Suns News: Week 16 (1/30 - 2/5)

[Vladimir_Taltos]

If Ayton would just dunk the fucking basketball instead of the weak layup shit near the rim. NOBODY fears Ayton. He's got the body of David Robinson with the aggressiveness of Boris Diaw.

I think you're being generous, ...

[Vladimir_Taltos]

Sorry, but has to be done...'...tried to think of the most harmless thing I could...'

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[Split T]

I don’t really want to continue this argument…every excuse in the world for Ayton but none for anyone else. I know what I’ve seen on the court. Mikal has led us without Booker here, not Ayton.

That wasn't even the argument.

It was my argument. I get that you can make the numbers say that Ayton is our leading scorer without Booker(ever so slightly over Mikal). Though that’s not the case over the last 14 games, you need the first 14 when Mikal was slumping.

My overall point is Ayton hasn’t really changed his game much. Is he getting more attention? Sure, but he’s also performing worse(.512 TS since 1/8). He’s still taking the same type of shots.

Would you agree that how Mikal is playing, the role in the offense, has changed more than Ayton? He’s literally taken on Bookers role. Ayton is still playing the Ayton role.

[Shabazz]

I don’t know how a center can play 30 minutes a game and not average 1 combined block + steal over a 15 game span, regardless of whether he’s making the max or the minimum.

[TOO]

I don’t know how a center can play 30 minutes a game and not average 1 combined block + steal over a 15 game span, regardless of whether he’s making the max or the minimum.

Dude should average 2 blocks with how athletic he is.

[Kryptonic]

I don’t know how a center can play 30 minutes a game and not average 1 combined block + steal over a 15 game span, regardless of whether he’s making the max or the minimum.

Dude should average 2 blocks with how athletic he is.

Should also dunk the ball too but we’ve seen how that goes…. Couldn’t I imagine being that size and laying it in. Can you imagine if STAT or heck, even joe Klein laying it in like DA. People would have lost their ever loving minds.

[SunsRIt]

I don’t know how a center can play 30 minutes a game and not average 1 combined block + steal over a 15 game span, regardless of whether he’s making the max or the minimum.

Dude should average 2 blocks with how athletic he is.

Should also dunk the ball too but we’ve seen how that goes…. Couldn’t I imagine being that size and laying it in. Can you imagine if STAT or heck, even joe Klein laying it in like DA. People would have lost their ever loving minds.

What do you think people have been doing here?

[JeremyG]

I don’t really want to continue this argument…every excuse in the world for Ayton but none for anyone else. I know what I’ve seen on the court. Mikal has led us without Booker here, not Ayton.

That wasn't even the argument.

It was my argument. I get that you can make the numbers say that Ayton is our leading scorer without Booker(ever so slightly over Mikal). Though that’s not the case over the last 14 games, you need the first 14 when Mikal was slumping.

My overall point is Ayton hasn’t really changed his game much. Is he getting more attention? Sure, but he’s also performing worse(.512 TS since 1/8). He’s still taking the same type of shots.

Would you agree that how Mikal is playing, the role in the offense, has changed more than Ayton? He’s literally taken on Bookers role. Ayton is still playing the Ayton role.

As far as the shots he's taking, yes. But they've both taken on more of a facilitating role. But my point was that Ayton has had to adjust to defenses scheming for him much more than he has in the past, with him being the number one shot-taker on the team, as well as having to handle the pressure of the team counting on him to make his shots since they actually need his offense now.

My argument started as a response to this:

I’d give Ayton the benefit of the doubt if he was taking on a new role as well.

I'm not arguing that he's taken on more of a new role than Bridges has. They've both had to adjust in different ways.

[Split T]

Ayton was incredible today, he keeps that up and I’ll make a post about him soon too. Going all the way back to the original post, all I wanted to do was point out how good Mikal has been playing…there was zero intention to make it an Ayton slight

[virtual9mm]

Ayton was incredible today, he keeps that up and I’ll make a post about him soon too. Going all the way back to the original post, all I wanted to do was point out how good Mikal has been playing…there was zero intention to make it an Ayton slight

Yeah, let's not let it get silly. Jeremy, I am on your side but this is getting to levels of silliness that I haven't seen since folks drove SpanishNinja off the board with Shaq Pack jokes because he took fandom to silly extremes.

[virtual9mm]

Been saying this for a while now but Ayton will be marked by inconsistency for a long time, he'll be great for a while and be terrible for a while. What's been disappointing for me is that the trend has been down, not up, this year. Think I am getting close to being done with Monty, though.

[Vladimir_Taltos]

Ayton was incredible today, he keeps that up and I’ll make a post about him soon too. Going all the way back to the original post, all I wanted to do was point out how good Mikal has been playing…there was zero intention to make it an Ayton slight

For some of the tools that jawed about how FTs weren't important...there seems to be some good data that shows when DA gets a half dozen or more FTs per game it comes with some very positive consequences.

When DA is getting 0 FTs, his Stay Puft Marshmallow Man personality he as assumed control and it screws us. When he gets that half dozen, Mr. Stay Puft has been repressed and DA proper has control. We need more DA with more FTs to get anywhere, and a hella lot less Mr. Stay Puft.

