Game 44: Trailblazers (31-11) @ Suns (25-18)

[RunDogGun]

^In that situation I think you put in Goodwin and other deep bench guys. Because they'll try to run plays, they'll play hard on both ends to try and prove coach to allow them to play more. They cut our lead by 6-8 then we can put our starters in. Instead we immediately put in the starters who wanted to play selfish ball. Very frustrating to say the least.

Not always. Often when many garbage guys come in, they are out for themselves. Through looking at stats, I've seen guys like Goodwin have a 75% usage in one of his small minute games.

But honestly, I was hoping for a few deeper bench guys to get some burn. We also blew many opportunities when we had a smaller guard on our bigs in the post. Twice we swung it in the opposite direction around the three point line.

[JTrain]

We need to win via blowout once in a while. Shows the team we can do it. Not every game should be a heart attack. We shouldn't be scraping for each win.

In the last 10 games, we beat PHI and TOR by 16, MIN by 11, and just last game the LAL by 15. I consider any win by 10+ pretty much a blowout. What do you mean by blowout...25? 30?

I think he means games that were safely put away by midway through the fourth. The Lakers cut it to six with three minutes left. A lot of games won by 10 are not even close to blowouts. Memphis beat us by 10 a few games ago in a double OT game we should have won.

[Revived]

We need to win via blowout once in a while. Shows the team we can do it. Not every game should be a heart attack. We shouldn't be scraping for each win.

In the last 10 games, we beat PHI and TOR by 16, MIN by 11, and just last game the LAL by 15. I consider any win by 10+ pretty much a blowout. What do you mean by blowout...25? 30?

I think he means games that were safely put away by midway through the fourth. The Lakers cut it to six with three minutes left. A lot of games won by 10 are not even close to blowouts. Memphis beat us by 10 a few games ago in a double OT game we should have won.

Yup, the Toronto game is our true blow out that we've had lately.

[rsavaj]

Not the ideal way to win but man...is it just me or has this board gotten salty this year?

[Qwigglez]

We're a pretty salty bunch rsavaj.

[Revived]

Anyone else feel like Tucker's defense hasn't been as good as it's been the last couple years?

His rebounding has been great but his defense really hasn't been all that great. I know we always put him on the opposing team's best player but a lot of times they score just as easily on Tucker as they would on anyone else. Re watching the game, PJ could hardly stay in front of the likes on Nic Batum......and Batum really hasn't that been good this season.

I don't know if it's the contract extension maybe satisfying him a little too much or if there's an injury we don't know about or maybe just the fact that he's old but his defense imo hasn't been as good as advertised even though rebounding wise he's been great.

He's still probably our best or 2nd best defender but that's not saying all that much.

[thamadkant]

The pattern with the Suns loses are;

dominant big men who rebounds and scores.

[bigfoot]

The pattern with the Suns loses are;

dominant big men who rebounds and scores.

A better pattern is too many turnovers and low three point percentage. Both in the same game. One or the other we can survive. With both we lose.

[Kerrsed]

Anyone else feel like Tucker's defense hasn't been as good as it's been the last couple years?

His rebounding has been great but his defense really hasn't been all that great. I know we always put him on the opposing team's best player but a lot of times they score just as easily on Tucker as they would on anyone else. Re watching the game, PJ could hardly stay in front of the likes on Nic Batum......and Batum really hasn't that been good this season.

I don't know if it's the contract extension maybe satisfying him a little too much or if there's an injury we don't know about or maybe just the fact that he's old but his defense imo hasn't been as good as advertised even though rebounding wise he's been great.

He's still probably our best or 2nd best defender but that's not saying all that much.

I dont think this is the case at all, i just think he had an off night.

I think that our teams defense has absolutely sucked in years past, making him standout more as an excellent defender, but this season we have improved our defense so much that he doesnt stand out as much as he used to. Pretty much, he is the same Tucker, just not as noticeable since the other have stepped it up.

[Jdiddy701]

The pattern is a Suns win. I'm cool with how we are playing. It's not like we have vet guys on the team. Suns doing well for a first year team together with this mix. It's only going to get better.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[BurningHeart]

We need to win via blowout once in a while. Shows the team we can do it. Not every game should be a heart attack. We shouldn't be scraping for each win.

In the last 10 games, we beat PHI and TOR by 16, MIN by 11, and just last game the LAL by 15. I consider any win by 10+ pretty much a blowout. What do you mean by blowout...25? 30?

I think he means games that were safely put away by midway through the fourth. The Lakers cut it to six with three minutes left. A lot of games won by 10 are not even close to blowouts. Memphis beat us by 10 a few games ago in a double OT game we should have won.

Yes, exactly. A game in which we run a team out of the damn gym. For a team like ours, which is predicated on offense and pace, we shouldn't be scraping by. It shows that our offense isn't consistent enough to have one dominant game where we don't have to worry.

[thamadkant]

Anyone else feel like Tucker's defense hasn't been as good as it's been the last couple years?

His rebounding has been great but his defense really hasn't been all that great. I know we always put him on the opposing team's best player but a lot of times they score just as easily on Tucker as they would on anyone else. Re watching the game, PJ could hardly stay in front of the likes on Nic Batum......and Batum really hasn't that been good this season.

