Game Day: Suns (11-33) @ Pacers (28-14), Tues 1/15/19

[Nodack]

Watching Bones comments it seems the refs hated us in the first quarter. I wonder how much that effects a players psyche if they are down in a hostile environment and the refs seem to be making all the calls against them. I wonder if they start taking the attitude of “The refs aren’t going to let us win this game so why bother?”

[ShelC]

I think that's why Igor plays it down and doesn't react, go nuts or cry to the refs during games. He stays on an even keel and wants his team to play that way. I think he wants his players focused on the game and not making excuses or chirping at the refs, getting Ts. In general, I agree with the philosophy but it's getting ridiculous.

[Split T]

We make a lot of swipes at the ball...sometimes refs will just call those fouls...I can see how getting a few early calls on those plays will cause us to lose our aggressiveness

[Indy]

We have more fouls called against us than any other team, and we have 3rd fewest fouls called for us.

[Cap]

I wouldn't say guys were deferring to Book but he's just a different player to play with. He's a dominant offensive player so he wants the ball in his hands to slow the game down and look for his offense. Before, guys like Jackson, Oubre, Bridges, TJ were just flipping the ball around and moving, penetrating, kicking out...it was more fluid. Last night the offense stalled a bit with him, especially as a ballhandler. We should run some offense like the Ws run for Klay just to get some ball movement. Otherwise, you're watching Booker try to imitate Harden and it's ugly.

Frankly, it’s ugly when Harden does it, even if it is effective.

Very true. Never seen such a dominant offensive player be so unbearable to watch. Bleh.

Kobe?

But that was more about his attitude and character than his play.

[Mori Chu]

I found it hard to watch Shaq in his prime. He just bullied everyone, pushed his way to the basket, got a dunk, and a foul. He was super dominant and in some ways that was impressive, but it was super frustrating to watch on the opposing team.

[TOO]

I found it hard to watch Shaq in his prime. He just bullied everyone, pushed his way to the basket, got a dunk, and a foul. He was super dominant and in some ways that was impressive, but it was super frustrating to watch on the opposing team.

I feel like they only called the fouls he received half the time, that dude got murdered in the paint nightly.

[The Bobster]

I found it hard to watch Shaq in his prime. He just bullied everyone, pushed his way to the basket, got a dunk, and a foul. He was super dominant and in some ways that was impressive, but it was super frustrating to watch on the opposing team.

I feel like they only called the fouls he received half the time, that dude got murdered in the paint nightly.

If they rewarded post defenders for playing position defense rather than let offensive players dislodge them with the constant bumping, it would be a cleaner game.

Shaq was a unique case, sure, he out-muscled players and ran a lot of defenders over on his way to the basket but he also absorbed a lot of punishment by players who were fighting to hold position or trying to foul him hard to put him on the free throw line.

[INFORMER]

I don't have huge problem with watching Harden. The refs are officiating him a little better, not just giving him the calls when he does his kamikaze drives and just throws his hands up in the air.

What I really wish is that they would call him for his push-offs. He gets away with pushing off on the perimeter the create separation to shoot a jumper.

[iLLmatic]

I don't have huge problem with watching Harden. The refs are officiating him a little better, not just giving him the calls when he does his kamikaze drives and just throws his hands up in the air.

What I really wish is that they would call him for his push-offs. He gets away with pushing off on the perimeter the create separation to shoot a jumper.

LeBron too, drives me nuts.