Western Conference Round 2, Game 5: Suns (2-2) @ Nuggets (2-2), Tues 5/09/23

[SunsRIt]

Ted lasso time.

Maybe Led Tasso?

[Sunsfan4life]

Quiet for a game 5. Have people lost faith? Is it over? Only 7 pages...

[Shabazz]

Suns played like ass in first half other than Book and somehow were within 3. Thought that was a great sign. They somehow cdme out worse in the 3rd...wtf did we do in the locker room?

For all of Monty's Knute Rockne-esque reputation, it's incredible how often we come out flat to start games and second halves.

[SunsSince92]

KD has been so aweful. I just don’t understand.

Coach played him the entire 1st half. No rest at all. It's just bad minutes management.

He sucked from the first whistle. No excuses for him. For what we gave up, who he’s supposed to be, it’s ridiculous for him to choke in such a big game.

He has previous for doing this. The media seem to conveniently overlook the fact that he and Kyrie got swept in the first round last year. Perhaps what we are seeing now is indicative of a gradual decline. He's putting up decent numbers but his ability to impose himself on a game and take over is starting to diminish.

[SunsSince92]

Quiet for a game 5. Have people lost faith? Is it over? Only 7 pages...

I'm optimistic we win in Phoenix but I'm not confident we close it out in Denver.....

[specialsauce]

Quiet for a game 5. Have people lost faith? Is it over? Only 7 pages...

I'm optimistic we win in Phoenix but I'm not confident we close it out in Denver.....

This team isn’t going anywhere as long as we have $133M invested in a player who is contributing the same amount as a minimum level guy.

This team isn’t going anywhere as long as the player we mortgaged our entire organization for continues to fail to live up to that level of expectation.

This team isn’t going anywhere as long as we have a $30M point guard past his prime failing annually when the games actually matter.


I can’t wait to say “former Sun” Deandre Drummond Ayton and Chris Paul.

[Wally_West]

Shut the fuck up

[specialsauce]

Shut the fuck up

Nobody gives a fuck. How about a heart transplant?

[SunsSince92]

Shut the fuck up

[Flagrant Fowl]

Quiet for a game 5. Have people lost faith? Is it over? Only 7 pages...

There are dozens of pages in this forum of people complaining about something. Monty, Ayton, Shamet, KD, whatever... just randomly click on something and you'll basically get the same opinion anyone could make about this game.

The Nuggets have had the better team all series and played like it for the first time since Game 1 because they knew they'd be in a serious trouble going back to Phoenix down 3-2. That's really as deep as it gets.

[Gladiator]

I still reckon we can win game 6 at home. If we do that, it just takes one win away from home to progress, which will be tough no doubt, but not impossible.

[ShelC]

Postgame Quotes and Videos

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[ShelC]

Really disappointing loss. Started the game sloppy, chipped away to get close by halftime and then came out flat in the 3rd and let go of the rope.

Crazy how we can trade for KD and get such shit games from him. And when he's having a shit game, he seems to have a lot of trouble getting out of his own head and getting it going. He just loses confidence and wears it on his face. I don't know if the altitude is affecting him or other guys but he looked cooked in the 1st qtr.

Book did what he could, but when it's just him we don't stand a chance. No one else gave much of anything. Ross and TJ helped get us back in the 2nd qtr but nothing carried over to the 2nd half.

Generally, we lost a lot of chemistry and flow when we made the trade and we need to address that whenever the offseason comes. Midseason trades are tough, but we need to re-establish an identity with our roleplayers. The bench feels thrown together, doesn't seem like Book and KD trust the "others".

[Drewsprocket]

[Furlanfufi]

The only thing I'm certain is that Ayton won't be with the team next season.

[Drewsprocket]

Really disappointing loss. Started the game sloppy, chipped away to get close by halftime and then came out flat in the 3rd and let go of the rope.

Crazy how we can trade for KD and get such shit games from him. And when he's having a shit game, he seems to have a lot of trouble getting out of his own head and getting it going. He just loses confidence and wears it on his face. I don't know if the altitude is affecting him or other guys but he looked cooked in the 1st qtr.

Book did what he could, but when it's just him we don't stand a chance. No one else gave much of anything. Ross and TJ helped get us back in the 2nd qtr but nothing carried over to the 2nd half.

Generally, we lost a lot of chemistry and flow when we made the trade and we need to address that whenever the offseason comes. Midseason trades are tough, but we need to re-establish an identity with our roleplayers. The bench feels thrown together, doesn't seem like Book and KD trust the "others".

It was a whole new team entirely that had to learn to play together in a short stint before the playoffs. Ayton, the lowest bball IQ, has struggled to fit in and emotionally is easily overwhelmed at this level and alongside KD and Book. Dude just needs to go somewhere else. He is a young headed person without a “hawk in his heart.” The irony is he can tear the rim off if he was fierce enough but he doesn’t know how to play with high energy. We’re all sitting around just waiting for him to give us a Richaun Holmes game. Dude is a max player.

[Mori Chu]

Really disheartening loss. I know the series isn't over, but it's hard to see us winning two straight, including a crucial Game 7 in Denver. Book and (to a lesser degree) KD have been amazing, but there hasn't been a consistent third guy to give us contributions every night. We were supposed to have a Big 4, but two of them went on vacation early. CP3 is old and can't be relied upon to handle the heavy grind of a playoff run every year. And Ayton, I just don't think he's ever going to have it. I am ready to move on and trade him, even if we don't get a return of great value. I just think we need to move on.

Hats off to Denver for playing a great series so far. They have a deep and talented team, and Jokic is amazing. An all-timer. Deservedly the two-time MVP. This is their year.

[SunsSince92]

Really disheartening loss. I know the series isn't over, but it's hard to see us winning two straight, including a crucial Game 7 in Denver. Book and (to a lesser degree) KD have been amazing, but there hasn't been a consistent third guy to give us contributions every night. We were supposed to have a Big 4, but two of them went on vacation early. CP3 is old and can't be relied upon to handle the heavy grind of a playoff run every year. And Ayton, I just don't think he's ever going to have it. I am ready to move on and trade him, even if we don't get a return of great value. I just think we need to move on.

Hats off to Denver for playing a great series so far. They have a deep and talented team, and Jokic is amazing. An all-timer. Deservedly the two-time MVP. This is their year.

I'm not sure it was ever really a Big 4 with Ayton's inconsistency and CP3's decline over the past year. It would have been in 2020 but I always felt it was a bit of an exaggeration and so dependent upon Ayton upping his game and CP3 staying fit in the postseason, which literally never happens.

So much work to done in the off-season to rebuild the bench let alone find a starting caliber centre.

[TOO]

I was promised playoff Ayton, we got vacation Ayton. Such a bummer. If I was a Nuggets player I'd just constantly be telling Ayton they are losing because of you, just crush his spirit.

[AmareIsGod]

Maybe we can trade Ayton for Griner?