Game Day: Suns (18-15) @ Thunder (15-17), Wed 12/31/14

[Ring_Wanted]

Loved Len's fire against Westbrook and his grown ass man rebounds, Green's threes that kept us in the game in the second, Bledsoe and Dragic working.

Hated rotations that left Ibaka wide open and getting destroyed by Ish freaking Smith. That one is on IT3, and Hornacek for keeping him on the game so long.

Durant did Durant things although for a moment Marcus did a terrific job of paying him back, and probably bothered KD on defense more than PJ.

Defensive rebounding also contributed big time to give the game away. We've allowed Perkins to have his second best game of the season.

Oh, and despite Westbrook's ejection, the refs favored OKC heavily.

[Mori Chu]

Is Markieff Morris genuinely good now? Not like has good games, but is just genuinely a good player. Like you'd go Dragic, Markieff, Bledsoe?

I think you can make a pretty good case that Markieff Morris is our best player this year. I still like Dragic better, but if you just go by the performances and numbers this season, it's arguable.

[da_suns_fan]

Is Markieff Morris genuinely good now? Not like has good games, but is just genuinely a good player. Like you'd go Dragic, Markieff, Bledsoe?

I think you can make a pretty good case that Markieff Morris is our best player this year. I still like Dragic better, but if you just go by the performances and numbers this season, it's arguable.

He's as good of a one-on-one forward that we've ever had.

[INFORMER]

Is Markieff Morris genuinely good now? Not like has good games, but is just genuinely a good player. Like you'd go Dragic, Markieff, Bledsoe?

I think you can make a pretty good case that Markieff Morris is our best player this year. I still like Dragic better, but if you just go by the performances and numbers this season, it's arguable.

He's as good of a one-on-one forward that we've ever had.

I'm not sure how much that is saying.

[AmareIsGod]

Is Markieff Morris genuinely good now? Not like has good games, but is just genuinely a good player. Like you'd go Dragic, Markieff, Bledsoe?

I think you can make a pretty good case that Markieff Morris is our best player this year. I still like Dragic better, but if you just go by the performances and numbers this season, it's arguable.

He's as good of a one-on-one forward that we've ever had.

I'm not sure how much that is saying.

Off the top of my head we had Connie Hawkins, Charles Barkley and Amare Stoudemire, just to name a few. Not exactly chopped liver PFs.

[Nodack]

Awesome game! The fans got their money's worth. The bad guys squeaked out a win, but we almost squeaked out the win ourselves. They played with fire and left it all on the court. Works for me. There is some bad blood there.

[The Bobster]

Is Markieff Morris genuinely good now? Not like has good games, but is just genuinely a good player. Like you'd go Dragic, Markieff, Bledsoe?

I think you can make a pretty good case that Markieff Morris is our best player this year. I still like Dragic better, but if you just go by the performances and numbers this season, it's arguable.

He's as good of a one-on-one forward that we've ever had.

I'm not sure how much that is saying.

Off the top of my head we had Connie Hawkins, Charles Barkley and Amare Stoudemire, just to name a few. Not exactly chopped liver PFs.

You can throw a pretty good SF, Walter Davis, in there too, along with a couple of PF/SF - Tom Chambers and Larry Nance.

[INFORMER]

Off the top of my head we had Connie Hawkins, Charles Barkley and Amare Stoudemire, just to name a few. Not exactly chopped liver PFs.

You can throw a pretty good SF, Walter Davis, in there too, along with a couple of PF/SF - Tom Chambers and Larry Nance.

It's not just a discussion of power forwards. The point was that Markieff is as good of a one on one forward as the Suns have had. That's a specific qualifier. So I'm assuming a guy like Amare isn't a in the discussion because he was more of a pick and roll/pop. I'm also thinking other players like Chambers (shooter?), Ceballos (garbage/opportune scorer), wouldn't meet the specific qualify.

I'm not sure how you can leave Barkley out of the discussion though, unless the point is that Markieff is just as good as him. And if that is the point, then...well...I respectfully disagree, to say the least.

[LazarusLong]

Kieff has made strides, but aside from Nance, he's not in the conversation with the others mentioned. Tom Gugliotta, when healthy, would also be in consideration.

[carey]

In 1992-3 Barkley was a guy who could score on anyone in the league whenever he wanted. Sometimes he didn't want to and wanted to shoot 3's. But he was that good.

[Ring_Wanted]

Close to the basket Barkley was a bull, pretty different to Markieff. Kieff has mastered the contested two after one or two bounces, turnaround, at basically unlimited range, but the closer to the basket, the more those guys bother him. The only jumpshooter I can think of that gets it done no matter what is Dirk. Maybe some Aldridge too.

[LazarusLong]

If anyone, Kieff's offensive game is somewhat similar to Truck Robinson, a supposed power player who actually preferred a mid-range game. But Truck was a better rebounder.

[Mori Chu]

How about Danny Manning? He could find a way to put the ball in the basket no matter what the defense did to him. I loved that guy.

[LazarusLong]

I like Kieff, but Manning was a much smarter player and better passer.

[INFORMER]

How about Danny Manning? He could find a way to put the ball in the basket no matter what the defense did to him. I loved that guy.

Agreed. One of my favorite Suns.

[INFORMER]

I like Kieff, but Manning was a much smarter player and better passer.

Markieff is better than the Danny Manning that we saw after his second major knee injury with the Suns (third of his career I believe).

[LazarusLong]

Well, yes.
My comparison was essentially for similar stages of respective careers.

[INFORMER]

I was just focusing it on Manning's time here with the Suns, bringing it back to the context of dsf's initial claim, which I'm now failing to see how it could be even remotely true.

[LazarusLong]

I concur with your observation re: dsf's post.

[EDC]

Yeah, he might have overstated it but Kieff has made it look easy lately. When he posts up he just looks so in control and the jumper seems to be automatic. Of course that is when he doesn't travel. The twins love to move their feet before putting the ball on the floor.