SUNS NEWS: 2021 FINALS EDITION SUNS vs BUCKS

[ShelC]

[pickle]

Just the worst news for Dario. Like Monty said, he epitomizes what the Suns stand for, someone who works hard and gives it all when he’s called upon, no complaints, no ego, always playing the right way, always ready to step up. He made the most of his very limited athletic talents, and despite tearing his ACL he managed to keep that possession alive and didn’t turn the ball over.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Just the worst news for Dario. Like Monty said, he epitomizes what the Suns stand for, someone who works hard and gives it all when he’s called upon, no complaints, no ego, always playing the right way, always ready to step up. He made the most of his very limited athletic talents, and despite tearing his ACL he managed to keep that possession alive and didn’t turn the ball over.

Not just keep the possession alive, he lasered a no-look pass to Crowder for an open three, which he bricked of course. Then he went back and played a whole defensive possession, and almost a full offensive possession before the official whistled Forbes for a foul on Booker.

After watching the game a second time last night, I'm 99% sure the official called that touch foul on Forbes because he knew Dario was hurt. The Suns should've used a timeout, but it was some meta gamesmanship to get the official to do it for them.

[Indy]

Just the worst news for Dario. Like Monty said, he epitomizes what the Suns stand for, someone who works hard and gives it all when he’s called upon, no complaints, no ego, always playing the right way, always ready to step up. He made the most of his very limited athletic talents, and despite tearing his ACL he managed to keep that possession alive and didn’t turn the ball over.

Not just keep the possession alive, he lasered a no-look pass to Crowder for an open three, which he bricked of course. Then he went back and played a whole defensive possession, and almost a full offensive possession before the official whistled Forbes for a foul on Booker.

After watching the game a second time last night, I'm 99% sure the official called that touch foul on Forbes because he knew Dario was hurt. The Suns should've used a timeout, but it was some meta gamesmanship to get the official to do it for them.

It was impressive before I knew he tore his ACL.

[Flagrant Fowl]

This is interesting. Maybe the Suns could actually get one of those ring chasing veterans next season.

[Charlie Smithy!]

If he can do that much with a torn ACL, he might still be better than Kaminsky

[Flagrant Fowl]

If he can do that much with a torn ACL, he might still be better than Kaminsky

I know you're half joking, but I can't hold too much against Frank for his game 1 performance. He is what he is, and he's not a good NBA player. I think pickle nailed it when he called him a "traffic cone".

Yet, I'm not completely terrified at the prospect of him getting 3-6 minutes if he knows those minutes are coming to him. It's impossible to underrate mental preparedness at this stage, and Frank was certainly not thinking about playing in these Finals.

[pickle]

This is interesting. Maybe the Suns could actually get one of those ring chasing veterans next season.

It feels wrong to start looking to draft / free agency / next season already, but I'm keeping a list of guys I hope we can go after. No idea how much it'll cost, but I've been bothered by this lack of depth at the 4/5 all year long.

[JeremyG]

Guys...one week from tonight we could be NBA Champions!!!

[pickle]

Where do you guys go for merchandise? I’d like to get a shirt with this design if it were made available.

[Nodack]

This is interesting. Maybe the Suns could actually get one of those ring chasing veterans next season.

I think that would be a distinct possibility. We got Paul and Crowder after impressing in the bubble. Being in the Finals has to make the Suns more attractive to one of those ring chasing veterans willing to take a cut for a chance at a ring.

[ShelC]

Some good articles here

Torrey Craig is easy to miss. The fourth-year wing is the last man in the Suns’ rotation, averaging 4.2 points and 12.8 minutes per game in the playoffs. He had just two points and three rebounds in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday. Even hardcore fans might not have realized that he began the season with the Bucks before being traded to the Suns for cash at the trade deadline. But Craig plays an important role for Phoenix, one Milwaukee is desperately lacking in the series. His absence reveals underlying flaws in the Bucks’ organization that could keep them from winning a title.

“In our 36 games, there were probably no less than 10 of those games where he found himself playing every position on the floor,” Wright said in a phone call this week. “If I needed him to bring the ball down the floor and get us 2, he could do that. Come off a down screen and shoot the 3? He could do that. If I needed him to be my pick-and-pop guy, he could do that. If I needed to run him to the block and post up a 5 because he had a mismatch, he could do that. … It translates into what you’re seeing right now, because he can adapt and fit into whatever role he needs to be for the team to win.”

Insider Article:

Winning has followed Crowder: from Marquette, where he starred for two seasons; to those Boston teams; and now to back-to-back Finals with the Miami Heat -- who never quite recovered from losing him -- and the Suns.

[Mori Chu]

Thanks for the articles, Shel. Good reading right before tonight's game.

[Indy]

Where do you guys go for merchandise? I’d like to get a shirt with this design if it were made available.

He hasn't created this shirt yet, but Craig Hamil (@CraigAHamil on twitter) has a redbubble shop and makes a ton of original art Suns stuff.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/craigahamil/shop?asc=u

[Superbone]

Where do you guys go for merchandise? I’d like to get a shirt with this design if it were made available.

He hasn't created this shirt yet, but Craig Hamil (@CraigAHamil on twitter) has a redbubble shop and makes a ton of original art Suns stuff.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/craigahamil/shop?asc=u

Cool stuff! Just ordered the purple and black shirt with 9 cartoon style Suns faces. Would have preferred Cam Payne to Carter but other than that, perfect!

[Superbone]

Thanks for the articles, Shel. Good reading right before tonight's game.

Great stuff. Might need some help from our resident ESPN insider for that last one.

[AmareIsGod]

Report: Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler traded ‘borderline uncomfortable’ trash talk during 1-on-1 battle on Miami Heat

https://heatnation.com/rumors/report-ja ... iami-heat/

“Crowder was maybe the only player on Miami’s roster with the courage, bravado, and shared history — from their year together at Marquette — to confront Jimmy Butler when he felt it necessary,” wrote ESPN’s Zach Lowe. “A prolonged series of one-on-one games between them was perhaps Miami’s secret defining moment of last season’s bubble run.

“The two had started trash-talking during five-on-five action in practice toward the end of the seeding games. It got heated, and they cleared the court to settle it with a series of one-on-one games that lasted somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour. The player with the ball had to start either on the wing or at the top of the key, and could take only a certain number of dribbles before shooting.

“The trash talk became so profane, and so personal, it was borderline uncomfortable, team sources said. Almost the entire Heat contingent stayed to watch. ‘I’ve been busting your a– since school!’ Butler taunted, according to Crowder. (It got much worse than that.) Everyone loved it — and appreciated Crowder for bringing an edge to practices. (Butler won the final game.)”

[ShelC]

LOVE ME SOME BOSSMAN!

[Indy]

Where do you guys go for merchandise? I’d like to get a shirt with this design if it were made available.

He hasn't created this shirt yet, but Craig Hamil (@CraigAHamil on twitter) has a redbubble shop and makes a ton of original art Suns stuff.

https://www.redbubble.com/people/craigahamil/shop?asc=u

Cool stuff! Just ordered the purple and black shirt with 9 cartoon style Suns faces. Would have preferred Cam Payne to Carter but other than that, perfect!

He does great work.

[bajanguy008]

Sup folks

Gotta piggy back on the running joke we have going here about "Me writing articles" lol
The amount of Cam Johnson stuff I've been seeing recently does have me sheepishly grinning all the time

Bummed about Super Dario but if Cam gets additional minutes and builds on his very solid playoffs debut....
Man oh Man