Game Day: Suns (6-6) @ Jazz (4-8), Sun 11/19/23

[Wally_West]

Little becoming a nice rotation piece, even possibly developing into the 5th starter one day would be fucking great. Locked up for next 4 years at a bargain price.

[Wally_West]

Plus we have his bird rights!

[Flagrant Fowl]

I like that he's big and strong enough to battle big wings like LeBron, Kawhi and George. He's not going to shut those guys down, but it's definitely not a 5 alarm fire for the Suns when they catch the ball like it is when Yuta or Gordon is defending them.

[TOO]

Plus we have his bird rights!

Kinda wish he'd take more shots, this team is gonna be filthy if they can get Beal healthy.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I think someone mentioned it in this game thread, but Allen would really go up a level if he could develop an in between shot. He's going to get run off of the 3-point line and he'll struggle to finish at the rim in the playoffs, so he has to find a comfortable spot in the 8 to 12 foot range to challenge the defense.

[Superbone]

I think someone mentioned it in this game thread, but Allen would really go up a level if he could develop an in between shot. He's going to get run off of the 3-point line and he'll struggle to finish at the rim in the playoffs, so he has to find a comfortable spot in the 8 to 12 foot range to challenge the defense.

Yep, work on the floater. Or just a mid range shot. He’s got a few great mentors.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I missed most of the game between the 2nd quarter and 1st overtime so I went back and watched. It's hard to imagine Booker having a much poorer performance this season than he did tonight. So many shots that were short or in and out and we saw the downside of his hyper competitiveness when he was forcing too much in the second quarter and late in the game.

I've only been tracking closely for 3 games now, but this is the only game in the past 3 that Vogel didn't play a single lineup with out Booker or KD for even one possession.

[ShelC]

Postgame Quotes and Videos

Spoiler: show/hide

[ShelC]

I think someone mentioned it in this game thread, but Allen would really go up a level if he could develop an in between shot. He's going to get run off of the 3-point line and he'll struggle to finish at the rim in the playoffs, so he has to find a comfortable spot in the 8 to 12 foot range to challenge the defense.

Yep, work on the floater. Or just a mid range shot. He’s got a few great mentors.

He's got the floater/push shot but I thought he'd be better pulling up. He was a driver in college and worked on his outside shot so he's got both now but the middie is what takes guys to the next level. At least he's able to drive if he's run off the line which is a plus to pressure on the defense and can lead to kickouts. But his shot charts are pretty similar year to year.

2023 shotchart
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/grayso ... shot-chart

2022
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=gray ... hart+22-23

2021
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=gray ... hart+21-22

[Carno]

I missed most of the game between the 2nd quarter and 1st overtime so I went back and watched. It's hard to imagine Booker having a much poorer performance this season than he did tonight. So many shots that were short or in and out and we saw the downside of his hyper competitiveness when he was forcing too much in the second quarter and late in the game.

I've only been tracking closely for 3 games now, but this is the only game in the past 3 that Vogel didn't play a single lineup with out Booker or KD for even one possession.

I'm pretty sure that both Book and Durant were out for a possession or two early in the second.

[Drewsprocket]

Postgame Quotes and Videos

Spoiler: show/hide

Suns won that trade btw. Little, Allen, Nurk were solid.

[Carno]

Sure.

I thought watching the replays that KD's block was clean. The Jazz announcers, of course, see what they want to see on 2D images that lack proper perspective of the 3D world. It looked to me from the replays that KD's hand was in between Markkanen's arms when he contested the shot, meaning that he didn't touch the wrist (...maybe his fingers graze the wrist/hand after the block). I think this photo provides the best view showing that the block was clean. Kudos to the refs for taking their time and getting the call right. It was very close and hard to see from the replays.

[Split T]

KD definitely got ball first…there was no foul on the block. The only foul they maybe could’ve called was KD in his landing space…but the shot was already blocked at that point, would it even be a shooting foul? Was there even time still on the clock at that point? Was he even in his landing space? Lauri was fading away

[Mori Chu]

Phew, I needed a shower after that game. It felt like Book was having a horrible game, tentative, shots not falling, ... and somehow he still puts up 26/8/5. KD was other-worldly. It feels like every night there'll be 1-2 of our Big <= 3 who will be hot, and we can just ride that one and feed them.

