Phx-Suns.Net

Time: 10:00 pm ET (7:00 pm Pacific/Arizona)
Place: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
TV: FSAZ, LP

The return of one Eric Bledsoe. It couldn't have come soon enough. This Suns team is battling for a playoff spot in a tough Western Conference with a tough end of season schedule. This game is a must/should win contest.

Go Suns!!!

Dis • cuss

We are going to murder the Cavs. They stink, and even though we have lost our last 2, we didn't play that badly. Now we get a major shot in the arm with the return of our 2nd-best player? Yeah. They are going down hard. I say we win by 15+.

Must win indeed, now a full game behind MEM who with Dallas have showed no signs of slowing down.

Bledsoes 110 Irvings 98

What kind of line are you guys expecting from Bledsoe?

Gotta lower my expectations. I'll say 20 minutes, 11 pts (3/9, some free throws) 3 ast, 3 boards and a steal. The game speed always throws returning guys off for a game or two, so I can't imagine he'll jump right into the player he was. But secretly I'm hoping he goes nuts.

Marcus Morris starting for PJ.

Bledsoe to Plumlee. Got to love it.

Our transition D is horrendous.

Bledsoe can still get to the rack at will.

Spencer hawes Lol!

Defense is torpedoing the season, gross.

Suns 24 Hawes 17 of Cavs 37.. WTF, getting destroyed on the boards

Charlie Smithy! wrote:Defense is torpedoing the season, gross.

TANKING!

Pitiful.

Getting beat every way possible by the F'n Cavs. Bledsoe is the only reason I'm even watching now.

On the bright side if we continue to play like this the twolves will probably pass us.

Gerald Green is the worst defender we have, by a lot.

I just love how we just continue to jack up three pointers. I hate how dependent upon them we are.

You dance with who brung ya. We live and die with the 3.

Wow. We really are going to lose to the Cavs at home. I think ring might end up vindicated.

At home?

Lazarus mentioned a while back on PM that the Suns fit an archetype -- young, athletic team that does extremely well through the stretch run and fades the last few games of the season to barely miss the playoffs. I think that's exactly what's happening here. If the Suns lose the next few, maybe it's time to rest Dragic with an injury (he's been playing through something legitimate), give Bledsoe some rehab time to see how he looks, and give Archie/Len some development time. The goal would be to end up 10th in the West so that the Suns get two lotto picks -- their own and likely the Minnesota pick.

The good news is that teams that have followed this pattern (Dallas in 1999, Sacramento a few years later, Indiana a couple of years ago) typically develop into contenders, Denver notwithstanding. Not to mention that the Suns would still be above .500.

Mori--thanks for resurrecting the board. I've been lurking on .net the past few years and it's nice to be on board again.