Suns News: Week 4 (11/7-11/13)

[ShelC]

Last Week's Games
Tue, Nov 1 vs Minnesota 10pm EST TNT WIN! 116-107
Fri, Nov 4 vs Portland 10pm EST BSAZ LOSS 108-106
Sat, Nov 5 vs Portland 10pm EST NBATV/BSAZ WIN! 102-82

This Week's Games
Monday, Nov 7 vs Philadelphia 8pm EST NBATV/BSAZ
Wednesday, Nov 9 vs Minnesota 8pm EST BSAZ
Friday, Nov 11 vs Orlando 7pm EST BSAZ

Suns Stories
Phoenix Suns confirm Cam Johnson torn meniscus, no timetable for return
https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2022 ... for-return

Struggling Sixers host West-best Suns
https://www.libertyballers.com/2022/11/ ... -76ers-nba


Power Rankings
CBS Sports
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba- ... struggles/

#3 Suns - No Deandre Ayton this week for the Suns, but they just kept on rolling with wins over the Pelicans, Rockets and Wolves. Cam Johnson has helped fans forget about the Jae Crowder situation by averaging 21.3 points per game this week, including 29 in the win over Minnesota, on 50 percent 3-point shooting. Devin Booker and Chris Paul combined to go 4 for 28 from 3-point range this week, and Phoenix still won all three games without its starting center. That's a really good sign.

ClutchPoints
https://clutchpoints.com/nba-power-rank ... road-trip/

3. Phoenix Suns (No change)
The Suns are second only to the Bucks in points allowed and third in net point differential. Their record speaks to how balanced they have been so far this season. They split their back-to-back against Portland, but that’s forgivable. A four-game road trip will test them, especially after Cam Johnson’s torn meniscus.

The Athletic
https://theathletic.com/3747083/2022/11 ... gs-week-4/

2. Phoenix Suns (previously second) | 7-2 | +11.3 net rating
Weekly slate: Win over Wolves, Loss to Blazers, Win over Blazers
Transition offense: 118.0 points per 100 possessions (eighth) | 15.0 percent of possessions (tied-23rd)
Transition defense: 96.9 points per 100 possessions (first) | 16.3 percent of possessions (12th)

The effect: Once again, the Suns are one of the top defensive teams in the NBA. They were sixth in defensive rating two years ago. They were third in defensive rating last season, and they’re currently third again. Not giving up points in transition is a big part of that. It can be tricky with a team like Phoenix because the Suns take a lot of jumpers, and that can lead to long rebounds and quick chances. But the Suns under Monty Williams have made transition defense a mentality, and they’re not even giving up 100 points per 100 possessions in transition. That’s a dominant performance when you’re supposed to be at a disadvantage.

[pickle]

Transition defense stat is pretty damn cool.

[Split T]

Am i reading that stat right…we defend transition better than the half court? And our half court offense would be just about as good as our transition offense. Overall offensive rating is 117.6

[ShelC]

Transition defense may be a point of emphasis for the team since Monty was worried about crashing the offensive boards and giving up easy baskets. Might be a "we can crash the offensive glass so long as you get back in transition" type of deal.

[Wally_West]

[Mori Chu]

Hmm. I wonder if he would have done that if it weren't a contract year? Hope it doesn't come back to haunt him.

I do think in general that he has been driving to the basket too much and too recklessly. I know we want our shooters not to be so one-dimensional, but I think of CamJ as a 3-point specialist. I just want him camped out at the 3-point line the whole game. I don't really need him to attack the basket. He can take one dribble in for a mid-range jumper sometimes, but I don't need to see him down under the basket banging into guys and taking hard falls like he's been doing. I don't think his body is really built for that kind of play and I would prefer to see him stay healthy and focus on what he's best at. This is in contrast to Mikal Bridges, who I think has improved his dribbling and driving to the basket lately and seems to be incorporating that well.

[Drewsprocket]

Hmm. I wonder if he would have done that if it weren't a contract year? Hope it doesn't come back to haunt him.

I do think in general that he has been driving to the basket too much and too recklessly. I know we want our shooters not to be so one-dimensional, but I think of CamJ as a 3-point specialist. I just want him camped out at the 3-point line the whole game. I don't really need him to attack the basket. He can take one dribble in for a mid-range jumper sometimes, but I don't need to see him down under the basket banging into guys and taking hard falls like he's been doing. I don't think his body is really built for that kind of play and I would prefer to see him stay healthy and focus on what he's best at. This is in contrast to Mikal Bridges, who I think has improved his dribbling and driving to the basket lately and seems to be incorporating that well.

