Game Day: Suns (12-8) @ Rockets (15-4), Sat 12/06/14

[da_suns_fan]

Good comeback effort but the Suns couldnt buy a three all night.

[SwingMan]

Good comeback effort but the Suns couldnt buy a three all night.

Hardly anyone except Len.....

[Xylus]

Good comeback effort but the Suns couldnt buy a three all night.

Hardly anyone except Len.....

Did Len shoot it at the end of the shot clock? Was it a corner 3? Give us the details.

[SwingMan]

Good comeback effort but the Suns couldnt buy a three all night.

Hardly anyone except Len.....

Did Len shoot it at the end of the shot clock? Was it a corner 3? Give us the details.

Near the end of the 3rd Q - left corner, near the baseline. Spotted up like he'd been doing it all his life - nothing but net.

[TOO]

Len has a nice smooth stroke and a soft shot, its not surprising to me he hit a 3. I'm more surprised jes not regularly making mid range jumpers right now.

[Danimal]

Good comeback effort but the Suns couldnt buy a three all night.

Hardly anyone except Len.....

Did Len shoot it at the end of the shot clock? Was it a corner 3? Give us the details.

Near the end of the 3rd Q - left corner, near the baseline. Spotted up like he'd been doing it all his life - nothing but net.

I guess no one has seen this vid before. I remember watching it before the draft. Nothing happening on offense so a very young Len just shoots the 3 like it was something completely natural. After seeing that I though he could indeed be more than just another 7ft stiff.

[SwingMan]

Good comeback effort but the Suns couldnt buy a three all night.

Hardly anyone except Len.....

Did Len shoot it at the end of the shot clock? Was it a corner 3? Give us the details.

Near the end of the 3rd Q - left corner, near the baseline. Spotted up like he'd been doing it all his life - nothing but net.

I guess no one has seen this vid before. I remember watching it before the draft. Nothing happening on offense so a very young Len just shoots the 3 like it was something completely natural. After seeing that I though he could indeed be more than just another 7ft stiff.

Fast forward to 4:50 or so in the video.....

[Mori Chu]

Fuck the Rockets. This game just re-reminded me of why I hate them so much. Harden and his flopping, Howard the statutory rapist, ugh.

[Shabazz]

Jason Terry is one of my all time least favorite players.

And the Rockets announcers are the worst in the league.

[TOO]

Bullard and Clyde are on a different level of homerism, I dont get how Rockets fans can stand them.

[Mori Chu]

Word; I forgot to complaint about their horrible homer announcers. Clyde is a moron.

[OE32]

What can we do about the offensive rebounding? It's generally not the contested boards, but having our center have to challenge the penetration, leaving his man open for the putback. I guess the natural solution is to stop penetration... with so much talent at the guard spots and PJ taking heavy minutes, why is everyone getting right to our center? I would ask where the help is on the boards, but we've been pretty stretched out there, as we're focused on minimizing 3PA. Seems like the combo of focusing on reducing their 3PA and 3FG%, as well as on running, gives opposing teams an advantage on the glass. And on offense, we're so guard and 3FG oriented - not enough down low or in the middle.

A lot of the game last night, I was screaming for TJ to be put in. But once he got in, he couldn't get the ball, relegated to cornerball. Not so bad - but I think it's worth emphasizing that both TJ and now Alex have better percentages from 3 than Anthony Tolliver. TJ should get those minutes. All of them. And we should go to TJ in the half-court when the Point Guardians of the Galaxy are struggling - not Gerald. Gerald shoots threes and dunks. Let's not confuse him for Kobe Bryant, okay?

Despite our struggles, we may have won last night if IT were suited up. I also think our continued struggles in the paint continue to highlight our need for another rotation big (preferably taking Miles's minutes). I'd like to see us have Alex roll to the corner when he P&R's on the side - that could be very effective. It also gives us more room in the paint.

We're a young team. We've got a long ways to go. Can't win when the Morrises are shooting like that.

[Ring_Wanted]

Plumlee is not rebounding or playing good help defense, and Len still needs to add more muscle to really take advantage of his length. I was hoping to see again the Miles from the first half of last season but it seems it's not going to happen. That alone would have made a tremendous difference.

It's imperative to acquire a rotation pf/c that can make an impact on the weak side and the boards or we won't be able to win consistently, but the decision will be the same we had to face last trade deadline regarding the use of future assets.

