Game Thread: Suns(19-21) at Wizards(12-28) 1/21 at 7

[dlts20]

Should be a great game. The Suns are red hot having won 4 in a row and 5 of 6 but alot of them have come against down teams. I expect both Dray & NY to keep cooking against this team, espically Dray. It will be a running game and I like our style against them at home. We could lose if we just settle for J's and let them run but if we go inside either from the post or just driving then we will win

[hands11]

Could be getting thin at SF again if Lewis can't hold up.

"I know I'll be able to play tomorrow," said Lewis, who indicated his knee had been bothering him since he joined the Wizards in a Dec. 18 trade that sent Gilbert Arenas to Orlando, "but I don't know how I'll feel in a back-to-back."

The injury to Lewis comes at an especially inopportune time, with the Wizards in the middle of a grueling stretch of three games in four nights and eight games in 11 days.

Injuries.
Lewis - Knee but been playing mostly steady.
Wall - Hand, Foot, Knee, etc. But still dishing dimes
Dray - Shoulder, Knee, Ankle, but recently balln
Nick - Knee but still balln
AT - Shoulder
Howard - Out till Feb

Good News is everyone short of Howard is able to play. Bad News, most seem like they are a day away from needing to miss some time.

[The Fax]

It's gonna be a shootout, that's for sure. We're at home so at least we know a win is possible.

[closg00]

On-paper we are much too-hobbled to win. Nash will bring his carving knife, that's fo-sho.

[GhostsOfGil]

out of all the super stars in the nba, nash is always the one i fear the most. hes going to pick our defense apart with the pnr. last game vs the wiz, nash had a perfect shooting game 20 points AND 17 assists. this is going to be a very tough matchup.... although, iirc that game in phx was blatche's best offensive game of the year. warick and frye had a tough time containing blatche.

[hands11]

Most Assists in one game by two player in NBA history ?

Wall has been on a dime roll. 15 one game and 13 the next game with 10 in the first half of last game. How he ended up with only 13 was kind of a surprise.

Last PHX game Wall had 12 and Nash 17

Wonder what the record is. Would be cool to see but I'm kind of just messing around with that idea.

Should be interesting to see if Wall adjusts any. He has footage of him playing Nash now and I kind of feel like Wall is at the stage where he is a little more seasoned. Team have tape of him and he has tape of them. Stage 2 of his NBA growth.

The thing I'm looking for from Wall at this stage is to see him more consistent with his shooting/scoring both in attempts and makes. He is 5th in assists per game. All 4 of the players ranked better than him are shooting .460 or better. He need to get to at least .440 and Wall is currently at .397 so he has his work cut out.

Dray. Can he bring it for three games in a row. I rewatched last game. Dray magically looked a lot quicker. He also looked like he was feeling the game a little more in his passing. This is one of the things that was unique about Dray last year. Hopefully he gets back to that. I don't want to see any more games where he has zero assists. He needs a min of 2 assists a game. Preferably 3-4 a game.

Nick vs Vince. Will Nick lite it up at home ? Nick also seems to be passing and rebounding more. Nick has recently been out assisting Dray. Nick needs to keep that up.

If these three players can be more consistent in these areas, it will be a good sign that they are finally coming together and playing both their games and team ball.

For McGee. He just need to make it out of the first quarter or even better, the first 5 minutes without two fouls. McGee's game right now is about being active. He can't be sitting or playing in foul trouble.

PHX is below .500 but they have mostly lost to good teams. Since we beat Utah at home, I would have to think they believe they can beat PHX. Shouldn't be any mental issues here but this is still a huge challenge for them. It would be a huge win if they can get it. Specially with the schedule they have ahead of them.

[cwb3]

Pound the ball to McGee in the post, let him pick the team apart with his pump fakes. . .oh wait. . .wrong thread(s)

Actually this game could be fun to watch if Wall, Nick Young, and McGee can actually get out and run a bit. We will likely lose by 15 points: 115 - 105

[dlts20]

out of all the super stars in the nba, nash is always the one i fear the most. hes going to pick our defense apart with the pnr. last game vs the wiz, nash had a perfect shooting game 20 points AND 17 assists. this is going to be a very tough matchup.... although, iirc that game in phx was blatche's best offensive game of the year. warick and frye had a tough time containing blatche.

actually, Ive always felt the exact opposite. I fear him the least because his D is so putrid. If Wall is on then I think he can give it to Steve just as much as he gets

[tontoz]

out of all the super stars in the nba, nash is always the one i fear the most. hes going to pick our defense apart with the pnr. last game vs the wiz, nash had a perfect shooting game 20 points AND 17 assists. this is going to be a very tough matchup.... although, iirc that game in phx was blatche's best offensive game of the year. warick and frye had a tough time containing blatche.

actually, Ive always felt the exact opposite. I fear him the least because his D is so putrid. If Wall is on then I think he can give it to Steve just as much as he gets

People always say that but the evidence to support it isn't there. Nash's on/off court defensive numbers have never been bad. Opposing pgs don't go off on Nash the way that you would expect.

