators to attack the paint and absorb contact!

All in all ---

Horrible game by Nash, particularly in the clutch
Horrible game by Bell, who I dont believe even scored a point

But this is what I love about this team, every player is quite proven, and is quite consistent --- expect father time to make this system work, and for D'Antoni to run to plays for the Diesel

Our strategy for Shaq:
-Get teams into early penalty (in the process, also free up shooters) with tic-tac fouls
-Attack the basket (Amare specifically) like no tommorow once this happens!
-run and gun at will at the precise moments in time (no point in taking a shot with no visible rebounders --- a fast break is only successul if the player on the other end of the court shoots within the painted region)

Lets cross our fingers!!!

[-SDU-]

nice take

BUT

i think you need to watch more suns games before you decide to take the ball out of nashs hands down the stretch tho chief

[|||-Abaddon-|||]

very very true

but the whole point of the run-gun, high pick-and-roll system is to free up space for our shooters.

why not utlize alot of post plays to get the similar results --- rather more consistently and heck of alot more safe.

I think Nash is one of the clutchest shooters in the league --- but hes not going to be clutch when he dishing the ball in a crowd to Barbosa.

Nash should always take the last shot -- hes proven time and again hes a clutch mofo --- which is precisely why the possession must start with Shaq or Amare towards late game scenarios...

[-SDU-]

i think we just need to take more 3's and we will be fine

[second_coming32]

The problem is, I don't think anybody's gonna double Shaq. I think they'll let him get his 15 and 10, get plenty of one on one touches to let him wear him self out and take their chances.

5 years ago when Shaq was an automatic 30 and 15 you couldn't get away with that, now you can. But what Shaq doesn't have, the Suns make up for it by how much better Amare becomes. He's a flat out beast. I forgot how athletic the guy is now that he doesn't have to guard the bigs. I think Shaq makes them better....I just don't know if it's good enough to win the West.

[-SDU-]

if people dont double shaq he will get 20 and 12 and get them all in foul trouble