Game Day: Suns (26-17) @ 76ers (23-18), Tues 1/20/25

[specialsauce]

I agree about not being an easy out. But I was more referring to us being an effort team which helps win regular season games but in the post season in theory all the teams give maximum effort and we do have a pretty serious size problem. We will win a couple on effort and 3 point variance but I think we’d be unlikely to make it to the second round, and certainly won’t make it to the conference finals.

Unless Green blows up. I would love to be wrong.

Haven't you been wrong all season? Like most of us?

Most

[djy2j]

Aside from a luck luster finish this was a solid win over a sneaky good team when Embiid and PG are sitting. The defensive tenacity will help them beat some tired teams down the road. This team is legit.

[Mori Chu]

I’m pretty sure we are a regular season team, but I’m still enjoying the heck out of it (last night’s late game turnovers notwithstanding).

I think we are probably headed for a first round loss. We would get absolutely destroyed by OKC or SAS, and I don't like the matchup with DEN either since we cannot stop Jokic at all. We might be able to take HOU if we end up in a 4-5 or 3-6 matchup against them, but I don't love that matchup either. IMO facing HOU in the 1st round and pulling an upset is probably our best possible chance at getting to the 2nd round but I wouldn't bet on it. I think of the other top teams I would choose to face SAS over OKC or DEN, but I don't like any of those choices. The dream matchup would be HOU in 1st round and SAS in 2nd round, but I just don't see us making a big playoff run.

BUT! I have been completely wrong about this team all season and they have consistently exceeded my wildest expectations. So who cares what I think? And they are just getting back arguably their 2nd best player in Jalen Green, and we haven't really seen what this team is fully capable of with him healthy. So anybody claiming to know this team's ceiling is basically just guessing. I am happy and excited to watch how it plays out and see what we can do.

I do know this: None of those home-court playoff teams want to see us in the playoffs. I guarantee that we will be the proverbial "team nobody wants to play in the 1st round." Let's live up to it.

[Split T]

I would much rather face the Spurs than the Rockets.

[specialsauce]

I’m pretty sure we are a regular season team, but I’m still enjoying the heck out of it (last night’s late game turnovers notwithstanding).

I think we are probably headed for a first round loss. We would get absolutely destroyed by OKC or SAS, and I don't like the matchup with DEN either since we cannot stop Jokic at all. We might be able to take HOU if we end up in a 4-5 or 3-6 matchup against them, but I don't love that matchup either. IMO facing HOU in the 1st round and pulling an upset is probably our best possible chance at getting to the 2nd round but I wouldn't bet on it. I think of the other top teams I would choose to face SAS over OKC or DEN, but I don't like any of those choices. The dream matchup would be HOU in 1st round and SAS in 2nd round, but I just don't see us making a big playoff run.

BUT! I have been completely wrong about this team all my life and they have consistently exceeded my wildest expectations. So who cares what I think? And they are just getting back arguably their 2nd best player in Jalen Green, and we haven't really seen what this team is fully capable of with him healthy. So anybody claiming to know this team's ceiling is basically just guessing. I am happy and excited to watch how it plays out and see what we can do.

I do know this: None of those home-court playoff teams want to see us in the playoffs. I guarantee that we will be the proverbial "team nobody wants to play in the 1st round." Let's live up to it.

You make some valid points but none better than the bolded

[Kryptonic]

I’m pretty sure we are a regular season team, but I’m still enjoying the heck out of it (last night’s late game turnovers notwithstanding).

I think we are probably headed for a first round loss. We would get absolutely destroyed by OKC or SAS, and I don't like the matchup with DEN either since we cannot stop Jokic at all. We might be able to take HOU if we end up in a 4-5 or 3-6 matchup against them, but I don't love that matchup either. IMO facing HOU in the 1st round and pulling an upset is probably our best possible chance at getting to the 2nd round but I wouldn't bet on it. I think of the other top teams I would choose to face SAS over OKC or DEN, but I don't like any of those choices. The dream matchup would be HOU in 1st round and SAS in 2nd round, but I just don't see us making a big playoff run.

