Game Day: Suns (1-0) @ Blazers (1-0), Fri 10/21/22

[Flagrant Fowl]

No way should Biyombo play over Landale on most nights.

Biyombo brings nothing besides hustle, which Landale also does while being able to shoot and dribble.

[The Bobster]

No way should Biyombo play over Landale on most nights.

Biyombo brings nothing besides hustle, which Landale also does while being able to shoot and dribble.

Biyombo is a much better rebounder, shot blocker and defender. Landale is a better shooter and scorer.

[pickle]

I love Ayton, don't mean to pile it on, but if he had just gone up with two hands with the intent to harm on that last play, it would've been an and one and not a two free throws to tie situation. All in all this game wasn't too bad, but it does reaffirm my feeling that the Suns will be on the borderline of the 6-8th seed range, playing the play-in game this year.

Ayton had a good game but we would have won if he knew how to be aggressive. If he had just dunked the ball at the end of OT rather than laying it up we would have won.

I am so confused. Didn't he do exactly what everyone has been begging him to do? He went up with both hands to dunk the ball, went into the contact, drew the foul, and got to the free throw line. If he was going for the layup the ball would have left his hands (and he may have made the shot and gotten an and-1). Or if he had tried a more "finesse" move, like a short fadeaway jumper in the lane, he probably would have tied the game. Unless you're a great free throw shooter that may actually be the smarter move at the end of a game.

I am an Ayton supporter, but you take it too far. Your confusion likely arises from the fact that you think Ayton can do no wrong, but he can and he does make plays that can be criticized. There were three or four plays at the end of regulation and overtime where he had the ball going down the lane with a small in front of him. I understand that he doesn’t want to pick up an offensive foul and the first one where he passed off I didn’t really think much of it. The second one was bad because he forced a pass that resulted in a bad shot. I remember complaining about a runner too. And the final play, as I said, the situation and the pass dumped off to him called for him to go up with two hands to dunk. He clearly went up with the intent to lay it in, which meant that the ball was low, and a small was able to foul him and dislodge the ball. In situations like that I want him to cock the ball behind the back of his head and to put the ball and the defender through the hoop.

[pickle]

I don't buy this narrative that Ayton lost us the game. I know people bag on JeremyG for defending Ayton so much, but Ayton had a strong game, without a doubt our second-best player on the floor. And he went to the basket and got fouled on the deciding possession along with having other baskets down the stretch. Yeah, he missed an important FT, but then he did quite a nice job bouncing his intentionally missed FT right to a teammate (who then missed a gimmie layup). Also Mikal Bridges similarly missed an FT at end of regulation that could have won us the game, and had much more pedestrian stats than Ayton did, but I don't really hear people bagging on him for his play.

I am not some Ayton apologist, I don't think he's a perfect player. But do you really think he's to blame for this loss?

Both things can happen at the same time — that a player played very well throughout the game to even put us in a position to win and then lost us the game. But in this particular case I don’t think people here are saying that he lost the game. If anything we are (I am anyway) saying he had the best chance in the end of OT to win the game with a forceful dunk and one but he blew it. I am not that bothered by the missed free throw tho, as he’s never has been put in crunch time scoring situations on this team and it’s natural to have some jitters — not like he’s a 95% ft shooter who bombed that critical free throw.

[pickle]

Not that big on Nurk anymore. Used to think he was very nimble, but he’s clearly a bit of a poor fit for the modern game.

How did you like that 20/17 performance?

That’s kind of silly, especially coming from you, Inf. If we are going to be rational, that he put up 20/17 just exposes the Suns’ inability to rebound and further exposes our inability to play him off the floor because we have a team that collectively doesn’t attack the basket and put foul pressure on the bigs nor do we have effective ball handlers that can get around a lumbering big or abuse them in space, especially with CP3 playing super tentatively.

So no, I didn’t like that 20/17 performance at all, and it doesn’t change my opinion that Nurk isn’t a particularly good fit for the modern game either.

[BlaCkAdDa]

I like what I'm seeing from Ayton.

Plenty of video of him in those hilights demanding the ball.
He's our clear #2 now and he's never been that before .. gonna take some time to adjust and grow.
He didn't lose this game for us anymore than Booker did. The loss don't matter anyway .. how we continue is more important... right now we need our bench to really click and our starters to shine.

[The Bobster]

This game was lost because nobody outside of Booker, Ayton and Bridges stepped up.

[specialsauce]

Bridges stepped up?

Nobody outside of DA or Book came to play.

You’re making $90M. That’s more than defensive specialist money. Time to put your big boy pants on and score consistently. 13 points and no threes ain’t cutting it.

[virtual9mm]

This game was lost because nobody outside of Booker, Ayton and Bridges stepped up.

TBH I'm fine with this because Booker, Ayton, and Bridges are locked up for many years now and will be the core of the team. Chris Paul starting to make an exit, I feel, and everyone else is on short-term contracts. Find a way to get them long-term help with all the salary that will be coming off the books in the near future and build a contender around them.

In the meanwhile, let's find out how much more gas CP3 has in the tank and let's see if he can turn it on in May rather than November. I wouldn't mind seeing the old war dog coast through the regular season.

[virtual9mm]

Bridges stepped up?

Nobody outside of DA or Book came to play.

You’re making $90M. That’s more than defensive specialist money. Time to put your big boy pants on and score consistently. 13 points and no threes ain’t cutting it.

Most important thing is that DA is starting to act like a #1 or #2 option, we might see a 26 ppg version of him still. Mikal still has to get used to playing more aggressively.

