Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Discussion of the league and of our favorite team.
User avatar
Superbone
Posts: 35807
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:44 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Superbone »

Superbone wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 4:56 pm
I'm going to call it right now. Young with a 30 footer in the last two seconds to beat us. (I've seen it before.)
Little did I know he’d be raining 30 footers all night long. No late game heroics required.
"Too little, too late, too unbothered."
- Phoenix Suns 2023-2024 season motto.

"Be Legendary."

Online
Gladiator
Posts: 1946
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:08 am

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Gladiator »

Superbone wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:36 am
Uncle_Gene wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 6:37 pm
Suns only down by three, but that's two 33 point quarters they've given up.

Got to play better defense than that.
Couldn’t get a stop all night. We’re not going far playing like that.
I think this is the crux of our problem to solve. We are good to very good if our offense is clicking and everyone is keyed in and putting in on D - during the regular season.
Assuming we get there, the deficiencies we’ll need to make up on the defensive end when everyone is putting in full effort in the playoffs leave us with a near impossible tight rope to navigate. Basically, we have to play perfect offense which we have shown that we are not likely to hit that often.

User avatar
Superbone
Posts: 35807
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:44 am
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Superbone »

Gladiator wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:49 am
Superbone wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:36 am
Uncle_Gene wrote:
Fri Feb 02, 2024 6:37 pm
Suns only down by three, but that's two 33 point quarters they've given up.

Got to play better defense than that.
Couldn’t get a stop all night. We’re not going far playing like that.
I think this is the crux of our problem to solve. We are good to very good if our offense is clicking and everyone is keyed in and putting in on D - during the regular season.
Assuming we get there, the deficiencies we’ll need to make up on the defensive end when everyone is putting in full effort in the playoffs leave us with a near impossible tight rope to navigate. Basically, we have to play perfect offense which we have shown that we are not likely to hit that often.
If we could just play average defense, it would go a long way. And it is so frustrating when we finally do get a stop and then we can’t get the defensive rebound and they invariably score anyway on 2nd and 3rd attempts.
"Too little, too late, too unbothered."
- Phoenix Suns 2023-2024 season motto.

"Be Legendary."

User avatar
ShelC
Posts: 12896
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 6:00 am

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by ShelC »





Postgame Quotes and Videos
Spoiler: show/hide

Last edited by ShelC on Sat Feb 03, 2024 7:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
ShelC
Posts: 12896
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 6:00 am

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by ShelC »

The team had no juice, maybe the road trip is catching up with them. The guys were out there playing, but everyone seemed flat. The Hawks had more pop. Same issues as always with TOs , 16 to their 9. Hawks made three more 3s than us and we lost by 9 so the math is mathing there. It's not that I'm overly concerned about this loss in particular, it's that we don't seem to be making progress anywhere. We've had a good stretch of games lately that we've won, but it still doesn't feel like things have clicked. We still don't really have an identity or seem great at anything. We know Book and KD can score but we're not overpowering teams with our offense or locking down defensively when we need to. We don't have any hustle players who can change a game with their energy or defense. And while the point guard position doesn't seem to be a priority for the org, it does feel like we're missing an organizer and steady ballhandler at certain points in the game.

User avatar
In2ition
Posts: 12987
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:35 pm

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by In2ition »

If Beal just had an average game, the Suns win.
"When we all think alike, nobody is thinking" - Walter Lippmann
"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them." ~ Frederick Douglass

User avatar
Democritus
Posts: 497
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 1:00 pm
Location: Somewhere in Anatolia

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Democritus »

In2ition wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:32 am
If Beal just had an average game, the Suns win.
I was waiting for someone to tell the truth. Thank you!
"We shall leave this world as foolish and as wicked as we found it on our arrival"-Voltaire

User avatar
ShelC
Posts: 12896
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 6:00 am

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by ShelC »

The truth is that we gave up 129 points to the Hawks with multiple defensive breakdowns. That shouldn't be acceptable.

User avatar
TOO
Posts: 11598
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:21 pm

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by TOO »

ShelC wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 11:07 am
The truth is that we gave up 129 points to the Hawks with multiple defensive breakdowns. That shouldn't be acceptable.
This. The team doesn't defend well at all.

