Game Day: Kings (22-33) @ Suns (39-15), Thurs 4/15/21

[Charlie Smithy!]

I realize this is a rather heavy question considering our lineage of point guards, but...is Chris Paul the best one we've ever had (mainly talking overall talent level)?

[BKinSJC]

"Best" is hard to exactly quantify. Thinking about it, though, I think a good way to put it might be "most complete." There really isn't anything that it's important for a point guard to do, that Chris Paul doesn't do at least pretty well.

I think that if you look at the history of all the other guys, in every case, there's at least one weakness you can point at and say, "that guy was great, but..."

I guess the knock that you hear on Paul sometimes is either overall health, or clutch performance in the playoffs. Which, okay ... but (knock on wood) neither thing has had a chance to be an issue yet in his Suns career.

[pickle]

I think one knock... which isn't exactly a knock per se, is that CP3's career hardly identifies with the Suns. Unless he wins a ring here, which changes everything.

[sunshoopjunky]

Ayton with 26 points on 91% FG shooting, 11 rebounds, 1 block in only 30 minutes.

Singlehandedly sealed the win for us.

And some of y'all wanted to trade him away.

Not even year 4 yet when things start to slow down for him Luka out.

[Superbone]

Book with smart patient reads to start the game
Really owes us a disciplined performance cause don't know what those last two games were

And he gave it to you.

[Superbone]

I understand the Haliburton situation, surely has not been an ideal start for Jalen
But Haliburton has slowed down quite a bit tbh and I am not particularly interested in seeing him have his first good game in a while tonight

But you got it anyway.

[Superbone]

Ayton with 26 points on 91% FG shooting, 11 rebounds, 1 block in only 30 minutes.

Singlehandedly sealed the win for us.

And some of y'all wanted to trade him away.

You bastards!

[Superbone]

I had a knot in my stomach before I started watching the game just thinking they were due for a letdown. But then the game started and the Suns were these new Suns and I remembered that they just don't lose. But then we couldn't put the Kings away. But I wasn't mad about it at all as the Kings seemed like wild dogs with their backs against the wall and they were hitting crazy shots that were pretty well defended. I liked the Suns poise down the stretch. They never panicked. They just took care of business. So nice that Ayton was so solid down the stretch too. Booker was an efficient machine most of the game. I thought maybe he got hurt because he didn't come back in the 4th until late. I think it was because Carter was playing so well. This team is growing up before our eyes.

[virtual9mm]

I figured that Ayton would start getting things together at some point -- unlike a bunch of other folks here who were willing to trade him away for a pu-pu platter. I'm not doing this to say "I told you so" but rather to urge some patience the next time around.

I still don't think he's anywhere close to achieving his potential. Right now, he's like a 7-1 Shawn Marion -- his points are coming off of assisted lobs, he's not drawing all that much contact, and he's doing a lot of scoring off of offensive rebounding (including off his own misses). But he could be all of this plus more. Maybe he won't ever be Olajuwon but he moves and looks awfully like a Patrick Ewing. And I don't think we've seen the last of his down days just yet. We'll probably see him revert and go back and forth a while.

But a 7-1 Shawn Marion is already a pretty damned good player to have on your team.

[Superbone]

They always say that big men take longer to develop. Well..., they're right.

[Flagrant Fowl]

It really is pretty amazing how Ayton's switch kind of flipped overnight. Without looking it up, I think the last time he had a "WTF was that game" was against Charlotte when Biyombo punked him a few times and he just looked kind of lost the same way would routinely until about 2 weeks ago.

[The Bobster]

Ayton's last games - 20.0 pts, 10.7 Reb, 72.9 FG%, 76.2 FT% (Suns 6 wins, 1 loss)

[ShelC]

[O_Gardino]

Ayton's last games - 20.0 pts, 10.7 Reb, 72.9 FG%, 76.2 FT% (Suns 6 wins, 1 loss)

In 4 of those games, he had 0 free throws made. Averaging 20 ppg without 3s or fts is both impressive and worisome.

Maybe this success will give him the confidence to put his body into the defender.

[The Bobster]

Since starting 8-8 the Suns have gone 32-7.

[The Bobster]

Ayton's last games - 20.0 pts, 10.7 Reb, 72.9 FG%, 76.2 FT% (Suns 6 wins, 1 loss)

In 4 of those games, he had 0 free throws made. Averaging 20 ppg without 3s or fts is both impressive and worisome.

Maybe this success will give him the confidence to put his body into the defender.

He's second to Booker on the team in FTA attempts for the season - I think it's a problem that is more a product of the system they run on offense. Ayton and Saric are the only players on the team that look to score in the paint with any consistency, and they really don't have anyone who drives all the way to the rim regularly with the exception of Booker. And Booker's averaging his fewest FTA since his rookie year.

[azsportsfan]

Ayton's last games - 20.0 pts, 10.7 Reb, 72.9 FG%, 76.2 FT% (Suns 6 wins, 1 loss)

In 4 of those games, he had 0 free throws made. Averaging 20 ppg without 3s or fts is both impressive and worisome.

Maybe this success will give him the confidence to put his body into the defender.

Not quite yet though. The layin that he missed (he was fouled) at the rim with a small on him is indicative of the things he could do to add another 4-6 points per night without working any harder.

[ShelC]

A bit of a frustrating game not being able to put the Kings away but we never really lost control of the game either. Love seeing our Big 3 only played around 30 minutes. Feels like Monty's pulling back a bit on some guys, especially CP who's been coming out a bit earlier in the 1st lately IINM. Payne's been great as his backup during this recent stretch (was a -10 last night tho_ so we have that luxury now and don't have to overextend our 36yr old point guard.

DA's playing like he finally realized he's taller and bigger than everyone else. Guys on the perimeter are getting more comfortable throwing it up towards the rim and DA's getting better at finishing where no one can get to the ball. He can be a dominant role playing big for us, which is what need at the moment.

Wish our defense could be tighter as it feels like teams are shooting high percentages against us recently and the sloppy TOs have been ticking up, but really can't complain much. We're rolling and the focus hasn't wavered.

Craig gave us some big minutes in the 4th. He's a hustle guy who puts himself in the right place at the right time.

[jonh]

Honestly, seeing Ayton do well over the last few games has hit me in the feels--particularly watching last night in the 4th, and in the interviews after the game. I feel a little like I'm watching a younger sibling finally start to play with confidence.

[bajanguy008]

Honestly, seeing Ayton do well over the last few games has hit me in the feels--particularly watching last night in the 4th, and in the interviews after the game. I feel a little like I'm watching a younger sibling finally start to play with confidence.

I just came to post this
His play is obviously encouraging but we all know how DA could leave us shaking our heads with sound bytes
I find his interviews to be very grounded and mature