[Split T]

Mikal was 13/7/6 on 6/10 shooting…we don’t pay him to score 20 points. I didn’t watch the game(except final 3 minutes + OT) so I won’t make a statement on his play, but he produced pretty well in the box score.

[Mori Chu]

I don't think the box score really demonstrated Mikal's impact on the game. He worked hard to try to contain Lillard, though Dame did go off for a lot of points. And he can score and contribute without demanding the ball, which is important on a team like ours. And he showed new eagerness to dribble, initiate offense, and drive to the basket, which bore fruit on several plays, even at the end of the game. Overall I really liked the way he played even though his numbers were only so-so. I do want to see more/better 3-point shooting from him, though.

[JeremyG]

I don't buy this narrative that Ayton lost us the game. I know people bag on JeremyG for defending Ayton so much, but Ayton had a strong game, without a doubt our second-best player on the floor. And he went to the basket and got fouled on the deciding possession along with having other baskets down the stretch. Yeah, he missed an important FT, but then he did quite a nice job bouncing his intentionally missed FT right to a teammate (who then missed a gimmie layup). Also Mikal Bridges similarly missed an FT at end of regulation that could have won us the game, and had much more pedestrian stats than Ayton did, but I don't really hear people bagging on him for his play.

I am not some Ayton apologist, I don't think he's a perfect player. But do you really think he's to blame for this loss?

It's not one play. It's a culmination of a lot of little mistakes that add up. That's the difference. Not boxing out. Not going up strong. Making up his mind to pass when he had a wide open dunk. I don't think it's too much to ask for our $133 million dollar man to shore up these holes.

I don't think anyone has a problem with asking him to shore up holes in his game. I can't speak to Mori's post, but for me, it's the constant hypercritical focus compared to other players that makes me say anything. Is it too much to ask our $294 million man to shore up his holes? Again, I see almost no criticism directed his way, when he is probably more responsible than anyone for losing the game for us in crunch time.

[JeremyG]

I love Ayton, don't mean to pile it on, but if he had just gone up with two hands with the intent to harm on that last play, it would've been an and one and not a two free throws to tie situation. All in all this game wasn't too bad, but it does reaffirm my feeling that the Suns will be on the borderline of the 6-8th seed range, playing the play-in game this year.

Ayton had a good game but we would have won if he knew how to be aggressive. If he had just dunked the ball at the end of OT rather than laying it up we would have won.

I am so confused. Didn't he do exactly what everyone has been begging him to do? He went up with both hands to dunk the ball, went into the contact, drew the foul, and got to the free throw line. If he was going for the layup the ball would have left his hands (and he may have made the shot and gotten an and-1). Or if he had tried a more "finesse" move, like a short fadeaway jumper in the lane, he probably would have tied the game. Unless you're a great free throw shooter that may actually be the smarter move at the end of a game.

I am an Ayton supporter, but you take it too far. Your confusion likely arises from the fact that you think Ayton can do no wrong, but he can and he does make plays that can be criticized. There were three or four plays at the end of regulation and overtime where he had the ball going down the lane with a small in front of him. I understand that he doesn’t want to pick up an offensive foul and the first one where he passed off I didn’t really think much of it. The second one was bad because he forced a pass that resulted in a bad shot. I remember complaining about a runner too. And the final play, as I said, the situation and the pass dumped off to him called for him to go up with two hands to dunk. He clearly went up with the intent to lay it in, which meant that the ball was low, and a small was able to foul him and dislodge the ball. In situations like that I want him to cock the ball behind the back of his head and to put the ball and the defender through the hoop.

Like I said, I missed most of the game, so I can't comment on previous plays. But Nurkic is not a small.

[Split T]

Booker just missed a shot or 2, it happens. He also created the look for DA that got him fouled.

[Superbone]

Most important thing is that DA is starting to act like a #1 or #2 option, we might see a 26 ppg version of him still.

I don't think so if he's not willing to play through contact. But I hope you're right.

[Shabazz]

Most important thing is that DA is starting to act like a #1 or #2 option, we might see a 26 ppg version of him still.

I don't think so if he's not willing to play through contact. But I hope you're right.

Yeah. Almost impossible to do with fewer than 3 FTAs and 1 3FGAs per game.

Ayton played pretty well. Surprised no one brought up the play in the first quarter where he got the ball 8 feet from the basket and a wide open lane but was too afraid to dribble so he bricked a soft floater. That’s the one that stuck out at me.

[pickle]

I hate the Ayton floaters, but I sometimes wonder if he’s learned not to drive down the lane because Suns and Ayton in particular tend not to get calls and it’s too easy for someone to step in front of him to take a charge. I’m almost more pissed off with times when he’s got his back to the basket against a smaller guy and elects to fade away.

I’ll say that Booker and Bridges both seem to be tired by the 4th. It will take them some time to learn to pace themselves in the first three, or for CP3 to start cooking again. Like everyone else I’m really worried about Paul.

[JeremyG]

I don’t know what people were expecting from a 37-year old point guard. I think he’s playing pretty well for his age. If people thought he would still be playing at an All-Star level this season, that’s just completely unrealistic. Like I said awhile back, LeBron is an incredibly rare exception to aging.

[Split T]

I don’t know what people were expecting from a 37-year old point guard. I think he’s playing pretty well for his age. If people thought he would still be playing at an All-Star level this season, that’s just completely unrealistic. Like I said awhile back, LeBron is an incredibly rare exception to aging.

I mean he did it last year…I don’t think it’s crazy to expect a similar level of play. Some fall off is to be expected, but so far he doesn’t look like the same player. He could turn it on and carry us for a quarter or a half last year. We haven’t seen him turn it on this year though. It’s literally only been 2 games though