BUT! I have been completely wrong about this team all my life and they have consistently exceeded my wildest expectations. So who cares what I think? And they are just getting back arguably their 2nd best player in Jalen Green, and we haven't really seen what this team is fully capable of with him healthy. So anybody claiming to know this team's ceiling is basically just guessing. I am happy and excited to watch how it plays out and see what we can do.

I do know this: None of those home-court playoff teams want to see us in the playoffs. I guarantee that we will be the proverbial "team nobody wants to play in the 1st round." Let's live up to it.

You make some valid points but none better than the bolded

lol the doctor has spoken!

[Kryptonic]

I would much rather face the Spurs than the Rockets.

Yea because we know damn well KD will try to go off if he plays us. Granted I’m hoping he’s killed that locker room by that time lol

[Kryptonic]

I agree about not being an easy out. But I was more referring to us being an effort team which helps win regular season games but in the post season in theory all the teams give maximum effort and we do have a pretty serious size problem. We will win a couple on effort and 3 point variance but I think we’d be unlikely to make it to the second round, and certainly won’t make it to the conference finals.

Unless Green blows up. I would love to be wrong.

Haven't you been wrong all season? Like most of us?

Most

I figured you'd thought they were gonna suck.

[Split T]

I would much rather face the Spurs than the Rockets.

Yea because we know damn well KD will try to go off if he plays us. Granted I’m hoping he’s killed that locker room by that time lol

It’s not even KD to me. It’s their size and defense. I don’t know about the rest of you, but watching those b2b games against OKC/Houston, I felt the Houston defense significantly more. Especially down the stretch. I think they’d make it really tough on us to score and their strengths hit hard on our defensive weaknesses(rebounding/fouling).

[Nodack]

At the beginning of last year I thought the team was the most stacked Suns team ever and they went nowhere. At the beginning of this year after the garage sale, I was talking of trading Booker just to give him a chance to win a title somewhere else out of mercy for him. I had zero confidence this team was going to do anything and I just assumed we were starting another rebuilding process. My expectations couldn’t have been much lower. Apparently he didn’t want to go anywhere else and has stayed loyal to his team and city.

Having said that, they have totally won me over just from their sheer grit and determination. They play as a team and a lot of guys are playing out of their minds. They say defense wins titles. I have never seen a Suns team this ferocious on defense. Following the Suns over the years we all know they are rarely known for any defense. They are a little undersized and have shown to be vulnerable inside and maybe that bites us if we make the playoffs. We also have a plethora of 3 pt shooters that those bigger guys have trouble defending. It was said that the other teams all step it up in the playoffs and maybe that negates the extra hustle the Suns have shown in the regular season. Maybe the Suns have another gear in the playoffs too. I won’t try to predict the future. I am enjoying the ride.

Green finally playing is another piece to the puzzle that will be exciting to watch. I was worried he would go out there and pull his hammy again. Last time it was the second game back that got him.

[specialsauce]

I agree about not being an easy out. But I was more referring to us being an effort team which helps win regular season games but in the post season in theory all the teams give maximum effort and we do have a pretty serious size problem. We will win a couple on effort and 3 point variance but I think we’d be unlikely to make it to the second round, and certainly won’t make it to the conference finals.

Unless Green blows up. I would love to be wrong.

Haven't you been wrong all season? Like most of us?

Most

I figured you'd thought they were gonna suck.

I reserve the right to misremember anything and everything!

[specialsauce]

At the beginning of last year I thought the team was the most stacked Suns team ever and they went nowhere. At the beginning of this year after the garage sale, I was talking of trading Booker just to give him a chance to win a title somewhere else out of mercy for him. I had zero confidence this team was going to do anything and I just assumed we were starting another rebuilding process. My expectations couldn’t have been much lower. Apparently he didn’t want to go anywhere else and has stayed loyal to his team and city.