Jazz were super annoying. Horton-Tucker is one of those guys who should never be beating you, and yet he goes off for 20+. Sexton was hitting every pull-up 3. And Markkanen looked like an All-NBA player. I take some solace in the fact that they basically played their best game, and we played a mediocre-for-us game, and we beat them. I think we're clearly the better team.

The two OTs were so intense. It felt like each time we were one shot or FT from putting them away, but then we'd let them back in it. I thought for sure they would not overturn that foul on KD; they usually don't overturn calls unless it is really blatantly wrong, and I thought it was iffy enough that they'd let it stand. I guess the refs wanted to go home, too, LOL.

Turnovers and overall offensive flow were still big problems for us. I -hate- these possessions where we just hand it to KD or Book and they dribble for 20 seconds and then chuck up some fadeaway jumper. Vogel needs to get the guys swinging the ball more, setting screens, running a good offense.

I really like the way Little is playing lately. I think maybe he should take Yuta's minutes for now. I wish we could also find a few minutes for Metu; I think he's ready to contribute.

[Nodack]

My recording ran out with 9 seconds left in the 2nd OT.

The late game hand it Book or whoever and let them dribble out the clock and then chuck thing seems like it has been the standard go to thing for many years now.

[O_Gardino]

I said at the beginning of the weekend that I expected Utah to play us tough, but gott-dayum they took it too far. Those were 2 stressful games when you don't trust your team in crunch time.

It's all worth it though, because we won and the team earned some more trust. You guys, the Suns might be god this year.

[O_Gardino]

Sure.

I thought watching the replays that KD's block was clean. The Jazz announcers, of course, see what they want to see on 2D images that lack proper perspective of the 3D world. It looked to me from the replays that KD's hand was in between Markkanen's arms when he contested the shot, meaning that he didn't touch the wrist (...maybe his fingers graze the wrist/hand after the block). I think this photo provides the best view showing that the block was clean. Kudos to the refs for taking their time and getting the call right. It was very close and hard to see from the replays.

How great is it to win on a coaches challenge? Vogel's staff has been great with those.

[Superbone]

I missed most of the game between the 2nd quarter and 1st overtime so I went back and watched. It's hard to imagine Booker having a much poorer performance this season than he did tonight. So many shots that were short or in and out and we saw the downside of his hyper competitiveness when he was forcing too much in the second quarter and late in the game.

I've only been tracking closely for 3 games now, but this is the only game in the past 3 that Vogel didn't play a single lineup with out Booker or KD for even one possession.

I'm pretty sure that both Book and Durant were out for a possession or two early in the second.

Yeah, I was going to say the same because I remember being impressed that they held or maybe even increased the lead during that time.

[JeremyG]

I missed most of the game between the 2nd quarter and 1st overtime so I went back and watched. It's hard to imagine Booker having a much poorer performance this season than he did tonight. So many shots that were short or in and out and we saw the downside of his hyper competitiveness when he was forcing too much in the second quarter and late in the game.

I've only been tracking closely for 3 games now, but this is the only game in the past 3 that Vogel didn't play a single lineup with out Booker or KD for even one possession.

I'm pretty sure that both Book and Durant were out for a possession or two early in the second.

Yeah, I was going to say the same because I remember being impressed that they held or maybe even increased the lead during that time.

It was 9:53 to 8:40 in the 2nd. It went from 35-34 Suns to 43-37 Suns. https://www.nba.com/game/phx-vs-uta-002 ... ?period=Q2

[Superbone]

Durant: "I knew I blocked the shot and I knew that I didn't touch him at all, but that's just how the game is."

Well, that's not quite true. Touched him early on the body with the right hand and then hit his wrist on his follow through. However, they don't usually call that lower body touch and apparently it's OK to make contact after the block. Plus, refs usually don't make that call in that situation unless it is blatant. I'm just glad the challenge work out.