Phx-Suns.Net

I would agree the blame goes deeper than Book. This team is more than Ayton returning from being complete.

specialsauce wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 25, 2019 2:27 pm

I would agree the blame goes deeper than Book. This team is more than Ayton returning from being complete.

I couldn't agree more with this statement.

Indy wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 25, 2019 12:59 pm

I should have added that nobody is playing with the same defensive intensity as they did to start the season. That is what really hurts. I think their D was driving a lot of their offensive intensity the first 10 games or so.

I concur.

It seems like they had a chip on their shoulders trying to prove themselves to the league to start. They had success and rose in the rankings. Then the injury bug hit and the wheels sort of came off the train. Players are a little beat up and their moral is a little low. The intensity doesn’t seem the same. Monty’s not the new coach anymore. Maybe they need to just get healthy. Maybe they need to be motivated again. Maybe they just aren’t that good.

Split T wrote:PER went down because his usage rate dropped.

Where usage = number of shots, then yes (assume that’s what you mean as PER doesn’t use advanced metrics for calculation).

Booker’s FGA’s decreased from 19.6 to 17 this year, and FTA’s from 7.1 to 5.6, which broadly explains the drop as the rest of his stats are pretty similar to last year bar:

- Steals, down from 0.9 to 0.6 and;
- Assists, down from 6.8 to 6.4 but his Ast:Tov is marginally better.

So unless I’m missing something, Booker’s PER perfectly highlights the main flaw of the calculation - that straight volume of shots will increase or decrease PER regardless of the efficiency at which they’re made, and disproportionately so it seems as Booker’s splits have gone up a lot (efg% .557 vs .521 last year).

Nodack wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 25, 2019 11:59 pm

Indy wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 25, 2019 12:59 pm

I should have added that nobody is playing with the same defensive intensity as they did to start the season. That is what really hurts. I think their D was driving a lot of their offensive intensity the first 10 games or so.

I concur.

It seems like they had a chip on their shoulders trying to prove themselves to the league to start. They had success and rose in the rankings. Then the injury bug hit and the wheels sort of came off the train. Players are a little beat up and their moral is a little low. The intensity doesn’t seem the same. Monty’s not the new coach anymore. Maybe they need to just get healthy. Maybe they need to be motivated again. Maybe they just aren’t that good.

good summary. they lost the will to show the league they aren't a pushover, 19-win team. But since that 7-4 start, they are 4-15--which would be the same a 17 win team...

I am pretty sure we will get a stretch where everyone is healthy and clicking on all cylinders at some point and make a run to at least threaten playoffs.

Nodack wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 26, 2019 7:11 pm

I am pretty sure we will get a stretch where everyone is healthy and clicking on all cylinders at some point and make a run to at least threaten playoffs.

If everyone is healthy, I think we are a borderline playoff team in the west. And considering other teams are struggling with health gives us a fighting chance. But I think it comes down to playing hard defense instead of whatever they have been doing lately. Especially Book. He was working really hard the first 10 games or so.

Indy wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 27, 2019 12:55 pm

Nodack wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 26, 2019 7:11 pm

I am pretty sure we will get a stretch where everyone is healthy and clicking on all cylinders at some point and make a run to at least threaten playoffs.

If everyone is healthy, I think we are a borderline playoff team in the west. And considering other teams are struggling with health gives us a fighting chance. But I think it comes down to playing hard defense instead of whatever they have been doing lately. Especially Book. He was working really hard the first 10 games or so.

Agreed that defense is the key.

Having a full roster of people not playing out of position should help with energy to play defense.

Nodack wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 01, 2020 6:25 pm

Having a full roster of people not playing out of position should help with energy to play defense.

Agreed. I think we have that now for the starters. We still need to see if we have at least a league average back up at 1, 2, 3, or 4. I know we have that in Baynes at the 5, but everything else is a question mark. Closest is probably Bridges at backup 3, but his offense of the last couple weeks needs to be his average offense if he is going to be a good bench player in this league.