Western Conference Round 1, Game Day: Clippers (0-0) @ Suns (0-0), Sun 4/16/23

[TOO]

Montys issues were not adjusting the offense away from Paul/Ayton in the 4th and playing 4 non NBA players together early. 2 egregious errors that cost them the game.

[Kryptonic]

It's always someone else.

Where's all the Booker, CP3, Durant apologist at? Oh wait....

[JeremyG]

This one’s on Monty more than anyone. #FireMonty

I haven’t read any of this thread yet but I bet everyone’s blaming Ayton Ayton Ayton. Lol.

EDIT: Scrolling through I’m glad people are starting to wake up to Monty’s coaching.

Your boy got destroyed on the boards and had more shot attempts than KD. 18 on 16s shot is trash. Don't act like he played well.

That last minute possession where LAC got like 4 tries was tough. Ayton needs to control the boards.

I think LAC smartly played a let CP3 and Ayton take mid range shots strategy. We can’t just so willingly take those shots. Need to work for something better. That’s just not the shot it was for them last year.

Let's take a look and see what happened on those 3 offensive rebounds:

First one: https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CFID=& ... 20Def%3A5)

Ayton blocks out Zubac and keeps him from getting the board, but Booker lost track of Westbrook and let him go in for the rebound.

Secone one: https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CFID=& ... %20Rebound

Again, Ayton blocks out Zubac and the ball goes off the other side of the rim, with Paul and Westbrook reaching for it. Ayton may have thought it was going off Paul, but he should have let it go out of bounds. Instead, Ayton reached out for it, which was a mistake, since Westbrook had tipped it.

Third one: https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CFID=& ... %20Rebound

Here Ayton pushes Zubac under the hoop, then jumps for the board while Zubac holds down his left arm. He eventually gets his left arm free and it looks like he does try to go up with both hands but either he or a Clipper tips it off the glass. Still, Ayton would have gotten to it if Craig had just continued to block out Leonard, instead of wanting to go get the ball himself. Same problem we had at the end of a game earlier in the season--Craig getting in Ayton's way like always. Another reason to play Okogie instead of Craig.

3. Ayton - I need more energy and needs to make things happen. Too many mid range and long 2s. He needs to be getting closer to the rim and getting 15ish boards.

I agree with both of those points and mentioned them in my post above the one you quoted.

[JeremyG]

It destroys what little continuity we have.

Seems a bit dramatic.

Nope.

It was dramatic.

Craig had a good game and I hope he starts again if he plays like that. The real issue was playing Landry Shamet 24 minutes.

Yes by all means let's keep doing what didn't work. Craig had the best game he's going to have and we still lost.

They basically lost the game by one possession. A few made FT's (Booker...) or Paul/Ayton hits a mid range shot and the Suns likely would've won.

Starting Craig worked as well as it ever could've. You seem to be too dug in on the Monty stuff to give him even the slightest bit of credit.

Lol it's not just me. Most Suns fans are criticizing him for the lineup change.

[Split T]

The bigger problem was playing a 4 bench lineup with Booker the only starter. Can’t do that again. I don’t really think starting Craig hurt us.

[SunsRIt]

The problem I had is Okogie has been busting his ass and making the hustle plays the team needs for the last month of the season, then plays less than 10 minutes in the first playoff game. How does that make any sense?

[Split T]

Ya that was dumb. Josh needs at least the 24 minutes we gave Shamet

[JeremyG]

My hope was that the coaching discrepancy between Lue and Monty wouldn't matter because our talent, especially with KD, would just overwhelm them. But with Monty's coaching KD wasn't even able to do anything down the stretch.

Of course Monty has his favorites (CP3, Shamet) but I would think KD would be his favorite lol! Put the ball in his hands in clutch time.

[JeremyG]

Agreed re: Okogie. The dude just won the Dan Majerle Hustle Award for goodness sake! And he gets 6 and a half minutes??

[Shabazz]

I just can't get over the whole Shamet thing.

[Superbone]

I just can't get over the whole Shamet thing.

You must.

[Split T]

It’d be one thing if Landry provided better offense, but he has a lower TS% than Okogie. He’s a better shooter, but Josh is a much better finisher and foul drawer. Not to mention offensive rebounder. I Can understand choosing Shamet over Ross for defense, but Josh is the best defender on the team. I see zero reason to play Shamet over Josh. He’s not even been that good of a shooter this year.

[JeremyG]

Yep. Without Mikal, it’s crucial to play Josh for his defense.