Game Day: Clippers (4-2) @ Suns (5-1), Sun 1/3/21

[Indy]

Well, we're going to find out what they're made of in the second half.

indeed we did

[Indy]

Well, they won’t have much chance with George playing like this. How do you stop that?

Make him give the ball up. Make somebody else beat you.

Try anything and everything.

I thought Ayton might be able to contain him but he was shooting over him as well .. when you're hot you're hot (but let's see PG do it in the playoffs when it counts..).

Ayton played well tonight. He is really good at staying in front of his man on the perimeter, even if that is a small/quicker guy. But he doesn't contest when they shoot. He is in such a crouched stance and pretty far away, that he just reaches is arms towards their face, but it doesn't stop them from taking a jumper.

[ShelC]

DA's defense on the perimeter has become a bit overrated. Like you said, he's not really contesting shots so much as playing off and then getting a hand in their face. But more than anything he's just trying not to foul.

Our defense tightens up with Dario tho because he's so good at helping and denying penetration. He's almost like Kurt Thomas that way where he's not a huge presence or a shotblocking threat but he's knows where to be and when.

[bajanguy008]

DA's defense on the perimeter has become a bit overrated. Like you said, he's not really contesting shots so much as playing off and then getting a hand in their face. But more than anything he's just trying not to foul.

Our defense tightens up with Dario tho because he's so good at helping and denying penetration. He's almost like Kurt Thomas that way where he's not a huge presence or a shotblocking threat but he's knows where to be and when.

interesting take here Shel as imo you literally just described exactly how bigs are taught to defend guards as they are not suppose to jump or get baited into shooting fouls. even when DA just puts his hand up sometimes last year he was getting too close when doing that and getting called for not giving the shooter space to land. I personally think he does a good job

fully agreed on Dario though rotations and also how he uses his body on the defensive glass against the bigger centers

[ShelC]

He's doing a good job staying in front and not fouling for, that's for sure. Just think we sometimes overrate his mobility on the perimeter like he can switch onto anyone and force a bad shot.

[In2ition]

In his defense, he defended some of the PG shots very well, but PG was just in the zone and could have made them with his eyes closed. I was more disappointed when they went to the rim off the dribble on him. I thought he would be able to contest those.

[Split T]

Suns were a +14 with Booker on the court last night. He played 45 minutes. Means we were out scored by 19 in the 3 minutes he sat.

[Indy]

Suns were a +14 with Booker on the court last night. He played 45 minutes. Means we were out scored by 19 in the 3 minutes he sat.

Only 5 guys had a net negative +/- last night. The problem is 3 were starters.

Crowder -5
Paul -11
DA -25
Galloway -33
Carter -33


POSITIVES:
CJ +7
Payne +17
Mikal +21
Dario +29
Book +33

[Split T]

Whoever was on the court for that 19-0 run to end the 1st/start the 2nd had it rough from a +/- standpoint

[Indy]

Whoever was on the court for that 19-0 run to end the 1st/start the 2nd had it rough from a +/- standpoint

The only person that was on the court for the exact time Booker sat was Cater. -19 in those very few minutes. Gallo came in a minute or so before Book sat, and stayed until he came back, so he was out there for the entire 19-0 run. Payne and DA were out there for the worst of it too.

[Nodack]

The Clips started hot and the Suns didn’t. The Suns 13/1 in their last 14 I’m sure got the Clips attention. The Suns turned the ball over a ton to start and the Clippers made them pay. Johnson, Bridges and Jae were ice cold. They almost came back. Can’t spot a team 30 and expect to win. Stuff happens.


DA had his best game and he is the one guy everyone is worried most about. That was a big positive.

[In2ition]

Those live ball turnovers really killed the Suns during that run by the Clips.

[LazarusLong]

Nice game by Saric. He showed his basketball IQ chops.
Encouraged by increased free throws by Booker, who has a better-than-decent set of moves in the paint.
It says a good deal about the team's mentality when they didn't fold like a house of cards when they were down 31.

[Charlie Smithy!]

Nice game by Saric. He showed his basketball IQ chops.
Encouraged by increased free throws by Booker, who has a better-than-decent set of moves in the paint.
It says a good deal about the team's mentality when they didn't fold like a house of cards when they were down 31.

Laz, you changed your sig! ☺

[ShelC]

Suns were a +14 with Booker on the court last night. He played 45 minutes. Means we were out scored by 19 in the 3 minutes he sat.

Only 5 guys had a net negative +/- last night. The problem is 3 were starters.

Crowder -5
Paul -11
DA -25
Galloway -33
Carter -33


POSITIVES:
CJ +7
Payne +17
Mikal +21
Dario +29
Book +33

I'm not a big stats guy but I like looking at the #s for different lineups. Our best lineup as far as net rating consists has been Payne, Book, Mikal, Cam, Dario. The group of Paul, Carter, Gallo, Mikal, Cam, DA is slightly worse but still very good. Offense isn't as good with that 2nd group but very good defensively. Our starters fare the worst overall. CP and DA almost always play together. Monty's mixed and matched a bit but those groupings have gotten the most minutes.

https://www.nba.com/stats/lineups/advan ... Quantity=4

[djy2j]

Ayton played well. He hung in there. If he could develop a killer instinct he'd be pretty dangerous. He's taken a few steps forward from a week ago. Hope it continues.

[Split T]

Just need these last two games version of Ayton to be the norm. I’ll be very happy if that’s the case.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Just need these last two games version of Ayton to be the norm. I’ll be very happy if that’s the case.

Yup. This is the version I'd have only a few worries about making $30M a year.

[JeremyG]

I blame the Cardinals.

All Suns losses this season have come on days that the Cardinals lost.

Which means we will be 70-2.

[Superbone]

Our defense tightens up with Dario tho because he's so good at helping and denying penetration. He's almost like Kurt Thomas that way where he's not a huge presence or a shotblocking threat but he's knows where to be and when.

This is what I was trying to tell INF that DA needs to learn from Dario.