Game Day: Suns (20-28) @ Bucks (41-7), Sun 2/2/20

[Ring_Wanted]

They were good looks, not like he had three guys on him or anything. It's just when you see it not working over and over, with a different option available - taking it inside - it looks a little boneheaded.

They were mostly good looks, but Ayton didn't make good shots. Too rushed, too flat (even for him) and too strong. You never had the feeling they could go in, and after two or three bricks, MIL was delighted to let him keep trying.

[3rdside]

His percentage has decreased because he's still way too reliant on the mid-range shot and he's not hitting it at a good rate.

I'm highly encouraged by his defensive improvements, though.

It's a really big efg% drop - from .585 to .522%, so what's changed about his / the suns game that they continue to focus his game around the jumpers when they're inefficient?

Bad mentality?
Bad coaching?
Bad team mates?
Just a small sample size and he's taking 3 more shots a game so they had to come from somewhere?

Any of the above, but he can surely decide to take it inside more.

His defence is really encouraging, I thought he wouldn't be very good as he struggles to read the game (can be learned) and doesn't appear to have great timing on his blocks (can't really be learned) but his quick feet and long arms are great to watch.

[Nodack]

.582 to .522 doesn’t seem like that huge a drop to me. I think we all want him to take it to the hole more more instead of settling for jumpers like last year. I think he has noticeably done more in the paint recently and has led to a new problem where he gets rejected pretty often, especially for a big man. That might have something to do with his % too. I think he has a lot of learning to do. I think he will eventually get it. The Suns aren’t going anywhere in the playoffs even if they did manage to make it. I say we worry more about developing the team, especially our #1 pick Ayton. Feed him in the paint. Sink or swim. Experience is earned. Nothing motivates/teaches you like getting your ass kicked in competition a few times. A flagrant foul for elbows in the paint? Like EJ said, next time the defender won’t come in there.

On the defensive end Ayton has become a very intimidating force. He if he doesn’t block it he forces difficult shots and low shooting %. I don’t know the stats but, I can clearly see it happening and I like it.

Oubre has been playing well, especially the first half of this game. Mixing up his offense and being aggressive.

Somebody slipped Booker something because he was not himself at all.

[ShelC]

I was surprised throughout the game at the number of Ayton FGAs because it just didn't feel like he had that many shot, but yea, a bunch of them were tips/ORs that counted as FGAs.

And as much as we hate him taking so many jumpers, those are the shots he's getting within the offense. A bulk of our offense turns into "penetrate-and-kick", and sometimes that kickout out is to Ayton at the FT line where his only shot can be a jumper because the lane is too crowded due to the dribbler attracting multiple defenders to the paint. We never clear out and tell him to get on the block and sit in the post. At this point in the year, Monty needs to start adding that to the offense especially when our depth takes a hit and we need to take pressure off the perimeter players.

They were good looks, not like he had three guys on him or anything. It's just when you see it not working over and over, with a different option available - taking it inside - it looks a little boneheaded.

Just because he's open doesn't mean they're good looks. Maybe he's open for a reason and maybe it's not working over and over again because he's not a great midrange shooter yet.

[3rdside]

I was surprised throughout the game at the number of Ayton FGAs because it just didn't feel like he had that many shot, but yea, a bunch of them were tips/ORs that counted as FGAs.

And as much as we hate him taking so many jumpers, those are the shots he's getting within the offense. A bulk of our offense turns into "penetrate-and-kick", and sometimes that kickout out is to Ayton at the FT line where his only shot can be a jumper because the lane is too crowded due to the dribbler attracting multiple defenders to the paint. We never clear out and tell him to get on the block and sit in the post. At this point in the year, Monty needs to start adding that to the offense especially when our depth takes a hit and we need to take pressure off the perimeter players.

They were good looks, not like he had three guys on him or anything. It's just when you see it not working over and over, with a different option available - taking it inside - it looks a little boneheaded.

Just because he's open doesn't mean they're good looks. Maybe he's open for a reason and maybe it's not working over and over again because he's not a great midrange shooter yet.

By good shots, I meant wide, wide open from the mid-range.

Durant - the most efficient mid-range scorer last year at ~55% - would eat them up, but Ayton isn't Durant as we're finding out; he's shooting only 33% from there.

This is a good article explaining how the Bucks were more than happy to let Ayton shoot them, how settling for them and not putting the ball on the floor is a point of concern for Ayton's longer-term projection, and just how historically bad his performance was that night:

https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2020 ... -a-dribble

[3rdside]

Bridges 2 for 9 with 7 points. Way to put the ball in the basket! At least he's a stud defender.

I'd be prepared to say he'll never be even a decent shooter and he's a bust.

Fair to say I was a little premature calling him a bust and he's actually shooting okay for a sophomore:

.500% on FG's overall
.311% on 3's

Note to self : a bad game isn't the end of the world...

[Flagrant Fowl]

Watch Gary Harris now. That’s the trajectory Bridges looks to be on.

He really needs to get up a ton of shots in the summer with a great shooting coach.

[INFORMER]

Watch Gary Harris now. That’s the trajectory Bridges looks to be on.

Ugh.

[Indy]

If that is what he is, it was such a waste of 2 first round picks. I still have hope he gets to be at least an average offensive player to go along with his excellence wing-defense. Although he needs another 20 pounds of muscle if he wants to be effective playing against a lot of 4s in the league.

[ShelC]

Wasn't Sarver the one pushing for Bridges? Thought I had read that somewhere.

[SunsRIt]

If that is what he is, it was such a waste of 2 first round picks. I still have hope he gets to be at least an average offensive player to go along with his excellence wing-defense. Although he needs another 20 pounds of muscle if he wants to be effective playing against a lot of 4s in the league.

Tayshaun Prince wasn’t awful and had a similar build to Bridges. He never gained any weight.

[INFORMER]

Wasn't Sarver the one pushing for Bridges? Thought I had read that somewhere.

It was reported Ryan wanted to use the Milwaukee pick to get SGA, but was overruled by Sarver. From what I have seen to this point, it is pretty clear to me Jimmy Jones wanted Bridges and had Sarver's ear/favor to get Sarver to overrule. The trade and drafting of Bridges fits with Jimmy Jones' M.O.

[Mori Chu]

Wasn't Sarver the one pushing for Bridges? Thought I had read that somewhere.

It was reported Ryan wanted to use the Milwaukee pick to get SGA, but was overruled by Sarver. From what I have seen to this point, it is pretty clear to me Jimmy Jones wanted Bridges and had Sarver's ear/favor to get Sarver to overrule. The trade and drafting of Bridges fits with Jimmy Jones' M.O.

James Jones's draft strategy seems to be:

- Decide on a guy you like. (Bonus points if aspects of his game are similar to those of James Jones as an NBA player.)
- Decide that you HAVE to have that guy and will not settle for any other player.
- Arrange a trade to move your pick up by 4-5 spots, giving up a future pick, to make absolutely sure you can draft that player.
- Draft the player, surprising the rest of the league at how early a spot he was selected.
- Watch that player be okay, but not worth drafting at that spot, nor giving up a future pick for.
- Repeat.