[Game #37] Phoenix Suns vs New Jersey Nets

[Reverse_Angle]

Other than Nash and Hill, the only consistent guy we got is Dudley.

[Ru_Paul]

Other than Nash and Hill, the only consistent guy we got is Dudley.

Vince has been very steady and consistent. He has yet to score under 13 points or shoot under 40% once since his debut. He hasn't had any spectacular games, but he's been in that 15-19 point, 40-50% FG range virtually every game.

[jazzy_jeff]

win is a win

is a win

[jazzy_jeff]

wtf is wrong with dudley's FT:s?

I was wondering the same thing myself

[Wannabe MEP]

wtf is wrong with dudley's FT:s?

I was wondering the same thing myself

Nothing. He shot 75% last year. He's shot slightly higher than that this year, but slightly lower than that this month.

[jazzy_jeff]

wtf is wrong with dudley's FT:s?

I was wondering the same thing myself

Nothing. He shot 75% last year. He's shot slightly higher than that this year, but slightly lower than that this month.

He's missed some big ones at key points in games, though. Very Channging Frye of him

[JohnVancouver]

Couldn't watch the game until this am, so -

- nice win, showed real desire in the way we came back when by rights and recent history we should have folded

- Duds is a candidate for 6th man award

- Gortat is kind of underwhelming me. Maybe I got too excited in the first place - Minimal rebounding, not really a standout defensive player. Robin is showing signs of life but what is with his "show" on the PnR? He just flaps out a few steps and then runs back to his spot - it's like he's following orders to get out there and contest, but he doesn't understand the point, so he just runs out and hops back without accomplishing anything in terms of harassing the ballhandler

- Brook Lopez looked like a stud last year - what the hell happened to him. He doesn't look appreciably better than RoLo

- agree wholeheartedly that we should move Dragic to the as much as we can. Get Janning back, or deal for Sessions. Gogi would be a great SG who passes brilliantly, rather than an okay PG who shoots extremely well. The BTL pass to RoLo was sublime

-- I'm am so choked that Lawal is out for the year. I think he could be a beast when healthy and has some experience

- Tank? I can't condone that, but I am in favour of saying this is a building year and we need to settle on rotations and play two lineups, max. We need to deal some of the superfluous roster for youth - there are good young players out there that teams have fallen out of love with (Mayo, for one), Cousins, etc.
Anyone on the roster bar Duds, Dragic, GRant and Nash (out of respect, unless they want out) is available, some more than others for sure.

I'm thinking who really needs to be moved is Hakim, Childress (MP provides the same defense but has an outside shot, and Chilly's lack of one really hurts him in this system), one of RoLo or Gortat.

we have picks and some players who are simply redundant here - they're not without value and they're signed to decent contracts.

I f that means we miss playoffs by tightening up the roster and adding what we need by dealing the extra bodies, so be it. Bouncing out of the first round in four-five games is nothing to aim for, IMO. Let's accept where we are and start rebuilding

[BurningHeart]

Good thoughts....I generally agree except for a few things. I think Childress' hustle/attitude outweighs Pietrus' defense and streaky, STREAKY shooting. Childress' D is not too bad either. Kinda hypocritical to what I've been saying though about Nash needing more shooters.

And the goal is to ALWAYS get into the playoffs. It's better to get playoff experience, get a chance at doing something surprising, and a few million dollars for the home games, than to get a 14th pick.

[DRK]

And the goal is to ALWAYS get into the playoffs. It's better to get playoff experience, get a chance at doing something surprising, and a few million dollars for the home games, than to get a 14th pick.

Make the 8th seed, and get blown out in the first round by the Mavs. We already have playoff experience on this team with Nash, Hill, Pietrus and VInce. Sure, maybe, we do something surprising, but what about next season? And seasons after that? Stuck back in the middle of mediocrity.

I am sorry if I sound very negative with this post, but I just feel that the window for this team has closed already. It closed when we didn't re-sign Amare. We should be focusing our attention now to developing our young talent.

[BurningHeart]

And the goal is to ALWAYS get into the playoffs. It's better to get playoff experience, get a chance at doing something surprising, and a few million dollars for the home games, than to get a 14th pick.

Make the 8th seed, and get blown out in the first round by the Mavs. We already have playoff experience on this team with Nash, Hill, Pietrus and VInce. Sure, maybe, we do something surprising, but what about next season? And seasons after that? Stuck back in the middle of mediocrity.

