Game 8: Miami Heat (3-3) @ Phoenix Suns (6-1) | Nov 6 | 7:00PM

Mulhollanddrive · Post #61 » by **Mulhollanddrive** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 4:36 am

We've given opposition 44 more possessions this season from offensive rebounds (-28) and turnovers (+16)

That's why games are close, we go neutral in that and our shooting all goes to margin.

Incredible to be 7-1 when opposition gets 5.5 more shots a game.

Revived · Post #62 » by **Revived** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 4:48 am

I know we’re winning rn but we need to look into ways to bring Booker and KD’s mins down.

I think utilizing Dunn way more and also Monte Morris would be a sufficient way.

Monte Morris is a baller and can run the offense, handle the ball, score etc especially in short period of time. Need to let him run some mins.

Post #63 » by **lilfishi22** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 4:51 am

With an OKC loss, we're now 1st in the West!

Enjoy it while it lasts

RaisingArizona · Post #64 » by **RaisingArizona** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 4:58 am

1st in the West. Last time since 2021? 7-1 is nothing to sneeze at. Winning is fun let's keep it up!

Iceman36 · Post #65 » by **Iceman36** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 5:31 am

Just finished.
Fun game, even when we would have lost it. We're back at playing great Basketball again. And we are fantastic coached! Timeouts, challenges, rotations, kind of playing...all top notch from Bud. Just wow! He always does, what I feel the coach should do when watching on the screen. Fell back in love with the team after that horror of last season.

Book1Nation · Post #66 » by **Book1Nation** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 5:40 am

Facts, Book.

Read on Twitter

sunsbg · Post #67 » by **sunsbg** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 6:02 am

Looks like it was an earlier game so missed an opportunity to watch live another nail biter, but will do on replay. How many of those we already had and what would be the record if KD was not ballin.

Good Suns are winning the close games at start of season. If the record allows it may need to rest players more towards the end of the season. West is a blood bath with 11 teams holding .500+ record. Heat were 1/5 in East and now there are only four EC teams above .500. Next 5/6 games are against WC playoff contenders. No easy games.

Post #68 » by **lilfishi22** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 6:23 am

Iceman36 wrote:Just finished.
Fun game, even when we would have lost it. We're back at playing great Basketball again. And we are fantastic coached! Timeouts, challenges, rotations, kind of playing...all top notch from Bud. Just wow! He always does, what I feel the coach should do when watching on the screen. Fell back in love with the team after that horror of last season.

Simple fact is that these are exactly the type of games last season that we would've lost and lost miserably. I am still concerned about the minutes on KD is playing but this is a long season and we'll find opportunities to scale it back. The most important thing are getting those coaching/chemistry stuff right early in the season because that's what will set the tone for the rest of the season.

Post #69 » by **lilfishi22** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 6:41 am

Revived wrote:I know we’re winning rn but we need to look into ways to bring Booker and KD’s mins down.

I think utilizing Dunn way more and also Monte Morris would be a sufficient way.

Monte Morris is a baller and can run the offense, handle the ball, score etc especially in short period of time. Need to let him run some mins.

Agreed with you earlier esp around KD minutes and agree we should be using Dunn more to spell KD a bit more rest.

Only point of difference I wanted to point out is that KD's points and the way he's been getting his shots is a notable departure from last season where they was a lot of ISO's, like clear out ISOs where he still has his primary defender on him. I think he's way more fresh in the 4th quarter this season and he's able to be that mfer as Book as called him, because he's been getting a lot of his points within the flow of the system. There are still iso possessions (KD is still KD) but for the most part, most of his possessions are decisive, there is work being done off ball to screen/move to get him a better position or match up and importantly, there is better spacing being created by those off ball actions to allow him to work.

Edit: KD's ISO Point Per Possession is now 1.23 which puts him 5th in the league (behind Malik Monk, Cam Thomas, Tatum and Jokic). Only issue is that his turnover % is among the worst in the league. He HAS to clean those up. Last season he was a pretty mid 0.94 PPP which puts him in the 54th percentile but his TOV% was 10.4% which would put him 8th lowest among the high volume iso guys (Book would've been 2nd)

Revived · Post #70 » by **Revived** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 7:37 am

Having to play Dallas without Dunn sucks.

sunsbg · Post #71 » by **sunsbg** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 8:13 am

Revived wrote:Having to play Dallas without Dunn sucks.

