Game Day: Suns (14-29) @ Raptors (28-15), Sun 1/22/17

[Gladiator]

17 min Chriss. 4 min Bender. 6 min Ulis.

We're within touching distance of the 8th seed in the west.
(Management thinking, not my endorsement)

[The Bobster]

17 min Chriss. 4 min Bender. 6 min Ulis.

Watson is looking to win games, not develop players.

The front office is going to have to remove the option to play them by trading them off, otherwise this is what we get.

[The Bobster]

The first rule of being a GM is never fall in love with your players.

Watson obviously loves Tucker and Chandler so if you want the young players to play instead they're going to have to move them.

[Mori Chu]

Kind of stunned that we won this. I guess it's good that our team is putting together some wins and isn't having a totally hopeless season. And if Warren would get his shit together, we would be even better. (4 points tonight. What is the deal, seriously?)

40 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds for Bledsoe. That is a pretty gaudy stat line. Maybe the best game of his whole career thus far. That looks almost like a Russell Westbrook stat line. Wow.

Here's the box score for anybody interested:

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400900084

[UglyTruth]

17 min Chriss. 4 min Bender. 6 min Ulis.

In all fairness, Bender got injured.

[carey]

17 min Chriss. 4 min Bender. 6 min Ulis.

In all fairness, Bender got injured.

What?? What happened? I'm just getting home.

[Gladiator]

Kind of stunned that we won this. I guess it's good that our team is putting together some wins and isn't having a totally hopeless season. And if Warren would get his s*** together, we would be even better. (4 points tonight. What is the deal, seriously?)

40 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds for Bledsoe. That is a pretty gaudy stat line. Maybe the best game of his whole career thus far. That looks almost like a Russell Westbrook stat line. Wow.

Here's the box score for anybody interested:

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400900084

The Suns kept Toronto to less than 40%FG which is impressive

[BigLewy]

17 min Chriss. 4 min Bender. 6 min Ulis.

In all fairness, Bender got injured.

What?? What happened? I'm just getting home.

Apparently an ankle injury. Hopefully it's not too serious.

[Gladiator]

17 min Chriss. 4 min Bender. 6 min Ulis.

Watson is looking to win games, not develop players.

The front office is going to have to remove the option to play them by trading them off, otherwise this is what we get.

Suns are 3.5 games back from the #8 seed now. I think management will let this play out as long as they can before removing the option.

[Cap]

Didn't see the game (watching football). Of course I look up the box score and the first thing I check is BK's +/-. +17?!

His previous season high was +12, in a game at Utah that he basically lost single-handedly down the stretch despite his good +/-. His second-highest was +8.

So a +17... that just doesn't happen for him. Wow.

[Superbone]

Didn't see the 2nd half. Why are we winning games?

I said it above. We're playing like a real team. Even Knight contributed. Bledsoe hit his prime today. He was almost perfect. He spoiled it a little late with an airball three.

[UglyTruth]

Kind of stunned that we won this. I guess it's good that our team is putting together some wins and isn't having a totally hopeless season. And if Warren would get his s*** together, we would be even better. (4 points tonight. What is the deal, seriously?)

40 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds for Bledsoe. That is a pretty gaudy stat line. Maybe the best game of his whole career thus far. That looks almost like a Russell Westbrook stat line. Wow.

Here's the box score for anybody interested:

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400900084

Warren's been trash for couple games in a row now.

[AmareIsGod]

You'd never guess we beat the 2nd seed in the east today on the road by 12. Let's celebrate a great win instead of trouncing it as a lost opportunity to develop our youth.

[OE32]

Didn't see the game (watching football). Of course I look up the box score and the first thing I check is BK's +/-. +17?!

His previous season high was +12, in a game at Utah that he basically lost single-handedly down the stretch despite his good +/-. His second-highest was +8.

So a +17... that just doesn't happen for him. Wow.

We've been playing him exclusively as a 2 guard. And... it's better that way. Knight earned TJ's minutes in the fourth tonight. From where I sit, this season's only getting more interesting.

[Shabazz]

Bledose was terrific today.

[AmareIsGod]

Bledose was terrific today.

Absolutely. Maybe it just took time for him to mesh with this new team. He's really leading the team and playing like a PG lately. Dominant tonight.

[OE32]

Bledose was terrific today.

Absolutely. Maybe it just took time for him to mesh with this new team. He's really leading the team and playing like a PG lately. Dominant tonight.

His passing has been much improved. His 3 is falling. He's great finishing at the basket. The plan is actually working. I don't think it's too late to make a run, but the Pelicans and the Nuggets are in this fight with us.

[Shabazz]

Bledose was terrific today.

Absolutely. Maybe it just took time for him to mesh with this new team. He's really leading the team and playing like a PG lately. Dominant tonight.

His passing has been much improved. His 3 is falling. He's great finishing at the basket. The plan is actually working. I don't think it's too late to make a run, but the Pelicans and the Nuggets are in this fight with us.

...and the Kings and the Wolves and the Blazers and the Mavs.

Long term, I think making a run for the playoffs is the wrong move for this team. If 8th-seed-and-down in the West wasn't such a dumpster fire this season, it wouldn't even be an option.

[AmareIsGod]

Bledose was terrific today.

Absolutely. Maybe it just took time for him to mesh with this new team. He's really leading the team and playing like a PG lately. Dominant tonight.

His passing has been much improved. His 3 is falling. He's great finishing at the basket. The plan is actually working. I don't think it's too late to make a run, but the Pelicans and the Nuggets are in this fight with us.

...and the Kings and the Wolves and the Blazers and the Mavs.

Long term, I think making a run for the playoffs is the wrong move for this team. If 8th-seed-and-down in the West wasn't such a dumpster fire this season, it wouldn't even be an option.

What's the suggestion then? I think the players and coaches, as humans that are competitive and stake a large part of their overall satisfaction with life on their success in basketball, would prefer to beat the other team on the court and make a run at the playoffs. Should they just revert back to playing bad basketball like they were earlier in the year or let the process take course as it has which has led to a much more competitive and entertaining team that is building chemistry through success and familiarity.

[Shabazz]

Bledose was terrific today.

Absolutely. Maybe it just took time for him to mesh with this new team. He's really leading the team and playing like a PG lately. Dominant tonight.

His passing has been much improved. His 3 is falling. He's great finishing at the basket. The plan is actually working. I don't think it's too late to make a run, but the Pelicans and the Nuggets are in this fight with us.

...and the Kings and the Wolves and the Blazers and the Mavs.

Long term, I think making a run for the playoffs is the wrong move for this team. If 8th-seed-and-down in the West wasn't such a dumpster fire this season, it wouldn't even be an option.

What's the suggestion then? I think the players and coaches, as humans that are competitive and stake a large part of their overall satisfaction with life on their success in basketball, would prefer to beat the other team on the court and make a run at the playoffs. Should they just revert back to playing bad basketball like they were earlier in the year or let the process take course as it has which has led to a much more competitive and entertaining team that is building chemistry through success and familiarity.

Trade Tucker and Knight. More minutes for Len. Let the chips fall where they may.