Phx-Suns.Net

Wonder what that means that the Thunder are 10th in guarding ISOs. They play more coherently as a defensive unit?

Ouch. Referee Billy Kennedy, the ref known for his entertaining play review announcements, went down with a non-contact injury the other day:

Split T wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 10, 2026 12:07 pm

My bad, hate away haha

"Fuck them kids Rockets"

Mori Chu wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 11, 2026 9:36 am

Split T wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 10, 2026 12:07 pm

My bad, hate away haha

"Fuck them kids Rockets"

Speaking of, they just lost to the Kings. Makes our loss to them sting just a bit more.

We just passed the Rockets in the standings. We're now 6th.

Superbone wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 11, 2026 9:56 pm

We just passed the Rockets in the standings. We're now 6th.

That HAS to hurt the Rockets and KD... Just proves we were right to trade that cancer. I hope we're better than them in the standings the rest of his career. I honestly don't see another team trading for KD or wanting him after seeing him destroy yet another team on the cusp of a championship run.

Fun responses here if anyone needs some cheering up! It's not KD's fault, fire the coach, fire the GM, trade everyone but KD and Sengun, bring back Dillon....

Superbone wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 11, 2026 9:56 pm

We just passed the Rockets in the standings. We're now 6th.

Soon to be in 5th when we pass the Fakers

IMO the Rockets and Suns KD experience are almost identical. Rox get the moral victory on this one, but the results are the same.

Suns traded for KD expecting that Book and CP3 would be the leaders and run the offence.
Rox traded for KD expecting that Sengun and FVV would be the leaders and run the offence.

Suns did not need KD to be anything more than an upgrade from Bridges on offence.
Rox did not need KD to be anything more than an upgrade from Green on offence.

Suns underestimated the impact of losing the heart of their defense + depth.
Rox underestimated the impact of losing the heart of their defense + depth.

Suns lost all-star point guard to age/trade, and also lose talented center to being Ayton and a trade.
Rox lost all-star point guard to injury, and also lost talented center to injury.

Also, what's the over/under on AD playing 40 games this season. I think he has averaged like 50 over the last 7 years. Jeez.

O_Gardino wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:10 am

IMO the Rockets and Suns KD experience are almost identical. Rox get the moral victory on this one, but the results are the same.

Suns traded for KD expecting that Book and CP3 would be the leaders and run the offence.
Rox traded for KD expecting that Sengun and FVV would be the leaders and run the offence.

Suns did not need KD to be anything more than an upgrade from Bridges on offence.
Rox did not need KD to be anything more than an upgrade from Green on offence.

Suns underestimated the impact of losing the heart of their defense + depth.
Rox underestimated the impact of losing the heart of their defense + depth.

Suns lost all-star point guard to age/trade, and also lose talented center to being Ayton and a trade.
Rox lost all-star point guard to injury, and also lost talented center to injury.

Crazy... I'm sure Brooklyn has some similarities too.

O_Gardino wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:10 am

IMO the Rockets and Suns KD experience are almost identical. Rox get the moral victory on this one, but the results are the same.

Why do they get the moral victory?

Superbone wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 9:50 am

O_Gardino wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:10 am

IMO the Rockets and Suns KD experience are almost identical. Rox get the moral victory on this one, but the results are the same.

Why do they get the moral victory?

Maybe since they gave up less?

Kryptonic wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 9:55 am

Superbone wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 9:50 am

O_Gardino wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:10 am

IMO the Rockets and Suns KD experience are almost identical. Rox get the moral victory on this one, but the results are the same.

Why do they get the moral victory?

Maybe since they gave up less?

I'm really loving what they gave up. I think Brooks and (potentially) Green are a bigger gain for is than Mikal and Cam. Those draft picks we gave up though...

AmareIsGod wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 10:24 am

Kryptonic wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 9:55 am

Superbone wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 9:50 am

O_Gardino wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 8:10 am

IMO the Rockets and Suns KD experience are almost identical. Rox get the moral victory on this one, but the results are the same.

Why do they get the moral victory?

Maybe since they gave up less?

I'm really loving what they gave up. I think Brooks and (potentially) Green are a bigger gain for is than Mikal and Cam. Those draft picks we gave up though...

I'm just glad we got back what we got for a 37-year-old aging vet. A lot of people poo poo'd it but Brooks has been a godsend for our identity and Jalen looked amazing in his limited minutes and I think he'll have a far bigger impact on our team than KD alone had. Plus, the future possibilities of Man Man. So, I don't know about moral victories. Houston got him 2.5 years after we did. Obviously, we gave up way too much, especially draft picks, to get him in the first place but that has nothing to do with Houston.

Oldie but goodie:

I think last year Houston fans had a fair amount of criticisms of Jalen Green. Namely they thought he did a bad job initiating plays on offense, would put up low-percentage shots, sometimes had tunnel vision / wouldn't pass, would sometimes turn the ball over, etc. Actually these are not too different from the criticisms we had of KD when he was here. The difference is, I don't think Houston had a Booker or a CP3 or anybody else to initiate and run their offense, so Jalen Green was kind of stuck doing that, and it wasn't a good fit.

Here in Phoenix I don't think we want Jalen Green to do very much initiation of offensive plays; we want him as a finisher. Book and Gillespie and others can mostly initiate offense, and when we pass it to Green, it's mostly to finish the play and shoot or score first. He's very good at that. In the 1.25 games he played for us, that's what he mostly did. Having Booker next to Green is a much better fit than what Houston had.

KD is also a finisher, but he's set in his ways and thinks he can and should be an initiator. That's the problem. He isn't a good initiator or playmaker; he gets stripped, gets his passes picked off, or chucks bad long shots too much.

Mori Chu wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 12, 2026 12:10 pm

KD is also a finisher, but he's set in his ways and thinks he can and should be an initiator. That's the problem. He isn't a good initiator or playmaker; he gets stripped, gets his passes picked off, or chucks bad long shots too much.

You mean, he's a bitch?

DOES. HE. LOOK. LIKE. A. BITCH???