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Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17)

Moderators: bwgood77, Qwigglez, lilfishi22

Game prediction!

Poll ended at Sun Feb 12, 2017 11:54 am

Len returns and wants to start again, posts a double-double
4
18%
Booker with 30+ points
6
27%
Bledsoe with 20+ points and over 10 assist
1
5%
Alan Williams does it again... double-double
2
9%
Chriss with 15+ points
0
No votes
TJ Warren 20+ points, 2+ steals
3
14%
PJ Tucker logs 40 minutes
6
27%
 
Total votes: 22

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Re: Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17) 

Post#121 » by Mr Puddles » Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:55 am

darealjuice wrote:
Mr Puddles wrote:
darealjuice wrote:
You can't start a 2nd round rookie over the guy you're trying to trade and currently pay 14 million a year lol.


I remember Watson saying something at the start of the season along the lines of 'whoever plays better gets minutes, regardless of who you are or what contract you're signed to'.

If the objective was to increase Knight's trade value, we failed horribly. Knight plays a lot better off the ball, so if we want to showcase him we're better off showcasing his strengths then his weaknesses.

Knight played 20 minutes, Ulis played 28 minutes, who cares who starts.


Because by the time Ulis entered the Suns we already down 24 points (in the first 6 minutes of the game I might add).

The when he re-entered the game we were down 40.

Ulis was placed in an unwinnable situation.


Ulis played better, he got more minutes... I agree I'd much rather see him on the floor than Knight, but it's unreasonable to expect a rookie to start over him right now with how much money we have committed to him and how we're hopefully trading him. I'm happy enough Ulis got so many minutes, but we were going to get blown out regardless of Ulis starting or Knight.


Where we disagree is that I don't see Ulis and Knight as playing the same position. Knight is actually a decent shooting guard and if we had showcased him by playing him ahead of Barbossa or moving booker to the 3 at times, or even him taking some of Bookers minutes - I would have understood.

But you don't showcase a player by playing him out of position. Knight always looks terrible as a point guard - what made our coaching staff think today would be any different? Showcase him for what he is - a 2 guard playing off the ball - is the only way we're going to be able to get any type of value for him.

Really the main reason Ulis played more minutes than Knight, is the same reason that he played more minutes than Booker - because by the time he re-entered the game was already lost, and we closed out the game with our bench unit.
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Re: Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17) 

Post#122 » by LukasBMW » Sun Feb 12, 2017 5:26 am

I can't help but think that we would be a .500 team if D'Antoni was running our offense.

Remember, last year the Rockets were very mediocre. They lose Dwight Howard and now they may win 60 games.

Oh yeah...replace our 2 best players with our 2 worst players and we go from being bad (but somewhat competitive) to easily the worst team in the league (yes...even worse then BKN).

**** you Sarver! This would never have happened under Colangelo's watch. I'm dead serious!
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Re: Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17) 

Post#123 » by darealjuice » Sun Feb 12, 2017 5:39 am

Mr Puddles wrote:
darealjuice wrote:
Mr Puddles wrote:
I remember Watson saying something at the start of the season along the lines of 'whoever plays better gets minutes, regardless of who you are or what contract you're signed to'.

If the objective was to increase Knight's trade value, we failed horribly. Knight plays a lot better off the ball, so if we want to showcase him we're better off showcasing his strengths then his weaknesses.



Because by the time Ulis entered the Suns we already down 24 points (in the first 6 minutes of the game I might add).

The when he re-entered the game we were down 40.

Ulis was placed in an unwinnable situation.


Ulis played better, he got more minutes... I agree I'd much rather see him on the floor than Knight, but it's unreasonable to expect a rookie to start over him right now with how much money we have committed to him and how we're hopefully trading him. I'm happy enough Ulis got so many minutes, but we were going to get blown out regardless of Ulis starting or Knight.


Where we disagree is that I don't see Ulis and Knight as playing the same position. Knight is actually a decent shooting guard and if we had showcased him by playing him ahead of Barbossa or moving booker to the 3 at times, or even him taking some of Bookers minutes - I would have understood.

But you don't showcase a player by playing him out of position. Knight always looks terrible as a point guard - what made our coaching staff think today would be any different? Showcase him for what he is - a 2 guard playing off the ball - is the only way we're going to be able to get any type of value for him.

Really the main reason Ulis played more minutes than Knight, is the same reason that he played more minutes than Booker - because by the time he re-entered the game was already lost, and we closed out the game with our bench unit.


They may not play the same, but they're on the court to play the same position and Knight sure likes to say he's a point guard. I agree that Knight is better off ball, but he doesn't have the size to be a full time 2 guard in the league and isn't a good enough distributor or ball handler to be a point guard, so he's going to have to be on a team where he's not the primary distributor but isn't forced to be undersized at the 2 all game.

