*EARLY START* Game Day: Suns (38-32) @ Thunder (34-36), Sun 3/19/23

[Split T]

You can’t give up 31 points on 14 turnovers. Every turnover was worth more than a wide open dunk

[ShelC]

Postgame Quotes and Videos

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[wpmiller42]

I liked what I saw from Bazley. I just find it hard to believe there's not a role in this team with his kind of length and athleticism. His defense was good and I thought he moved the ball well. Also don't understand how during an 18 - 2 run, you can't give TJ a look. Defense isn't going to get worse at that point and maybe you can at least get a couple buckets to fall.

[SunsSince92]

I liked what I saw from Bazley. I just find it hard to believe there's not a role in this team with his kind of length and athleticism. His defense was good and I thought he moved the ball well. Also don't understand how during an 18 - 2 run, you can't give TJ a look. Defense isn't going to get worse at that point and maybe you can at least get a couple buckets to fall.

Completely agree. Bazley should have got more minutes tonight. He seemed like he had a point to prove against his former team and looked decent in the small amount of time he was on the court. The Warren omission baffles me. I'd have sooner had him out there than Payne or Wainwright, neither of whom could buy a bucket last night.

[ShelC]

Bazley's in the same situation as Stix. He's young and still raw, playing on a contending team now that really can't afford to let him play thru mistakes in order to develop.

[bajanguy008]

Funny you should mention Stix

Because my take away is quite similar to with Stix

Remember the whole is he a 4 or 5 discussion
We would put him at 4, mainly stand in the corner and he would be in with the bench unit

Then when we had injuries and he was forced to start at 5, and being in the PnR with CP3 he was getting wide open looks and was decent

Payne has his attributes but as much as we debate CP3 decline which to be fair is more shot related. You the big in a PnR with CP3 and opportunities always gonna come plus Bazley is so explosive that it doesn't even have to be spoon fed right at the rim

So for me it was that simple
PnR with CP3 >>>>> Stretch 4 in corner with Payne running the show
And yeah his D was good also but just don't see many scenarios where he's the small ball 5

[Mori Chu]

These kinds of losses sting. We want to be a title contender, but a title team would win games like this. Yeah we're missing KD and Ayton, but there is still supposedly a lot of talent on this roster, and we couldn't get it done. This team's title aspirations are relying on the team "gelling" after only playing a handful of games together in April. I don't know how likely that is to happen.

Side note, it seems like the whole West is limping along right now. It sure feels like the NBA champ is going to come out of the East this year. Maybe our best hope this year is that we manage to jank our way through the West and have a puncher's chance in a Finals series.

[Split T]

Ya we’re gonna have time to get things right in the playoffs hopefully. Feels like the Clippers look like our most likely opponent. I feel ok with that as long as we are healthy.

[Superbone]

These kinds of losses sting. We want to be a title contender, but a title team would win games like this. Yeah we're missing KD and Ayton, but there is still supposedly a lot of talent on this roster, and we couldn't get it done. This team's title aspirations are relying on the team "gelling" after only playing a handful of games together in April. I don't know how likely that is to happen.

Side note, it seems like the whole West is limping along right now. It sure feels like the NBA champ is going to come out of the East this year. Maybe our best hope this year is that we manage to jank our way through the West and have a puncher's chance in a Finals series.

Unfortunately, I've got to put a lot of this loss on Monty and not the players. Monty knows too. You can't keep that week lineup in and allow an 18-2 run or whatever it was. When does KD return?

[Superbone]

Ya we’re gonna have time to get things right in the playoffs hopefully. Feels like the Clippers look like our most likely opponent. I feel ok with that as long as we are healthy.

With Durant, I feel pretty good against most teams. Without him? Yeah...

[In2ition]

Ya we’re gonna have time to get things right in the playoffs hopefully. Feels like the Clippers look like our most likely opponent. I feel ok with that as long as we are healthy.