I am sorry if I sound very negative with this post, but I just feel that the window for this team has closed already. It closed when we didn't re-sign Amare. We should be focusing our attention now to developing our young talent.

Can't open up a new window unless you make it to the playoffs. What about the guys who need more playoff experience? Dragic, Dudley, Childress, Lopez, and Frye? Those guys are our supposed future.

It is MUCH better to get into the playoffs than not get in. This is a team that has missed out on the playoffs like, 4 times since 1988. Missing the playoffs, especially intentionally, is unacceptable.

[DRK]

Do you really this Suns team in 5 years time will be a contender just built around a core of only Dragic, Lopez and Dudley? I think we need some quality young talent injected into that roster, and there is no better place for young talent than the draft. I'm not saying we should play Steve Nash 40min a game and ask him to lose, but how about playing Dragic at least 25+ mins to help him develop?

In my opinion, the Suns are not competing. It's better to speed up the rebuilding process by getting good high draft picks. WE would be benefiting from that greatly in the long term future.

[SUN]

It's obvious that we all love the feeling of getting a nice victory at home while we where facing advisory in the fourth, but this wins doesn't benefit the team at all. I don't want any post season, I want to bring on the tank.

[SUN]

Do you really this Suns team in 5 years time will be a contender just built around a core of only Dragic, Lopez and Dudley? I think we need some quality young talent injected into that roster, and there is no better place for young talent than the draft. I'm not saying we should play Steve Nash 40min a game and ask him to lose, but how about playing Dragic at least 25+ mins to help him develop?

In my opinion, the Suns are not competing. It's better to speed up the rebuilding process by getting good high draft picks. WE would be benefiting from that greatly in the long term future.

Put the words right into my bum. He's totally right, that core would suck. To the rest of the league those three players just aren't that good.

[Moochthemonkey]

I hate the idea of tanking just for the sake of (trying) to acquire good draft picks. Not only is it a gamble but as a customer of the NBA, I expect the players to go out and give it there all every night. BurningHeart is right, losing games doesnt foster a winning attitude. If you want them to lose, then why are you watching them play this season anyway?

I mean just the thought of several teams in the league that are too old or just because they're not contenders they purposely give it their all. It's disgusting.

And besides if we face the Spurs in the first round...who knows what could happen. Unleash the Dragic and maybe the Suns are the ones now to have their number.

[RunDogGun]

I just don't see the point in tanking, although at times it really looked like Gentry was doing that very thing. The year that Boston did their big trades to get their big three, they appeared to tank to get a high pick. Stern came out and said he did not condone teams losing on purpose to get a high pick. Oddly enough they ended up with the fifth pick that year instead of the the first or second pick they should have had. It isn't shocking that Stern's comments and Boston's placement in that draft are related. Stern won't give us a high pick, and if he felt we tanked, we would get the furthest pick possible. So if we were dead last in record, I foresee the fourth pick, in a draft that might see many skipping due to a possible lockout.

[Hilltop]

Damn, every time I try to watch your team's highlights it's always Carla and the damn Toyota Corolla

[BurningHeart]

Do you really this Suns team in 5 years time will be a contender just built around a core of only Dragic, Lopez and Dudley? I think we need some quality young talent injected into that roster, and there is no better place for young talent than the draft. I'm not saying we should play Steve Nash 40min a game and ask him to lose, but how about playing Dragic at least 25+ mins to help him develop?

In my opinion, the Suns are not competing. It's better to speed up the rebuilding process by getting good high draft picks. WE would be benefiting from that greatly in the long term future.

No, they're not going to be the only guys. We're going to have so much cap space, and we have draft picks. The Suns are ALWAYS a FA destination, due to the weather, classy organization, etc.....we've always retooled instead of rebuilt. We don't need to tank. We've missed the playoffs like FOUR times since 1988. Very easy to retool on the fly.

You slip into rebuilding BS, and you're liable to never get out of that hole again.

[JohnVancouver]

I just don't see the point in tanking, although at times it really looked like Gentry was doing that very thing. The year that Boston did their big trades to get their big three, they appeared to tank to get a high pick. Stern came out and said he did not condone teams losing on purpose to get a high pick. Oddly enough they ended up with the fifth pick that year instead of the the first or second pick they should have had.

That's right, they were going for Oden