This team will never be a lock-down defensive team

mckane · Post #1 » by **mckane** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:15 pm

Steve Nash is my favorite player in the NBA...by far. He's amazing.
But, let's be honest, as long as Steve Nash is the starting point guard for this team, the Suns will never be a lock down defensive unit. Period. Nash is too slow and small to lock down other teams' 1 or 2 guards. He doesn't have the lateral movement to do it. He's not built for it...and frankly, the team is not built for it. Team defense starts with your on-the-ball defender and that's often Nash.

Then you take into account that we have Shaq who is slow-footed and Stat who never quite seems to understand the subtleties of defense and it's just not going to happen. Teams just run Nash and Stat or Shaq on the high pick and roll over and over and over - like last night.

I get tired of people complaining on here about how we don't defend. People got mad at mike for never focusing on Defense. I think Mike D. was smarter than us all. He understood what many people (including steve kerr) didn't understand completely. This team (withe Nash and Stat, particularly) was better equipped to just outscore everybody. The lack of defensive prowess has less to do with teaching or coaching, or (most of the time) effort and has more to do with personnel.

Now that the Suns are running more, they're winning more and they are so much more fun to watch. In fact, the players look like they're actually having fun again too. I say, let's just enjoy the ride while we've still got one of the best offensive point guards to ever play in the NBA. This team is never going to be the a Defensive juggernaut a lot of us have wished for. but you know what? I'd rather watch a run and gun Nash led team ANY day than a Pistons grind it out ugly team from yesteryear.

Post #2 » by **rsavaj** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:46 pm

Which is why we shouldn't have fired D'Antoni in the first place.

Suns_fan_2007 · Post #3 » by **Suns_fan_2007** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:31 pm

rsavaj wrote:Which is why we shouldn't have fired D'Antoni in the first place.

WOW!!

We didn't fire D'Antoni. The ungrateful bastard chose to desert his team for New York where he could be "the man"...

Suns_fan_2007 · Post #4 » by **Suns_fan_2007** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:34 pm

mckane wrote:Steve Nash is my favorite player in the NBA...by far. He's amazing.
But, let's be honest, as long as Steve Nash is the starting point guard for this team, the Suns will never be a lock down defensive unit. Period. Nash is too slow and small to lock down other teams' 1 or 2 guards. He doesn't have the lateral movement to do it. He's not built for it...and frankly, the team is not built for it. Team defense starts with your on-the-ball defender and that's often Nash.

Then you take into account that we have Shaq who is slow-footed and Stat who never quite seems to understand the subtleties of defense and it's just not going to happen. Teams just run Nash and Stat or Shaq on the high pick and roll over and over and over - like last night.

I get tired of people complaining on here about how we don't defend. People got mad at mike for never focusing on Defense. I think Mike D. was smarter than us all. He understood what many people (including steve kerr) didn't understand completely. This team (withe Nash and Stat, particularly) was better equipped to just outscore everybody. The lack of defensive prowess has less to do with teaching or coaching, or (most of the time) effort and has more to do with personnel.

Now that the Suns are running more, they're winning more and they are so much more fun to watch. In fact, the players look like they're actually having fun again too. I say, let's just enjoy the ride while we've still got one of the best offensive point guards to ever play in the NBA. This team is never going to be the a Defensive juggernaut a lot of us have wished for. but you know what? I'd rather watch a run and gun Nash led team ANY day than a Pistons grind it out ugly team from yesteryear.

Yes, Mike was so smart that he said "we're gonna smash them", referring to the San Antonio Spurs during the first round of the play-offs last year.
:lol:

And winning regular season games don't matter if you can't get it done during the playoffs. The Dallas Mavericks proved that plenty in the last year or two...

Mike D'Antoni was never going to get us over the hump in the playoffs. He may have won regular season games, at the expense of the health of his players and the playoffs. If that's what you're happy with, more power to you.

