Game 80: Suns @ Mavericks

[JMac1]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/ ... ight-while


Didn't need to read it.....not paying jack for the article, but the Title says it all!

[mixerball]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/455184849880363008[/tweet]

BS. I don't buy that they were "devastated" by the loss. It's fake imo.

If they wanted to win, why choke? They have the game to the Mavs. They turned the ball over. They played defense like crap.

Rewatch the 2nd half and there's one team playing with effort & another one that's not. Dallas wanted playoffs and played like it. We didn't.

It's not like both teams were in a tough battle and both teams out everything they had on the court & one came away with the win. The final score doesn't represent what actually went on in this game.

I won't blame the Suns players cause they went up against vets who knew more about how important making playoffs and how fun playoffs is. Marion, Carter, Dirk, Calderon, Dalembert & Ellis are all guys on their last legs who have a ton of playoff experience and who want to try & make a playoff run one last time.

For us Bledsoe's the only that's been in the playoffs a lot (with LAC). Frye & Dragic made it once back in '10 but that's it.

yeah, they were happy they lost, cause they didnt want to play playoffs. good job you expert observer.

[King4Day]

I do agree free throwing shooting is embarrassing for our team. Only guy I feel confident going to the line is Markieff. Something about it, but he makes clutch free throws. Although, I think he missed one in Minnesota that surprised me in crunch time. He has perfect arc and looks confident as he shoots them. Green and Frye are probably our best but wish our guys would show the same confidence as Keef.

Bledsoe does turn over a lot but he's young! He has never ran a team like this. He's doing a VERY great job. Better than I thought going into the season. I just think he's going to a top 3 PG sooner or later.

I'm most comfy with Green at the line.
Regarding Bledsoe, I just hope teams don't see him for his potential and risk offering him a max. I don't want to spend more than 10 on him.

[LukasBMW]

To those complaining about the possibility of not getting a top 5 pick,

Remember that half of the guys taken in the lottery will become complete busts and won't even be part of the league in 5 years.

Wiggins has the most potential, but he is still young and needs to develop.

Embiid is NOT the next Shaq. He could be an allstar center, but he could also be a bust.

I'm not impressed at all with Randle.

Parker is the surest thing, but he may actually decide to stay another year.

Exum and Smart look good, but we already have our back-court of the future AND even if we lose Bledsoe or Dragic, the league has a ton of great PG's. The PG position is by far the most stacked at the moment.

[Jdiddy701]

I can't explain how bad I want the Suns in the playoffs. I don't even care if we get swept. Just getting in would mean so much to the fan base and the season we've had. If someone asked me to pay 1,000 dollars to get in, I would do it.

[ZB9]

Wait a second, isn't there a scenario where the Mavs and Grizzlies game matter to the Mavs? They may not sit their starters. It all depends on who Dallas wants to face.

Still holding on to hope.

No
Dallas holds a tiebreaker over Memphis.
If we beat Memphis that puts them 1 game behind Dallas.
So Dallas clinches 7th seed before they even meet Memphis which would result in everyone resting.

Only shot we have is if lakers beat Memphis tomorrow night

If Golden State loses out, Dallas can play for the 6th seed against Memphis.

not likely obviously, but stranger things have happened

[Kerrsed]

Forgot all about that and also forgot Emeka Okafor is on this team lol

Now thinking about it, we should have pulled for Gasol a little bit more. This team could have been something this season with him, especially with how terrible Frye has been. I hate Gasol but I'm sure he'd be better than Frye right now. He could have been our stabilizer these last couple of games.

Dragic Bledsoe Tucker Morris Gasol in crunch time would have been legit and a very difficult team to beat.

LMAO.

Hard for Gasol to help us when he cant even help the Lakers. The dude isnt even playing. He was diagnosed with Vertigo and has missed the past 11 games, and reports are now saying that he is done for the season due to his condition. Hard to be our stabilizer when the only thing he would be stabilizing is a chair in street clothes.

[DirtyDez]

Forgot all about that and also forgot Emeka Okafor is on this team lol

Now thinking about it, we should have pulled for Gasol a little bit more. This team could have been something this season with him, especially with how terrible Frye has been. I hate Gasol but I'm sure he'd be better than Frye right now. He could have been our stabilizer these last couple of games.

Dragic Bledsoe Tucker Morris Gasol in crunch time would have been legit and a very difficult team to beat.

LMAO.

Hard for Gasol to help us when he cant even help the Lakers. The dude isnt even playing. He was diagnosed with Vertigo and has missed the past 11 games, and reports are now saying that he is done for the season due to his condition. Hard to be our stabilizer when the only thing he would be stabilizing is a chair in street clothes.

Trading for Gasol and missing the playoffs, now that would've been embarrassing!

[schnakenpopanz]

only thing i can complain about regarding our trades: they failed to add a good back up pg. better than ish smith of course. he is a loophole on offense.

[grumpysaddle]

Is Patty Mills a FA this offseason? He'd be the perfect backup PG, IMO.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I527 using RealGM Forums mobile app

[Christine-In-AZ]

only thing i can complain about regarding our trades: they failed to add a good back up pg. better than ish smith of course. he is a loophole on offense.

If you're saying that Ish Smith was the reason the Suns didn't get over the hump, I have to argue against that notion. Maybe you're not alluding to that notion.

Ish is certainly a weak shooter (41%) almost "Rubio weak" (38%), and that does hurt. But his other numbers stack up quite favorably, especially for a 3rd string PG. The Suns having 2 quality PGs already makes his role even less important.