Read he got hurt, but hoped it's not serious. What happened ?

Lucky Luka.

SunsRback4Good · Post #72 » by **SunsRback4Good** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 8:57 am

sunsbg wrote:
Revived wrote:Having to play Dallas without Dunn sucks.

Read he got hurt, but hoped it's not serious. What happened ?

Lucky Luka.

Luka is very lucky. Dunn would easily shut his azz down as suns escape with a victory. But now I see Mavs spank us by 20+ points.

sunsbg · Post #73 » by **sunsbg** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 10:55 am

Weird they don't call a timeout or commit a foul to sub when a player is obviously hurt. Hope Dunn's ankle is fine.

sashaturiaf · Post #74 » by **sashaturiaf** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 1:00 pm

Our team is still full of holes and it's clear we need to upgrade a player or two and elevate a few levels to be taken seriously in the playoffs, yet somehow we can't stop winning.

Whether it's due to Buds coaching, Tyus Jones floor generalship or the Big 3 getting more used to each other. There's a level of poise in our play thats allowing us to pull these wins out on the margins, what a turnaround from a season ago

Revived · Post #75 » by **Revived** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 3:19 pm

sunsbg wrote:
Revived wrote:Having to play Dallas without Dunn sucks.

Read he got hurt, but hoped it's not serious. What happened ?

Lucky Luka.

Sprained ankle is what Bud said after the game. Probably a 1-2 week injury at minimum based on other ankle sprains in NBA but ofc it depends on severity.

Saberestar · Post #76 » by **Saberestar** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 4:42 pm

The Heat is always a challenge because of Spo.

They made us work with all their different defensive schemes and their offensive rebounding and I thought we were losing this one.

KD with another amazing performance. He needs to be in the consideration for the MVP, IDK who deserves it more than him, only Jokic comes to my mind.

Dunn was effective from the 3p line aand displayed great defense on Butler/Duncan Robinson. **** ankle sprain.

And what about Nurkic? That's my CENTER. 20/18/2... Let’s go!

kennydorglas · Post #77 » by **kennydorglas** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 4:52 pm

I'm still mad we lost that damn game to Lamers.
Good prime KD is showing up.
He's unguardable. U can only pray he's in a bad night.

ImNotMcDiSwear · Post #78 » by **ImNotMcDiSwear** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 5:16 pm

KD is playing as well as he's ever played in his career right now. It's crazy that he's obviously our best player. If he keeps this up he'll be in the conversation for MVP.

Post #79 » by **bwgood77** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 5:37 pm

Awesome game from Nurk! I was laughing when he kept hitting 3s...every time it was like 3 more feet back. His best game easily. If he can hit 3s like that, it's huge, and if he keeps rebounding the way he has the last few games, his lack of very good interior defense and some of the turnovers I can handle.

KD is playing awesome too. He really clutched up.

It's amazing that we go from the most clutch team for a few years, to the worst 4th quarter team, to the most clutch team again. While it would be nice to have some blowouts, it's great that we know we can close out close games.

I am curious how we will play against the good teams like Boston, Cleveland, OKC and GS, who is playing much better than I would have expected before the season.

ImNotMcDiSwear · Post #80 » by **ImNotMcDiSwear** » Thu Nov 7, 2024 7:57 pm

bwgood77 wrote:Awesome game from Nurk! I was laughing when he kept hitting 3s...every time it was like 3 more feet back. His best game easily. If he can hit 3s like that, it's huge, and if he keeps rebounding the way he has the last few games, his lack of very good interior defense and some of the turnovers I can handle.

KD is playing awesome too. He really clutched up.

It's amazing that we go from the most clutch team for a few years, to the worst 4th quarter team, to the most clutch team again. While it would be nice to have some blowouts, it's great that we know we can close out close games.

I am curious how we will play against the good teams like Boston, Cleveland, OKC and GS, who is playing much better than I would have expected before the season.

I would also like to see a blowout. I felt like blowout victories were unnervingly rare in our Chris Paul years. It seemed they were rather common during our SSOL years.

Great teams get blowouts more than occasionally. It takes a great team to win a championship. Boston, OKC, GSW and Cavs have blown teams out, but all of ours have been squeakers - which is why I can't place us in that uppermost tier.