Game Day: Suns (2-4) @ Lakers (3-3), Sun 11/6/16

[UglyTruth]

I hate that the media in Phoenix doesn't care about the Suns at all and don't even care to ask any kind of tough questions to Watson about his bogus rotations and his love affair for Knight.

Suns get the softest media coverage in this state.

If Arians did something stupid, he'd be grilled by this same media.

[Ring_Wanted]

So frustrating. I'm not a fan of our rotations. Playing our worst players so many minutes while our youth rides the bench is getting frustrating. It's actually losing us games. Not sure why coach isn't playing the rooks.

I too want to see Bender and Ulis instead of those two, but usually when you have set a rotation it takes time to change it. Guys have to play themselves out of the lineup. Knight (mainly) and Tucker sure are on their way doing that, but I reckon it will take more than 6 games.

[AmareIsGod]

So frustrating. I'm not a fan of our rotations. Playing our worst players so many minutes while our youth rides the bench is getting frustrating. It's actually losing us games. Not sure why coach isn't playing the rooks.

I too want to see Bender and Ulis instead of those two, but usually when you have set a rotation it takes time to change it. Guys have to play themselves out of the lineup. Knight (mainly) and Tucker sure are on their way doing that, but I reckon it will take more than 6 games.

+1

I understand and it's the truth of the matter. Many of us get hasty, myself included, but there's more to coaching and rotations than just what the fans see during the games. I'm sure the situation(s) will play themselves out and Watson will make good decisions. It's early yet and he seems like a bright guy.

[Superbone]

I wonder if Booker's the youngest player ever to have back-to-back 38 point games.

Pretty amazing that he's followed up his career high 38 points with a new career high of 39 points back to back and only seven games into the season. The kid is a monster and is only going to get better. It's only a matter of time before he has his first 50 point game!

[Nodack]

TJ has been my biggest surprise this year.

[O_Gardino]

Still not close to ready to give up on Len. He's rebounding like a fiend, doing a good job protecting the rim and trying to keep it simple on offense. Watch how much better he plays when he's running a two man game with Ulis or Booker. Having Knight, and to a lesser extent Bledsoe, be the primary ball-handler when he's in the game is just not a good situation for him. Watson yo-yoing his minutes can't help either.

Couldn't agree more, except the part about his minutes. He plays enough each game to be ready every night.

[O_Gardino]

I wonder if Booker's the youngest player ever to have back-to-back 38 point games.

Pretty amazing that he's followed up his career high 38 points with a new career high of 39 points back to back and only seven games into the season. The kid is a monster and is only going to get better. It's only a matter of time before he has his first 50 point game!

It's silly, but I wish he had his shoes figured out before the season, so that he have had games like this while he was still a teenager. Just for the stats and the media attention we would have gotten.

[Mori Chu]

I'm just sad that before he got his shoes fixed, Booker had to face the agony of de feet.

[O_Gardino]

lol

[djy2j]

So if I understand correctly Watson has tapered off the rookies mins in favor of playing the vets so we can lose by 10 to the Lakers who have given all the mins to their rookies.

I love that Warren and Booker are thriving but if I have to watch Bledsoe dribble of his foot 5 times a game or Knight launch airballs with 23 seconds of shot clock left for the rest of the season I'm going to have a stroke.

[Superbone]

So if I understand correctly Watson has tapered off the rookies mins in favor of playing the vets so we can lose by 10 to the Lakers who have given all the mins to their rookies.

I'm not sure where you get your facts but the Lakers played only one rookie for 25 minutes. This was a concensus top 2 pick in the draft that was considered head and shoulders above everybody below him.

[djy2j]

I guess I count Russel and Randle as well since Russell didn't play a ton last year and Randle lost a year with the leg injury. So to be clear Lakers continued to develop their young talent and we continued to develop Tucker and Knight.

[The Bobster]

Deng (31), Mozgov (30), Young (31), Williams (30)....... those guys aren't young either. Coaches tend to play the players they think are going to help them win.

[JCSunsfan]

I guess I count Russel and Randle as well since Russell didn't play a ton last year and Randle lost a year with the leg injury. So to be clear Lakers continued to develop their young talent and we continued to develop Tucker and Knight.

This is only true if you completely disregard the fact that Booker, Len, and Warren are young players AND you think that playing Tucker and Knight is for the purpose of developing them. Oh yeah, and Knight just turned 24. I am looking forward to seeing Chriss and Bender develop too, but they are 18 and 19 years old AND they have some other young player to be developed on the roster as well.

TJ Warren 23 years old. 39 minutes, 22 points, 6 rebounds.
Devin Booker 20 years old. 45 minutes, 38 points, 3 rebounds.
Alex Len 23 years old. 18 minutes, 5 points, 11 rebounds.

Average: 22.3 years. 34 minutes. 18.3 points. 6.6 rebounds.

Randle. 21 years old, 28 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds.
Russell, 20 years old, 28 minutes, 11 points, 5 rebounds
Ingram, 19 years old, 25 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds

Average: 20 years old. 27 minutes, 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds.

[djy2j]

Just seems like the last few games Watson has shifted his mentality from developing talent to putting our best players out there to win now.

Last night, during the first 2 quarter offensive slump, I saw no reason to keep Ulis on the bench in favor of Knight. Ulis seems to keep the offense moving at least if not dish out some assists. The Bledsoe and Knight tend to settle for long jumpers which seems to have an effect on the rest of the offense go forward. I guess I just feel like Ulis is already much better at directlng an offense than Knight and Bledsoe so why sit him when the offense is slumping?

Bender has good playmaking skills. I think he sits because he isn't ready on D but last night there wasn't alot of D being played by the Suns anyway so...

There isn't a logical reason as to why Chriss didn't play more. Unless he's hurt which I highly doubt.

I commend Watson for playing Booker and Warren as much as he did.

When will he learn to use Tucker in small bursts? When well he see that Knight is TERRIBLE?

[ShelC]

Knight yammed on Evan Turner tho.

[EDC]

Bender has looked good on the defensive end. Every time he has gotten playing time he has held his own on that side of the court. A lot more so than Chriss. If anything I think it is his lack of offense or rebounding that may be the excuse Watson is using. The only problem with that is they don't run anything for the kid. They just sit him in the corner. They should run him the same plays we give TJ. This also doesn't factor in that he has looked like one of our better passers in the time he has played. He just seems to make solid plays while out there. Blows my mind that he can't even get a few minutes a game.

[EDC]

Bledsoe - 2 assists, 5 turnovers

He definitely needs to stop turning it over. He also needs to find his outside shot again. It is kinda annoying that our other guard can't hit the open three when Booker starts driving and dishing.

[djy2j]

We've started 2 games this year where Bledsoe dribbles off his leg on the first possession. Where you at on that Sabremetrics?

[O_Gardino]

Knight yammed on Evan Turner tho.

I really need to invest in Photoshop for moments like this.