Having said that, they have totally won me over just from their sheer grit and determination. They play as a team and a lot of guys are playing out of their minds. They say defense wins titles. I have never seen a Suns team this ferocious on defense. Following the Suns over the years we all know they are rarely known for any defense. They are a little undersized and have shown to be vulnerable inside and maybe that bites us if we make the playoffs. We also have a plethora of 3 pt shooters that those bigger guys have trouble defending. It was said that the other teams all step it up in the playoffs and maybe that negates the extra hustle the Suns have shown in the regular season. Maybe the Suns have another gear in the playoffs too. I won’t try to predict the future. I am enjoying the ride.

Green finally playing is another piece to the puzzle that will be exciting to watch. I was worried he would go out there and pull his hammy again. Last time it was the second game back that got him.

Maybe hold him out the next game give him one extra day to recover

[ShelC]

[bajanguy008]

Another clip I was glad to see posted
This my favorite play from last night



Royce has gotten that 3pt look a bunch this season because the defender is concerned on helping and then gets that back screen (by Dillon)
Royce wing 3 money but defender is all over it which as explained leads to us countering with a flare screen opposite

Lovely stuff

[TOO]

Well coached, you love to see it.

[virtual9mm]

This is an important, important insight. If Green's athleticism and penetration and Oso's activity and IQ synergize in a 2 man game, it could greatly alleviate the weaknesses of both. It would prevent Green from bad shot selection one-on-one. And the penetration would empower Oso to be a high IQ slasher rather than having to be a shooter.

The question is how a modern defense would adapt to this.

[Split T]

Put a wing on Oso and switch any action. But that’s probably a win for us if we are forcing teams to put good defenders on Oso.

Oso is slowly moving a little more towards Draymond for me. Not as strong, but his defense has been very good and he’s doing a lot in the playmaking department. Not sure he’ll ever even have a Draymond level shot, but he is a more explosive finisher if he can get passed being afraid of getting fouled.

[virtual9mm]

Put a wing on Oso and switch any action. But that’s probably a win for us if we are forcing teams to put good defenders on Oso.

Oso is slowly moving a little more towards Draymond for me. Not as strong, but his defense has been very good and he’s doing a lot in the playmaking department. Not sure he’ll ever even have a Draymond level shot, but he is a more explosive finisher if he can get passed being afraid of getting fouled.

Agree on all counts.

I've been saying that if Oso ever develops a decent shot, he will be an all star. He's got PF size and moves like a guard...on top of his IQ. But he may never get there and has to develop in a way that maximizes his talents without a shot. A pick and roll big man would be great.

[pickle]

Put a wing on Oso and switch any action. But that’s probably a win for us if we are forcing teams to put good defenders on Oso.

Oso is slowly moving a little more towards Draymond for me. Not as strong, but his defense has been very good and he’s doing a lot in the playmaking department. Not sure he’ll ever even have a Draymond level shot, but he is a more explosive finisher if he can get passed being afraid of getting fouled.

His free throw motion is much much smoother now. Here’s hoping that we extend him for four years and *then* he starts developing a respectable outside shot.

[specialsauce]

Put a wing on Oso and switch any action. But that’s probably a win for us if we are forcing teams to put good defenders on Oso.

Oso is slowly moving a little more towards Draymond for me. Not as strong, but his defense has been very good and he’s doing a lot in the playmaking department. Not sure he’ll ever even have a Draymond level shot, but he is a more explosive finisher if he can get passed being afraid of getting fouled.

His free throw motion is much much smoother now. Here’s hoping that we extend him for four years and *then* he starts developing a respectable outside shot.

His FT% is worse (50% vs 53%) this season than last, and even in the last 10 games (47%). So I don't really care about his form. He can shoot it granny for all I care but he has got to figure something out cause it ain't working and it's getting worse.