[OE32]

It's imperative to acquire a rotation pf/c that can make an impact on the weak side and the boards or we won't be able to win consistently, but the decision will be the same we had to face last trade deadline regarding the use of future assets.

I agree and disagree. Obviously, I agree we need a rotation 4/5, ideally one that is bigger than Kieff and beefier than Len who can play alongside either (and, ideally, start at center for now, meaning he'd need to provide at least a modest amount of rim protection).

Where I disagree is the worry about future assets. No matter what, I don't think we should trade Tyler until the draft, because there are so many high lotto teams that could use a true distributing PG - meaning he could be our ticket to the top, in combo with a pick. But I think we have so many assets that giving someone up wouldn't really seem like a sacrifice. IT is the frosting on the cake of our guard rotation. Both Goodwin and Bogdanovic may be expendable if we plan to run with Goran and Bled for the next 4 years (however advisable that may ultimately be). Plumlee's not awesome but he's a solid young player on a rookie deal. In the pursuit of some ideal 4/5, all those players could be moved, IMO.

The problem as far as I see it is the market. Horford may be an option for us, perhaps as part of a 3-way. But then it gets dicey. The young players I see as being available - Cody Zeller, Olynyk, Mirotic, Nicholson, Thomas Robinson - don't seem to fit our needs. And the players I see as potentially adequate - Monroe, Kanter, Stoudemire, to name but a prominent few - are best acquired next year in free agency.

In short, I think that no matter what, we'll stick with Plum/Len, and maybe pick up a spot back-up for Markieff. But we're not going away from our "All-SF" team, because Mook can't be moved and Tuck and Gerald are crucial to us right now. In the short-term, that's a pretty disappointing perspective.

I think we'll roll with this squad, continue to sit around the #8/9 spot, and make a lot of changes this summer.

... One thing I'd be interested in is trading IT to the Rox for the Pels pick. They're contending, and could use some firepower at the 1. Do I want to help the Rox? No. Do I like the idea of having 2-3 lotto picks and Tyler Ennis as trade bait in next year's draft? Yes, yes I do.

[djy2j]

I don't know whats worse, HArden flopping everytime he touches the ball or the Houston announcers. Both just awful.

[ShelC]

I'd seriously consider Greg Monroe at this point. He has his weaknesses, but he's a legit big body that's skilled offensively and can rebound.

[Shabazz]

Clyde went on for a while about how Plumlee was doing an effective job shutting down the paint, even though Len has subbed in for him a few minutes prior. And then, regarding Len, "he's probably 23, 24 years old." Dude! Just look at your media guide. Why guess?

All of this was before the 6 minute mark of the first quarter. It went downhill. The non-stop complaining about the officiating was grating.

[Shabazz]

I'd seriously consider Greg Monroe at this point. He has his weaknesses, but he's a legit big body that's skilled offensively and can rebound.

Agreed. Detroit basically has to trade him this year, because they're for sure losing him in the summer. Would Plumlee alone get it done? Plumlee's contract has some value.

The downside to trading for Monroe is it's most likely a rental. We wouldn't have his bird rights and it would be hard to resign him given our cap situation.

[djy2j]

Clyde went on for a while about how Plumlee was doing an effective job shutting down the paint, even though Len has subbed in for him a few minutes prior. And then, regarding Len, "he's probably 23, 24 years old." Dude! Just look at your media guide. Why guess?

All of this was before the 6 minute mark of the first quarter. It went downhill. The non-stop complaining about the officiating was grating.

Glad someone else noticed this as well. I was watching the game with a girl who knows nothing about basketball but she even asked, "who's that really tall guy out there?" She was referring to Len because she noticed that he wasn't out there before when Plumlee was. Again, a girl, who knows nothing about NBA basketball was calling a better game than the Rox announcers.

[OE32]

I'd seriously consider Greg Monroe at this point. He has his weaknesses, but he's a legit big body that's skilled offensively and can rebound.

Agreed. Detroit basically has to trade him this year, because they're for sure losing him in the summer. Would Plumlee alone get it done? Plumlee's contract has some value.

The downside to trading for Monroe is it's most likely a rental. We wouldn't have his bird rights and it would be hard to resign him given our cap situation.

Actually, this is precisely the problem - Detroit can't trade Monroe without his blessing, which it would make no sense for him to give because he was lose his bird rights. The only thing that makes sense is Monroe sticking around and leaving for the max in FA or getting the Pistons to S&T him. He's going nowhere this year. But I agree that he wouldn't be a bad fit with our current group.