With Durant, I feel pretty good against most teams. Without him? Yeah...

I agree, because they could have beaten these teams with the depth of Mikal(who never misses a game) and CamJ.

[SunsSince92]

These kinds of losses sting. We want to be a title contender, but a title team would win games like this. Yeah we're missing KD and Ayton, but there is still supposedly a lot of talent on this roster, and we couldn't get it done. This team's title aspirations are relying on the team "gelling" after only playing a handful of games together in April. I don't know how likely that is to happen.

Side note, it seems like the whole West is limping along right now. It sure feels like the NBA champ is going to come out of the East this year. Maybe our best hope this year is that we manage to jank our way through the West and have a puncher's chance in a Finals series.

I agree, we shouldn't be losing games like this if we are genuine title contenders. I also have to question just how much talent we do have on the roster. Outside of the starting 5 (Durant included) , I don't see a huge amount for other teams to fear. With the exception of Ross and maybe Lee, I don't think any of the contending teams would swap their bench for ours, and that's surely a problem.

[In2ition]

Lee hasn't been a threat since the second month of the season. Can someone tell Craig to only make the "easy" pass? Enough with the cross-court pass where he has no idea where the defender is. It was incredibly frustrating that they missed about 6 layups early and middle of the 4th, when they had the game in control and then give up a 18-2 run. It was ridiculous to have to depend on Book to bail them out by himself.

[SunsSince92]

Lee hasn't been a threat since the second month of the season. Can someone tell Craig to only make the "easy" pass? Enough with the cross-court pass where he has no idea where the defender is. It was incredibly frustrating that they missed about 6 layups early and middle of the 4th, when they had the game in control and then give up a 18-2 run. It was ridiculous to have to depend on Book to bail them out by himself.

Yeah, Craig's passing yesterday was poor. With that said, my biggest issue was with Payne who just seemed to force everything and constantly make the wrong decision on offence. I've never been that convinced by him and feel like we need to move on from him in the off-season. He had one good season followed by two very average ones and is becoming a bit of a liability.

[TOO]

Can we steal Markell Fultz? I feel like he's the perfect sort of G to pair with Booker.

[In2ition]

Can we steal Markell Fultz? I feel like he's the perfect sort of G to pair with Booker.

I agree, but so I looked up his contract situation during the Orlando game, but he's still on his contract until the summer of '24.

[In2ition]

Lee hasn't been a threat since the second month of the season. Can someone tell Craig to only make the "easy" pass? Enough with the cross-court pass where he has no idea where the defender is. It was incredibly frustrating that they missed about 6 layups early and middle of the 4th, when they had the game in control and then give up a 18-2 run. It was ridiculous to have to depend on Book to bail them out by himself.

Yeah, Craig's passing yesterday was poor. With that said, my biggest issue was with Payne who just seemed to force everything and constantly make the wrong decision on offence. I've never been that convinced by him and feel like we need to move on from him in the off-season. He had one good season followed by two very average ones and is becoming a bit of a liability.

Oh yeah, I totally forgot to mention Payne. I thought it was only me, because every broadcast gushes about what Payne gives you every game, while admitting that he hasn't looked the same since his injury. I just don't get the love for Payne. Like you said, he does force things and when it goes in , great, but when it doesn't, he leaves the entire team in a bad situation on the other end as it usually starts a fast break, imo. He'll get his own, while icing out some selected players, it feels like to me. Lee doesn't get a lot of passes from Payne and Book could be on a heater, and Payne won't even look for him, IMO. I could be wrong, but that's how it feels when I watch him play.

[Split T]

I like Fultz…he’d be an absolute star if he didn’t forget how to shoot. He’s still a very good player.

[In2ition]

It looked like his shot came back, but he still doesn't have that unflappable confidence that you see out of stars or superstars. That may come, but doesn't seem to be his personality. He has the skill to elevate himself to that level though.

[Split T]

He can hit from the midrange, but the 3 point shot never came back