[LazarusLong]

Been saying this for a while now but Ayton will be marked by inconsistency for a long time, he'll be great for a while and be terrible for a while. What's been disappointing for me is that the trend has been down, not up, this year. Think I am getting close to being done with Monty, though.

Monty is, sort of, Alvin Gentry 2.0, perhaps a better version, having NBA playing experience where Gentry didn't.

He hasn't changed. What worked for awhile was the collaboration between Paul, Booker, Monty and Willy Green.
That was the core of the team's braintrust.
Willie has left, and Paul is slowing down, but still wants considerable input.
I like the guy, but sometimes he seems a bit of a hindrance.

And, recently, of course, Booker has been sidelined.

I haven't been impressed with many of the assistants.
Mark Bryant is a decent sort, but he was a grinder, never a scorer when he played.
After that, I know there's a Mutombo on staff, but not related to Dikembe.
It seems like a collection of anonymous drones...

[virtual9mm]

Been saying this for a while now but Ayton will be marked by inconsistency for a long time, he'll be great for a while and be terrible for a while. What's been disappointing for me is that the trend has been down, not up, this year. Think I am getting close to being done with Monty, though.

Monty is, sort of, Alvin Gentry 2.0, perhaps a better version, having NBA playing experience where Gentry didn't.

He hasn't changed. What worked for awhile was the collaboration between Paul, Booker, Monty and Willy Green.
That was the core of the team's braintrust.
Willie has left, and Paul is slowing down, but still wants considerable input.
I like the guy, but sometimes he seems a bit of a hindrance.

And, recently, of course, Booker has been sidelined.

I haven't been impressed with many of the assistants.
Mark Bryant is a decent sort, but he was a grinder, never a scorer when he played.
After that, I know there's a Mutombo on staff, but not related to Dikembe.
It seems like a collection of anonymous drones...

Hard to disagree on any of this. He definitely needed a strategic lead assistant and hasn't had one for a while. And you're spot on with Chris Paul.

I don't remember Gentry being outcoached this badly on a regular basis. Monty has a basketball soul but not a basketball mind.

[Wally_West]

I think Monty isn’t perfect, but I’m gonna give him a pass because he’s had half a roster for most of the season. I just see anyone really doing any better in his position this season.

[JeremyG]

Been saying this for a while now but Ayton will be marked by inconsistency for a long time, he'll be great for a while and be terrible for a while. What's been disappointing for me is that the trend has been down, not up, this year. Think I am getting close to being done with Monty, though.

Monty is, sort of, Alvin Gentry 2.0, perhaps a better version, having NBA playing experience where Gentry didn't.

He hasn't changed. What worked for awhile was the collaboration between Paul, Booker, Monty and Willy Green.
That was the core of the team's braintrust.
Willie has left, and Paul is slowing down, but still wants considerable input.
I like the guy, but sometimes he seems a bit of a hindrance.

And, recently, of course, Booker has been sidelined.

I haven't been impressed with many of the assistants.
Mark Bryant is a decent sort, but he was a grinder, never a scorer when he played.
After that, I know there's a Mutombo on staff, but not related to Dikembe.
It seems like a collection of anonymous drones...

Hard to disagree on any of this. He definitely needed a strategic lead assistant and hasn't had one for a while. And you're spot on with Chris Paul.

I don't remember Gentry being outcoached this badly on a regular basis. Monty has a basketball soul but not a basketball mind.

This. And if they're sticking with Monty he not only needs a strategic lead assistant, but also a big man assistant who can actually help Ayton's offensive development.

[Shabazz]

Criticizing assistant coaches has always been weird to me. None of us have any idea what they do or don’t contribute. They’re convenient low hanging fruit to whom you can attribute team (or player) issues.

[TOO]

Been saying this for a while now but Ayton will be marked by inconsistency for a long time, he'll be great for a while and be terrible for a while. What's been disappointing for me is that the trend has been down, not up, this year. Think I am getting close to being done with Monty, though.

Monty is, sort of, Alvin Gentry 2.0, perhaps a better version, having NBA playing experience where Gentry didn't.

He hasn't changed. What worked for awhile was the collaboration between Paul, Booker, Monty and Willy Green.
That was the core of the team's braintrust.
Willie has left, and Paul is slowing down, but still wants considerable input.
I like the guy, but sometimes he seems a bit of a hindrance.

And, recently, of course, Booker has been sidelined.

I haven't been impressed with many of the assistants.
Mark Bryant is a decent sort, but he was a grinder, never a scorer when he played.
After that, I know there's a Mutombo on staff, but not related to Dikembe.
It seems like a collection of anonymous drones...

Hard to disagree on any of this. He definitely needed a strategic lead assistant and hasn't had one for a while. And you're spot on with Chris Paul.

I don't remember Gentry being outcoached this badly on a regular basis. Monty has a basketball soul but not a basketball mind.

This. And if they're sticking with Monty he not only needs a strategic lead assistant, but also a big man assistant who can actually help Ayton's offensive development.

What's some assistant gonna do that Ayton can't do himself? Genuinely curious as to what you think would change.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I'm with you, and I'm curious how much of the league some people watch.

[Shabazz]

Ayton needs a sports psychologist more than he needs someone teaching him a drop step.