Game Day: Suns (19-26) @ Grizzlies (21-24), Sun 1/26/20

[Flagrant Fowl]

He was a knock down 3 point shooter for one game...

As frustrating as he can be, he's by far the best defender on the team.

[Shabazz]

The lack of consistent 3 point shooters in the Suns rotation is jarring. I don’t think many other teams only start 1 reliable long range shooter.

[Shabazz]

Really poor execution down the stretch of this one. Ricky missed FT. Getting it to Oubre instead of Booker on that fast break that ended with the ball off Oubre and then Oubre’s terrible forced 3 at the end.

[Mori Chu]

I liked that James Jones went out and got several decent-to-good 3-point shooters this offseason: Cam, Baynes, Kaminsky, etc. But I think we need even more. We don't seem to have anybody who can be relied upon to hit a 3 other than Booker. Bridges is perhaps the most notably disappointing 3-point shooter. Rubio's bad outside shooting also hurts, and Oubre is streaky at best. You can't win many games in today's NBA if you don't have reliable 3-point shooting.

[Danimal]

Lost both the tie breakers to spurs and Memphis this week right?
Pretty much dooms our playoff hopes.
JJ seems to have no further interest in improving this team in time to help us make a push. Will just blame injures I imagine. Playoffs done for us then. It’s ok. It just might cost us booker eventually

[INFORMER]

I don't care about making a push for the playoffs. I just want to get the pieces in place that are going to add up to this team becoming a contender.

[Danimal]

I liked that James Jones went out and got several decent-to-good 3-point shooters this offseason: Cam, Baynes, Kaminsky, etc. But I think we need even more. We don't seem to have anybody who can be relied upon to hit a 3 other than Booker. Bridges is perhaps the most notably disappointing 3-point shooter. Rubio's bad outside shooting also hurts, and Oubre is streaky at best. You can't win many games in today's NBA if you don't have reliable 3-point shooting.

The inconsistency of most of our shooting has been tough to watch at times
Oubre - streaky
Rubio - can get streaky but also has very cold games
Bridges - had his break out game but then reverted back instantly to being meh on offense (great D though )
Baynes - started well then went to shit
Saric - I thought he would be more reliable. Has some good patches within games but just isn’t as big of a threat as I thought. Kaminsky has felt somewhat the same way. But if he helps on O, he hurts as much on D
Cater - ok on set shots but bogs down the offence otherwise.
Ty Jerome - has been unplayable and rarely looks for his own shot.
I thought Ayton said he had worked on his 3pt shot? He does say a lot of things though

[Danimal]

I don't care about making a push for the playoffs. I just want to get the pieces in place that are going to add up to this team becoming a contender.

I would like to see some good pieces added for long term success also but my only question is whether booker feels the same way. If he feels like JJ didn’t do enough then it may come back to bite us
Being a players league we are kind of at the mercy of our stars level of patience. JJ can’t sell booker on a track record of success either like a more experienced gm could.

[virtual9mm]

I don't care about making a push for the playoffs. I just want to get the pieces in place that are going to add up to this team becoming a contender.

I would like to see some good pieces added for long term success also but my only question is whether booker feels the same way. If he feels like JJ didn’t do enough then it may come back to bite us
Being a players league we are kind of at the mercy of our stars level of patience. JJ can’t sell booker on a track record of success either like a more experienced gm could.

You really need to begin making the playoffs to start building

[INFORMER]

But just making the playoffs won't keep Booker here. New Orleans got to the playoffs with Anthony Davis. The Pacers got to the playoffs with Paul George. Utah got to the playoffs with Gordon Hayward.

[djy2j]

I’m sure the focus just wasn’t there. Hence the boneheaded play by Oubre and defensive lapse the play before for the oop.

Sadly, I’m m sure they’ll play this way again in a few games and blame it on something else. Running low on excuses at this point in the season.

If both Rubio and Saric just have merely subpar games we win. But they both just have absolutely miserable games each. Such is life as a Phoenix Sun apparently. If you’re going to be bad be miserably bad.

Kudos to Carter for stepping his game up lately. Went from terrible to effective. Feels like there is only enough power for one bench guard to play well at one time. None of the backups have played well at the same time.

[Shabazz]

Watching Ayton is a roller coaster.

[INFORMER]

"Everyday is winding road."

[3rdside]

I’m sure the focus just wasn’t there. Hence the boneheaded play by Oubre and defensive lapse the play before for the oop.

Sadly, I’m m sure they’ll play this way again in a few games and blame it on something else. Running low on excuses at this point in the season.

If both Rubio and Saric just have merely subpar games we win. But they both just have absolutely miserable games each. Such is life as a Phoenix Sun apparently. If you’re going to be bad be miserably bad.

Kudos to Carter for stepping his game up lately. Went from terrible to effective. Feels like there is only enough power for one bench guard to play well at one time. None of the backups have played well at the same time.

Rubio and Saric were worthless - I don't get how Rubio can disappear as bad as he did, but maybe his new baby is a thing? If you're not shooting well, fine, but surely you can still pass? Anyway ..

Jerome I thought was good also from the bench - dude physically does not look like an NBA player but he did well.

Diallo's miss from 0 feet was quite something.

Ayton another quiet 17 & 15 .. just needs to understand his body size / agility more and get the reps and timing on entry passes for easy dunks and lay ins, and realise his late game dinky outside shots aren't going to drop with the consistency required. There were a couple tries earlier in the game where he tried to force himself on proceedings - good signs he's getting it - and in general he looks a really comfortable shooter.

Morant is the real real deal and JJJ I was about to add seemed a bit more hype than reality ... until his 4Q 3 bombs, one from 28 feet or so.

[ShelC]

Ayton had a real good 2nd half. He had a nice powerslide along the baseline, bumping two guys off and throwing it down (I think). Can't find the play online yet but it was one of the more aggressive/dominant big man moves I've seen from him.

Too often tho, he's still settling for the face up jumper.

[Indy]

"Everyday is winding road."

I really never expected anyone to quote Sheryl Crow when talking about Ayton, and that goes double for INF.

[Indy]

It would be such a game-changer if he was a volume, knock-down 3-point shooter like he was in college.

This so much. Everything else he does is exactly what you want from an elite 3-D guy. But you still can't win in this league if you don't score. And his shot hitch is killing me. You can tell with nearly 100% accuracy if he will make the shot by how much time he has before he shoots it. When he has at least a split-second to think, he does his hitch and almost always misses. Ugh.

[Indy]

Rubio killed us this game... probably cost us the game all by himself. Then that awful 3 by Kelly. We had 20 seconds left dude!

[In2ition]

The Kelly shot may not have been at the right time, but I'm sure he feels like he is a clutch shooter. I also thought he was clearly fouled by Anderson who undercut him and flopped. It looked to me that Kelly went straight up, which he is allowed to do, and Anderson went under him, which he is not allowed to do. I watched it from many angles and I just don't see how they called that an offensive foul. What did you guys think?

[Flagrant Fowl]

It should've been a no-call. The offensive foul call was ridiculous, but Oubre's airball went right to a defender so it actually helped the Suns by stopping the clock.