Game Day: Rockets (21-8) @ Suns (8-20), Wed 12/21/16

[The Bobster]

Dallas leads Portland by 20 mid-way through the third period - so the Suns are thisclose to being tied for the basement of the Western Conference.

[carey]

https://twitter.com/Suns/status/811794968939368448 Didn't see most of the game because of my kids, but this must have been cool.

[Danimal]

With the rebounding we are getting would it be smart to try and slow this game down?

Not a bad point.

I'll be watching this one. Anyone else around?

With recent talk from McD and Earl about giving the young pups minutes, i'm keen to see if this is the game is where we make some progress on that front. Especially whether they can see the floor in the 2nd half - 2.5 minutes at the end doesn't count.

other things I'll be looking for
- will tj start getting some mojo back - yes he certainly did, the offense looks much better with him in it
- Can len take advantage of the lack of size out there? Or will we simply try and match them with small ball - protected the rim well most of the time, we really don't go inside much on offense though. he scored at times but did looked gumby
- Can booker get more involved in the game early. - he did, we need to run more screens for him rather than him trying to create so much
- I thought knight played a more balanced and controlled game versus the wolves. I know his plus minus was still in the red but it was a lot easier to watch than normal. Lets see if its a one off. Would certainly help his value to the team or a trade if he kept playing that way.

felt less out of control, but still meh


The game got close at times but then the rockets could just put their foot on the gas pedal and get it to a 10 point lead quickly. Our defense isn't good enough to sustain our offensive lulls
Still was good to watch TJ out there. Was there any further comments on who would start going forward?

[Cap]

https://twitter.com/Suns/status/811794968939368448 Didn't see most of the game because of my kids, but this must have been cool.

Not really. Down 16, 30 seconds to play, who cares?

[Nodack]

Another ping pong ball...

[carey]

https://twitter.com/Suns/status/811794968939368448 Didn't see most of the game because of my kids, but this must have been cool.

Not really. Down 16, 30 seconds to play, who cares?

Ah, didn't know that it occurred then. Bummer.

[UglyTruth]

I don't think I would enjoy being a Rockets fan. Watching Harden ballhog and jab-step into fade-away 3s over and over isn't exactly fun.

Yeah, I expect that they would much rather watch PJ Tucker every night.

Watching Pj Tucker & Brandon Knight >>> Watching Harden, Gordon & Anderson

[Superbone]

Len blocking shots
Warren with some text book tj off bAll movement. He is showing some signs this game. Good to see him back

The best parts of the game were Len, TJ, and Booker all playing very well. Booker showed a lot of explosiveness that we haven't been seeing. That leads me to believe he has been playing on a bad wheel for quite a while.

[Superbone]

Suns still in the one going into the 4th. Will the rockets apply the blow torch or will the back to back sap their energy

Blow torch.

[Superbone]

https://twitter.com/Suns/status/811794968939368448 Didn't see most of the game because of my kids, but this must have been cool.

Not really. Down 16, 30 seconds to play, who cares?

Ah, didn't know that it occurred then. Bummer.

I disagree. It was pretty great. Big reaction from the Suns announcers, the Rockets announcers, and the crowd.

[djy2j]

Ulis comes in during the 4th and gets a turnover and Watson immediately. That's a big FU Watson! So pull PJ then too? Oh that's right. Double standard.

I thought Chriss was off to a good start then Watson banished him so PJ could play the 4 when TJ was in. FU again Watson.

I didn't realize TJ had 19 til i checked the box. Good for him. I'm not sure what he has to do to start again but I'm not optimistic.

Booker looked spry tonight. And that dunk on Wiltjer was sicko. Didn't know he had that in him. Way to go kid.

Len looked really good on defense also. Don't remember him picking up any stupid fouls.

Look, I appreciate that Tucker is a good defender, I do. He plays get man-to-man. I think there is a time where he needs to be out there. But Watson's obsession is getting out of control. If the announcers are pleading to play the kids then you know something is wrong. We are 8-21 for Chrissakes...WE GOT THERE BY PLAYING VETERANS

Every time I think this franchise is headed in the right direction they find some way to just trip all over themselves and hinder progress. SMH

[The Bobster]

Hard to get very excited about a garbage-time dunk.

[djy2j]

Hard to get very excited about a garbage-time dunk.

The way Watson has run the team there aren't many moments to be excited about during the season. Got to take what we can get.

[Indy]

Ulis comes in during the 4th and gets a turnover and Watson immediately. That's a big FU Watson! So pull PJ then too? Oh that's right. Double standard.

I thought Chriss was off to a good start then Watson banished him so PJ could play the 4 when TJ was in. FU again Watson.

I didn't realize TJ had 19 til i checked the box. Good for him. I'm not sure what he has to do to start again but I'm not optimistic.

Booker looked spry tonight. And that dunk on Wiltjer was sicko. Didn't know he had that in him. Way to go kid.

Len looked really good on defense also. Don't remember him picking up any stupid fouls.

Look, I appreciate that Tucker is a good defender, I do. He plays get man-to-man. I think there is a time where he needs to be out there. But Watson's obsession is getting out of control. If the announcers are pleading to play the kids then you know something is wrong. We are 8-21 for Chrissakes...WE GOT THERE BY PLAYING VETERANS

Every time I think this franchise is headed in the right direction they find some way to just trip all over themselves and hinder progress. SMH

[LazarusLong]

Hard to get very excited about a garbage-time dunk.

Well, at this point, the franchise is trying to hang its hat on anything "positive," context be damned.

It was encouraging to see TJ approaching his early season form. Booker also seemed more frisky, although he still leaves much to be desired on defense.

As for defense, outside of Len and stretches by Tucker, this team is bad. Awful. Terrible. Abysmal.
Bad/no rotations, no semblance of covering the other guys' back, no communication, no switching.
Anderson, Harden or Gordon would pull up behind the arc, and many times the Suns player would stand off by 6-8 feet, giving the Rockets player ample opportunity to line up and shoot a three.

In the words of Abe Lemons, an old-school college coach "Son, I know you can't play defense worth a damn, but you could at least shuffle your feet, wave your hands, yell and show some life out there ..."

[Shabazz]

Doesn't do the franchise any favors to limit Len to 24 minutes a night, which he'll never exceed if he plays from the 6 minute mark in the 1st/3rd to the 6 minute mark in the 2nd/4th every game.

[Mori Chu]

Other than our defense and our offense, we look pretty good out there.

[djy2j]

Doesn't do the franchise any favors to limit Len to 24 minutes a night, which he'll never exceed if he plays from the 6 minute mark in the 1st/3rd to the 6 minute mark in the 2nd/4th every game.

That'll happen when you're an 8-21 team that has a coach throwing a lineup out there like he's trying to hold on to the 8 seed. I'm starting to think Watson's extreme optimism is hindering his ability to stay in touch with reality. I get that he's trying to set an example by playing the vets. However, the vets are still losing. At what length does that turn itself into a bad example. We've go to be almost to that point.

[Mori Chu]

I'm starting to think that Earl Watson might not be the sharpest tool in the shed.

[Cap]

It's weird. McD says the kids have to play. The announcers say it. The fans have been saying it for a long time. Even Watson says it, he just doesn't do it. WTF?