User avatar
In2ition
Posts: 12987
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:35 pm

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by In2ition »

Yes, there were a lot of things that caused the loss, and many things by themselves would have turned it to a win. It was a bad game all around
"When we all think alike, nobody is thinking" - Walter Lippmann
"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them." ~ Frederick Douglass

User avatar
Democritus
Posts: 497
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 1:00 pm
Location: Somewhere in Anatolia

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Democritus »

The Hawks are 3th in scoring points. Saying we should stop them is easier than done. Just like with Indiana, most of the nights you have to outscore them. We are not a defensive team period. A team with Beal, Book and KD cannot be defensive team.
"We shall leave this world as foolish and as wicked as we found it on our arrival"-Voltaire

User avatar
Cap
Posts: 9191
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 6:08 pm

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Cap »

Democritus wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 11:20 am
The Hawks are 3th in scoring points. Saying we should stop them is easier than done. Just like with Indiana, most of the nights you have to outscore them. We are not a defensive team period. A team with Beal, Book and KD cannot be defensive team.
Then it cannot be a championship team.

User avatar
The Bobster
Posts: 6850
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 1:04 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by The Bobster »

Shades of 7 second or less, without the fun.

You don't win without some defense, no matter how high octane your offense is, and this offense has been less than the sum of its parts, especially late in games.

Put those two issues together and it doesn't bode well for any postseason success.
Author of The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts
Available from Scarecrow Press at - https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780810890695

User avatar
Mori Chu
Posts: 23607
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:05 am

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Mori Chu »

Cap wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:11 pm
Democritus wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 11:20 am
The Hawks are 3th in scoring points. Saying we should stop them is easier than done. Just like with Indiana, most of the nights you have to outscore them. We are not a defensive team period. A team with Beal, Book and KD cannot be defensive team.
Then it cannot be a championship team.
I think that's the long and short of it. This is a pretty darn good team, but the suboptimal mix of top players (including the lack of a facilitator on offense) means we don't get the most out of our talent. And we have optimized heavily for offense at the expense of defense, meaning that if we don't grossly outscore our opponents, they just come back in the 4th and beat us. I don't think a team that is this repeatedly bad defensively can be a true title contender. I like at least 5-6 teams better to win the title than the Suns at this point. We've improved a fair amount since the low point of the season, but we still aren't close to where we need to be.

User avatar
The Bobster
Posts: 6850
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 1:04 pm
Location: Phoenix, AZ

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by The Bobster »

The Suns have somewhat painted themselves into a corner personel-wise, they desperately need another big body who can contribute with consistancy, and a point guard who can help with the ball security. The problem is if they acquire a point guard who can play minutes at crunch time it forces them to play Booker at SF, since Beal isn't going where with his no-trade clause.

The reports that their main interest is requiring a swingman is puzzling because they seem to have much bigger needs elsewhere.
Author of The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts
Available from Scarecrow Press at - https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780810890695

Online
User avatar
Split T
Posts: 27200
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:51 am
Location: Provo, Utah

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Split T »

I'm curious why so many still think we need a pg. Again we have a 130 offensive rating with our starting lineup…Do we realize how good that is? It’s best offense of all time good and it’s not close.

We need a swing because we have 6 playable guys right now and 4 are guards. We need an option that doesn’t make us tiny when Nurk is played off the floor. We also need a reliable backup for KD and Nurk.

User avatar
Mori Chu
Posts: 23607
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:05 am

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Mori Chu »

Maybe the talk about wanting a swingman is smoke so we aren't openly admitting we are desperate for a PF/big and undermine ourselves in negotiations.

Online
User avatar
Split T
Posts: 27200
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:51 am
Location: Provo, Utah

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Split T »

I think we’re getting Bridges

User avatar
ShelC
Posts: 12896
Joined: Fri Feb 28, 2014 6:00 am

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by ShelC »

Split T wrote:
Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:18 pm
I'm curious why so many still think we need a pg. Again we have a 130 offensive rating with our starting lineup…Do we realize how good that is? It’s best offense of all time good and it’s not close.

We need a swing because we have 6 playable guys right now and 4 are guards. We need an option that doesn’t make us tiny when Nurk is played off the floor. We also need a reliable backup for KD and Nurk.
It's not necessarily about the starting lineup tho. I wouldn't trade for a PG looking for him to start, but to steady the bench unit and get better quality shots for KD and Beal when Book sits. I'd also maybe look for that someone to possibly close some games when the pressure defense pops up. Tyus Jones might go a long way in that regard but also maybe a vet like Patty Mills.


Online
User avatar
Split T
Posts: 27200
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:51 am
Location: Provo, Utah

Re: Game Day: Suns (28-20) @ Hawks (20-27), Fri 2/2/24

Post by Split T »

I get that…I still think we’re better off having Beal/KD figure that role out though. If we add a pg, who’s minutes are they taking? It would take minutes from other guys already in our top 6. And a guy like Tyus Jones is only acquireable if we trade Grayson. Is that what we want to do?

Post Reply