Yeah, he probably needs to adapt. It never looked like a sustainable part of his game. He lands worse than TJ does. There are other ways to take it to the cup with more finesse or improved pull up middy. Fingers crossed for him. I hope it was just a small tear. Either way, he’s sort of older so I can see why he wants his next contract. If he can come back and still put up buckets then he’ll still get a sizable deal.

[ShelC]

So that's good news barring no complications or setbacks.

In terms of him crashing and falling hard to the ground after drives...Cam Payne and Book do it too. I'm always waiting for them to come up with some kind of injury and Payne has a few times so far. I think in CamJ's case, he's maybe adding it to his game later in his career so he may not have the balance or finishing ability to land safely. But we do need guys like him and Mikal to be threats off the dribble otherwise defenders can just stay out on them all the time.

[Split T]

It’s not always possible to do the repair…depending on the location of the tear(blood flow is an issue), sometimes removing the torn piece is the only option.

[TOO]

When can we start a dialogue about how bad and lazy Ayton has been?

[carey]

When can we start a dialogue about how bad and lazy Ayton has been?

Now is fine. 15 & 8 and can't stay on the floor because of foul trouble. Only playing 25 minutes per game. Max contract guy, I guess.

[TOO]

When can we start a dialogue about how bad and lazy Ayton has been?

Now is fine. 15 & 8 and can't stay on the floor because of foul trouble. Only playing 25 minutes per game. Max contract guy, I guess.

This always felt inevitable once he got paid, regardless of whether or not he wanted to be in Phoenix, he's only ever cared about getting that second deal. He's always just been words and potential.

[Split T]

[Split T]

When can we start a dialogue about how bad and lazy Ayton has been?

Now is fine. 15 & 8 and can't stay on the floor because of foul trouble. Only playing 25 minutes per game. Max contract guy, I guess.

This always felt inevitable once he got paid, regardless of whether or not he wanted to be in Phoenix, he's only ever cared about getting that second deal. He's always just been words and potential.

We should’ve moved him for Sabonis at the deadline last year.

I know we won’t trade CP3, but for a moment when CP3 got hurt I thought about what we’d do if CP3 had an Achilles or something essentially career ending. I thought about maybe if Sacramento saw their season was lost they’d consider a Fox/Barnes/Sabonis for CP3/Crowder/Ayton deal. We’d have to add draft capital, but it gets Sacramento off Fox’s contract too as they can waive CP3 and only pay him 15 of his next 60 million.

Then I envisioned CP3 coming back to be a backup for us once his Achilles was healed.

Fox/Booker/Bridges/Barnes/Sabonis.

Defense would be a problem, but that team could score

[ShelC]

[Superbone]

Cool. He'll be back sooner rather than later. I thought it was weird everybody assumed the repair. Maybe it's just because I've been through it and know how effective it was for me. Even if I can't dunk, Shel.

[Superbone]

When can we start a dialogue about how bad and lazy Ayton has been?

Just know that if you do, you'll have to suffer the copious responses from you know who.

[Superbone]

When can we start a dialogue about how bad and lazy Ayton has been?

Now is fine. 15 & 8 and can't stay on the floor because of foul trouble. Only playing 25 minutes per game. Max contract guy, I guess.

This always felt inevitable once he got paid, regardless of whether or not he wanted to be in Phoenix, he's only ever cared about getting that second deal. He's always just been words and potential.

I'm just glad we didn't get that Doncic bum. 30+ points in every game thus far? Pfft!

[TOO]

When can we start a dialogue about how bad and lazy Ayton has been?

Just know that if you do, you'll have to suffer the copious responses from you know who.

I think even Jeremy knows Ayton has been pretty much mailing it in.

[Mori Chu]

Here's a link to Ayton's current stats:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/pl ... nde01.html

His numbers aren't awesome so far; 15 ppg on 57% shooting; 7.8 rebs; 1.5 ast; 0.6 blk. It's based on 8 games of data and is dragged down substantially by two meh games, vs Pelicans on Oct 28 (4 points) and vs Portland on Nov 5 (7 points on the second night of a back-to-back).

I do think we need more games for our guys' averages to settle in. Chris Paul, for example, is averaging just 9.5 ppg on 36.8% FG, oof. I am much more concerned about those numbers.