I don't know if it's the contract extension maybe satisfying him a little too much or if there's an injury we don't know about or maybe just the fact that he's old but his defense imo hasn't been as good as advertised even though rebounding wise he's been great.

He's still probably our best or 2nd best defender but that's not saying all that much.

1. Batum is a very good player, looks like he was "cruising" all season long so far, then fired up when the team needed him to.

2. Tucker is a bulldog and always will be, but a few of his rebounds could of easily went to Len, I saw a few where Len and him are going for the same ball, but Len let him take it instead. Len needs to start STAT padding dammit.

3. Tucker's game has always been about effort, thats tiring... he isnt gifted physically (apart from strength and bulkiness), so he relies a lot on energy expulsion on every action. The guy was probably tired... and as mentioned Batum is a very smart and a very good player... besides Tucker was guarding Matthews most of the game I thought... and Matthews is another BULL DOG, that guy has become thick-as the last few years... and very crafty still... Tucker's advantages got negated.

[RaisingArizona]

Not the ideal way to win but man...is it just me or has this board gotten salty this year?

Totally. Everything has a negative spin on it here. It's the reason I'm barely here anymore.

[Fo-Real]

Morale here is terrible, just a bunch of guys trying to one up eachother. The board of "I know more about basketball than you", much like the hero ball of our team. From reading our threads our players are the worst and our record is atrocious. No togetherness or positivity and if someone does post a message with even a positive overtone there are at least 3 or 4 posts following it SPECIFICALLY snuffing it out. There wasa time that people came here to joyfully discuss ball with the other guys, now its a oone up session.

[suns91fan]

Anyone else feel like Tucker's defense hasn't been as good as it's been the last couple years?

His rebounding has been great but his defense really hasn't been all that great. I know we always put him on the opposing team's best player but a lot of times they score just as easily on Tucker as they would on anyone else. Re watching the game, PJ could hardly stay in front of the likes on Nic Batum......and Batum really hasn't that been good this season.

I don't know if it's the contract extension maybe satisfying him a little too much or if there's an injury we don't know about or maybe just the fact that he's old but his defense imo hasn't been as good as advertised even though rebounding wise he's been great.

He's still probably our best or 2nd best defender but that's not saying all that much.

1. Batum is a very good player, looks like he was "cruising" all season long so far, then fired up when the team needed him to.

2. Tucker is a bulldog and always will be, but a few of his rebounds could of easily went to Len, I saw a few where Len and him are going for the same ball, but Len let him take it instead. Len needs to start STAT padding dammit.

3. Tucker's game has always been about effort, thats tiring... he isnt gifted physically (apart from strength and bulkiness), so he relies a lot on energy expulsion on every action. The guy was probably tired... and as mentioned Batum is a very smart and a very good player... besides Tucker was guarding Matthews most of the game I thought... and Matthews is another BULL DOG, that guy has become thick-as the last few years... and very crafty still... Tucker's advantages got negated.

I really hope you joked about that STAT padding part. I couldn't care less who rebounds the ball as long as it's the Suns player.

[Saberestar]

Great game, I enjoy the fight against a very good team. Bledsoe was amazing, faster than never.
Len and Whright played a so-so game, and Markieff a bad one, but at least he made a clutch shot at the end.
We are playing our best basketball of the season, GO SUNS!

[thamadkant]

Anyone else feel like Tucker's defense hasn't been as good as it's been the last couple years?

His rebounding has been great but his defense really hasn't been all that great. I know we always put him on the opposing team's best player but a lot of times they score just as easily on Tucker as they would on anyone else. Re watching the game, PJ could hardly stay in front of the likes on Nic Batum......and Batum really hasn't that been good this season.

I don't know if it's the contract extension maybe satisfying him a little too much or if there's an injury we don't know about or maybe just the fact that he's old but his defense imo hasn't been as good as advertised even though rebounding wise he's been great.

He's still probably our best or 2nd best defender but that's not saying all that much.

1. Batum is a very good player, looks like he was "cruising" all season long so far, then fired up when the team needed him to.

2. Tucker is a bulldog and always will be, but a few of his rebounds could of easily went to Len, I saw a few where Len and him are going for the same ball, but Len let him take it instead. Len needs to start STAT padding dammit.

3. Tucker's game has always been about effort, thats tiring... he isnt gifted physically (apart from strength and bulkiness), so he relies a lot on energy expulsion on every action. The guy was probably tired... and as mentioned Batum is a very smart and a very good player... besides Tucker was guarding Matthews most of the game I thought... and Matthews is another BULL DOG, that guy has become thick-as the last few years... and very crafty still... Tucker's advantages got negated.

I really hope you joked about that STAT padding part. I couldn't care less who rebounds the ball as long as it's the Suns player.

No I'm definitely not.. and I hope he stat pads every game, its good for him, its good for the Suns... there's nothing wrong with filling up the stat sheet, we already know he has a lot of impact that doesnt show, but it doesnt hurt to have impact that shows too.

Besides Alex Len is on my fantasy team...