.......Assists per 36 .....A/TO ....RPM/Rank

Dragic .....6.1 ...2.1 ...3.69/26
Bledsoe ...6.0 ...1.6 ...3.52/31
Smith .....6.2 ...2.6 ...-1.51/239 (46th out of the 87 graded point guards)

Smith has done alright in my view. A "C" or "C+" for a back-up, low minutes guard. Hardly great, but hardly the reason the Suns didn't make the playoffs, maybe reason #4 on the list.

[Frank Lee]

Forgot all about that and also forgot Emeka Okafor is on this team lol

Now thinking about it, we should have pulled for Gasol a little bit more. This team could have been something this season with him, especially with how terrible Frye has been. I hate Gasol but I'm sure he'd be better than Frye right now. He could have been our stabilizer these last couple of games.

Dragic Bledsoe Tucker Morris Gasol in crunch time would have been legit and a very difficult team to beat.

LMAO.

Hard for Gasol to help us when he cant even help the Lakers. The dude isnt even playing. He was diagnosed with Vertigo and has missed the past 11 games, and reports are now saying that he is done for the season due to his condition. Hard to be our stabilizer when the only thing he would be stabilizing is a chair in street clothes.

you buying that swampland ? You, the original tank commander ? vertigo ? come on......

"Hey Pao, sit out the rest of the way, so we can lose a few more games, do you mind?"
"good idea Mitch....but i don't have a bad back or foot..."
"no prob Pao, no prob"

[lilfishi22]

To those complaining about the possibility of not getting a top 5 pick,

Remember that half of the guys taken in the lottery will become complete busts and won't even be part of the league in 5 years.

Wiggins has the most potential, but he is still young and needs to develop.

Embiid is NOT the next Shaq. He could be an allstar center, but he could also be a bust.

I'm not impressed at all with Randle.

Parker is the surest thing, but he may actually decide to stay another year.

Exum and Smart look good, but we already have our back-court of the future AND even if we lose Bledsoe or Dragic, the league has a ton of great PG's. The PG position is by far the most stacked at the moment.

Well, like the lottery, you gotta be in it to win it.

[schnakenpopanz]

only thing i can complain about regarding our trades: they failed to add a good back up pg. better than ish smith of course. he is a loophole on offense.

If you're saying that Ish Smith was the reason the Suns didn't get over the hump, I have to argue against that notion. Maybe you're not alluding to that notion.

Ish is certainly a weak shooter (41%) almost "Rubio weak" (38%), and that does hurt. But his other numbers stack up quite favorably, especially for a 3rd string PG. The Suns having 2 quality PGs already makes his role even less important.

.......Assists per 36 .....A/TO ....RPM/Rank

Dragic .....6.1 ...2.1 ...3.69/26
Bledsoe ...6.0 ...1.6 ...3.52/31
Smith .....6.2 ...2.6 ...-1.51/239 (46th out of the 87 graded point guards)

Smith has done alright in my view. A "C" or "C+" for a back-up, low minutes guard. Hardly great, but hardly the reason the Suns didn't make the playoffs, maybe reason #4 on the list.

i can tell you, numbers don't tell the whole story. esp in the games that matter. i don't really care if ish plays vs the bucks, 76ers and magic of this league. we have seen it vs mavs and spurs. the smart teams and good teams know this and adjust. the addition of barbosa was good in that matter. when he got hurt it effected our firepower

[DRK]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/455184849880363008[/tweet]

BS. I don't buy that they were "devastated" by the loss. It's fake imo.

If they wanted to win, why choke? They have the game to the Mavs. They turned the ball over. They played defense like crap.

......

For us Bledsoe's the only that's been in the playoffs a lot (with LAC). Frye & Dragic made it once back in '10 but that's it.

Wait, youre joking right?

[Christine-In-AZ]

i can tell you, numbers don't tell the whole story. esp in the games that matter. i don't really care if ish plays vs the bucks, 76ers and magic of this league. we have seen it vs mavs and spurs. the smart teams and good teams know this and adjust. the addition of barbosa was good in that matter. when he got hurt it effected our firepower

I completely agree with you. I'd have much rather had Barbs than Ish filling up the role as the 3rd point guard. It's unfortunate that he broke his hand 2 weeks after the deadline. Had the Suns possessed a crystal ball, they very well might have made some sort of trade to shore up that position...but they didn't have one.

[b-ball forever]

Vertigo's some serious ****

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDkc4DLXv6E[/youtube]

But seriously, I'm totally buying Pau Gasol not being ready to play. He played like crap and was totally outta sync in the last couple games he got to play despite the rest he got, and has clearly been playing with health issues all season.

[Revived]

Forgot all about that and also forgot Emeka Okafor is on this team lol

Now thinking about it, we should have pulled for Gasol a little bit more. This team could have been something this season with him, especially with how terrible Frye has been. I hate Gasol but I'm sure he'd be better than Frye right now. He could have been our stabilizer these last couple of games.

Dragic Bledsoe Tucker Morris Gasol in crunch time would have been legit and a very difficult team to beat.

LMAO.

Hard for Gasol to help us when he cant even help the Lakers. The dude isnt even playing. He was diagnosed with Vertigo and has missed the past 11 games, and reports are now saying that he is done for the season due to his condition. Hard to be our stabilizer when the only thing he would be stabilizing is a chair in street clothes.

Jordan Hill could have been helpful though...and LAL was only asking for a 2nd rd pick for him as well. He's as good or better defensively and better rebounder and has more offensive skills than Plumlee and Randolph.