Wall was 4/12 from the field while Nash made every shot he took the last time they matched up. Given the fact that Wall has been routinely schooled by average/backup pgs there is no reason to think it would be any different against Nash.

I can't even remember the last time Wall actually outscored the guy he was guarding.

[cwb3]

I agree that Nash is not as horrible a defender as his reputation suggests. True, if his man wants to get by him, he will. Nash cannot keep up with a slasher/driver type. But Nash keeps pretty good spacing on the floor, and can direct the guy who gets by him into the help defense. Plus his spacing allows him to close on shooters so he does not get burned that often by a 3 ball. Nash is not a shut-down defender, but he does not often get torched either.

[20MexicanosIn1Van]

Nash is also good at drawing charges.

[Donkey McDonkerton]

out of all the super stars in the nba, nash is always the one i fear the most. hes going to pick our defense apart with the pnr. last game vs the wiz, nash had a perfect shooting game 20 points AND 17 assists. this is going to be a very tough matchup.... although, iirc that game in phx was blatche's best offensive game of the year. warick and frye had a tough time containing blatche.

actually, Ive always felt the exact opposite. I fear him the least because his D is so putrid. If Wall is on then I think he can give it to Steve just as much as he gets

Wow, where have you been? Nash KILLS US!

[dlts20]

say what you want but I routinely remember Gil killing Nash whenever he wanted and I also remember Nash getting own in the playoffs by guys like Parker and whoever.

Read what I said and notice that I said "if Wall is on". Its not like I think Nash is garbage. He's a Superstar and you never know how Wall will do in a matchup but if he's right then he can also get at Steve.

[hands11]

Pound the ball to McGee in the post, let him pick the team apart with his pump fakes. . .oh wait. . .wrong thread(s)

Actually this game could be fun to watch if Wall, Nick Young, and McGee can actually get out and run a bit. We will likely lose by 15 points: 115 - 105

They do get a lot of steals and that is when they run.

Dray has had active hands lately. But with Nash controlling the ball, intercepting passes will likely be a challenge.

Dray has been playing below par for so long I think many of us had given up on seeing the Dray we saw last year. But for two games, he has looked really good and a lot quicker. That kind of changes things a little if he can keep that up. What if Dray can get it going again ? Dray from last year was balln and a more efficient shooter who had great court vision so he passed well and get steals. When a lot of us envisioned how good the team would be this year, it had a lot to do with Dray posting some decent numbers. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/gamelog?playerId=2746&year=2010

Dray hasn't historically been this bad of a shooter.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=2746

If Dray can get it going, the combination of him and Nick could be pretty effective. Now if he, Nick and Wall can all get on the same page and Lewis, McGee, Kirk etc can fill in then they can have more games like this. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=310117027

And they did that with Wall having seven turnovers and McGee in early foul trouble.

[tontoz]

say what you want but I routinely remember Gil killing Nash whenever he wanted and I also remember Nash getting own in the playoffs by guys like Parker and whoever.

Read what I said and notice that I said "if Wall is on". Its not like I think Nash is garbage. He's a Superstar and you never know how Wall will do in a matchup but if he's right then he can also get at Steve.

If a guy is averaging over 25 ppg like Gil did then they are pretty much having their way with everyone. The reality is that Nash is easily a better defender than Wall right now. Nash's opponents have a PER of 11.7 this season

http://www.82games.com/1011/10PHO1.HTM#bypos

while Walls opponents have a PER of 19.8.

http://www.82games.com/1011/10WAS1.HTM#bypos


The Wizards are giving up 5.5 more ppg when Wall is playing. He is the one playing putrid defense, not Nash.

[dobrojim]

Pound the ball to McGee in the post, let him pick the team apart with his pump fakes. . .oh wait. . .wrong thread(s)

Actually this game could be fun to watch if Wall, Nick Young, and McGee can actually get out and run a bit. We will likely lose by 15 points: 115 - 105

Bookkeeper eh? <jk>


I have little hope for this game. Nash will have his way with
us. He always has. No reason for tonight to be any different.

[LyricalRico]

Here's to Blatche having a great game...so PHX will be interested in trading for him.

[DMVleGeND]

Here's to Blatche having a great game...so PHX will be interested in trading for him.

We don't want Warrick Rico.

[LyricalRico]

Here's to Blatche having a great game...so PHX will be interested in trading for him.

We don't want Warrick Rico.

Don't be silly. I don't want Warrick, either.

I want Warrick+Childress.

[tontoz]

Here's to Blatche having a great game...so PHX will be interested in trading for him.

We don't want Warrick Rico.

Don't be silly. I don't want Warrick, either.

I want Warrick+Childress.

Bed bugs >> Childress. Childress is a garbage can, and an expensive one at that.