SUNSARETHEBEST · Post #5 » by **SUNSARETHEBEST** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:36 pm

I was at the game last night and proud to say I booed D'antoni, I was 12 rows behind the Knicks bench.

Suns_fan_2007 · Post #6 » by **Suns_fan_2007** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:39 pm

SUNSARETHEBEST wrote:I was at the game last night and proud to say I booed D'antoni, I was 12 rows behind the Knicks bench.

High Five.

I respect D'Antoni for giving us 4 great years, but am angry he deserted his team over his ego. A great coach who can't take any constructive criticism is way worse than a good coach who is willing to evaluate and use the advice from others who have been there and won the championship. :evil:

eastsidecrossover · Post #7 » by **eastsidecrossover** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:00 pm

not many teams are truly lock down defensive teams. Suns need to be better on team defense and be smart about rotating and filling the holes.

With this team, you all know the trade for JRich would not have happen under MD, same with a longer bench.

This team seems like they are starting to figure it out.

I would have cheered him for 4 great years.

Post #8 » by **TASTIC** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:18 am

Seriously you guys booed D'Antoni?

uncool

Phoenix1977 · Post #9 » by **Phoenix1977** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:26 am

I love how people still think it was Mike's idea to leave.

Please for the love of god, get your facts straight. Sarver and Kerr told him to go interview if he didn't want to cater to their needs. He didn't, so he left. Sarver and Kerr (and even moreso, David Griffin) wanted to run the show...and they needed a coach who would just do as they say. Mike wasn't that guy.

mckane · Post #10 » by **mckane** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:34 am

I was at the game and the majority of us gave him a standin O.
The guy changed the NBA and put PHX on the map again. Even though it was probably time for him to move on, I still love what he did here.

I was just saying that those who keep stressing every time Nash gets burned, or we give up 100 points, can save themselves the ulcers if they just accept reality. If this team wins a championship (which I actually do think is possible) then they are going to do it by outscoring teams. I'm not saying they have to be atrocious on D like they were at times last year, but I'm just saying I don't think that they have the pieces physically to be a team that relies on their defense to win them games.

The jurry is still out on Terry Porter. We'll see where this team sits at the all star break. I'm very optimistic though. This team is fun to watch again. He gave an interview tonight on KTAR and said that the team is going to be running more and that he simplified the offense and gave them more freedom. Just what the doctor ordered...

Suns_fan_2007 · Post #11 » by **Suns_fan_2007** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:18 am

Interesting Bickley blog: http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/DanBickley/41472

"D'Antoni deserves a lot of credit for fostering a magical environment (while it lasted), but he is no martyr. And while owner Robert Sarver deserved to be criticized for the Johnson fiasco, he does not warrant the backlash he's getting over the D'Antoni Homecoming. Remember, Sarver offered to fire everyone (aside from Kerr) who D'Antoni perceived to be undermining the coach's authority, be it a broadcaster or assistant coach"

Suns_fan_2007 · Post #12 » by **Suns_fan_2007** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:19 am

dbdynsty25 wrote:I love how people still think it was Mike's idea to leave.

Please for the love of god, get your facts straight. Sarver and Kerr told him to go interview if he didn't want to cater to their needs. He didn't, so he left. Sarver and Kerr (and even moreso, David Griffin) wanted to run the show...and they needed a coach who would just do as they say. Mike wasn't that guy.

Mike didn't seem to be the guy who listened to anyone at all. If he had shown a little bit willingness to listen to constructive input, maybe things would have turned out differently.

Go7enKs · Post #13 » by **Go7enKs** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:06 am

Suns_fan_2007 wrote:
rsavaj wrote:Which is why we shouldn't have fired D'Antoni in the first place.

WOW!!

We didn't fire D'Antoni. The ungrateful bastard chose to desert his team for New York where he could be "the man"...

Hi Steve! Why don't u go back to ur office and see if u can do another trade to make us better? Oh and we need to sign somebody, come on. Go back to work.