Teams don't want him as an undersized 2 guard, they will want him as a scoring combo guard that can occasionally distribute, but when Bledsoe isn't playing we don't have anyone that can take the ball out of Knight's hands and be a passable primary playmaker, so he gets forced into the role. Obviously Ulis is better than him at it, but it's not a good look for the franchise to start a rookie over a guy we're trying to trade, and the only way Knight was going to play off ball tonight was with Ulis at the point, which is asking for mismatches.
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Re: Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17) 

Post#124 » by LukasBMW » Sun Feb 12, 2017 5:40 am

I just realized that Knight played all of 15 minutes last night. No excuse on being tired. This was his chance to play with the starters and prove that he can run our team. You'd think he would step up. He sure delivered with a -38 in 20 minutes scoring 3 points on 1 of 8 shooting with 2 turnovers and 0 assists. Holy hell! :banghead:

Len didn't even play last night because he was suspended! His stat line isn't awful, but he did foul out in only 19 minutes and 45 seconds. :lol:

The last time we played the Clippers, their announcers spoke highly of Len and Knight. Maybe we can sucker them into a trade.
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Re: Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17) 

Post#125 » by Qwigglez » Sun Feb 12, 2017 5:49 am

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Re: Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17) 

Post#126 » by darealjuice » Sun Feb 12, 2017 5:51 am

LukasBMW wrote:I can't help but think that we would be a .500 team if D'Antoni was running our offense.

Remember, last year the Rockets were very mediocre. They lose Dwight Howard and now they may win 60 games.

Oh yeah...replace our 2 best players with our 2 worst players and we go from being bad (but somewhat competitive) to easily the worst team in the league (yes...even worse then BKN).

**** you Sarver! This would never have happened under Colangelo's watch. I'm dead serious!


We may be a bit better, but I really doubt we'd be near .500. When D'Antoni's system works, it really works, but when he doesn't have the personnel for it you get what he did with the Knicks and Lakers. The Rockets are a very different team from last year and are tailor made for D'Antoni, while we aren't. James Harden is one of the best ball handlers, scorers, and passers in the league, Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon (when healthy) are both much better spot up shooters than anyone on our team, Clint Capela has been a great lob target and rim protector all year, and Beverley is a very good defender to help make up for Harden's deficiency. I'd pretty much guarantee that Bledsoe couldn't thrive in that offense, and we don't have the shooters around him to rack up assists on kick outs like Harden does even if he did.
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Re: Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17) 

Post#127 » by thamadkant » Sun Feb 12, 2017 7:45 am

Another example why using Len's per 36 is useless. He is all body and athleticism and no brain.... Good mentor Chandler is, thats his job... To give knowledge.... Probably sabotaging him lol.


But in anycase... Len with a proper coach could be decent.


I dont want to pay him anymore than 12 million at all.
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Re: Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17) 

Post#128 » by Frank Lee » Sun Feb 12, 2017 8:49 am

bwgood77 wrote:
carey wrote:
Read on Twitter


I change my guess to Suns lose by 17.

Only 17? That would be impressive with no Bled or Chandler.....though we probably have to go small a bit anyway. Gordon May be a bit banged up or out though.



Spread was 16....5 1/2 1st q.... 10 1st half

Would have been a nice trifecta. I balked. :banghead: didn't know Bled was sitting.
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Re: Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17) 

Post#129 » by Fo-Real » Sun Feb 12, 2017 3:16 pm

Frustrating to watch for sure. The people you expect some fire from and then realize you have no basis to expect it from them because they have never shown fire. Book basically hacked and doubled plus being just off tonight, gets slight pass. Knight proved what we thought he was, Len proved what he thought he was, Warren is invisible, no fight from those dudes. Almost like the confidence in coach and scheme has broken down, only Tucker and Duds seemed to play hard. Almost no one seemed to be taking the ass whoopin personally!
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Re: Game 55: Suns (17-37) @ Rockets (39-17) 

Post#130 » by bwgood77 » Sun Feb 12, 2017 7:36 pm

Frank Lee wrote:
bwgood77 wrote:
carey wrote:
Read on Twitter


I change my guess to Suns lose by 17.

Only 17? That would be impressive with no Bled or Chandler.....though we probably have to go small a bit anyway. Gordon May be a bit banged up or out though.



Spread was 16....5 1/2 1st q.... 10 1st half

Would have been a nice trifecta. I balked. :banghead: didn't know Bled was sitting.


I thought of that too. Had I been gambling like I used to, I would have bet against the Suns here in a heartbeat. Off a b2b with those guys out? I even still have an online account with some money in it. Oh well. It's never really that fun to bet against your own team though, but I guess that's mainly true when you want them to win.
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