Game Day: Blazers (0-0) @ Suns (0-0), Wed 10/18/17

[virtual9mm]

Sometimes you need reality to bite you in the ass. Just imagine being one of the Suns players tonight in the locker room after the game and in the video replay session tomorrow. Game one at home and you set a record for the crappiest game ever played. Perhaps a little hard reality and soul searching to start off the season is a good thing.

Yes, but that's when you lose by 25. When you lose by 50 something is seriously wrong. Now, I think we can all agree on what it is, but I think it goes deeper than the coaching. This is a poorly constructed roster for the modern NBA even though McDonough has constructed a roster full of versatile "positionless" players. It doesn't work when all of them are tweeners that can't shoot. No shooting in the modern NBA means no wins in the modern NBA. And if you can't defend the 3 & the paint you're a cooked goose. We're bad at both.

This is exactly why Earl Watson is on the hot seat. Every game he wins decreases the heat. Every game he loses increases it, and every blowout he loses does so substantially.

[Vladimir_Taltos]

[carey]

It might be a kindness to fire Watson now. He seems to genuinely be a good guy. If you let him go now you can blame the Suns management. "How was he expected to win with that roster?!" He may even get another job one day. Let him ride it out while we get our skulls beat in twice a week and he may never coach again. Better coaches have faired worse.

[ShelC]

The roster has talent. Enough talent not to lose by 50 to the TrailBlazers. The head coach doesn't have talent. No well coached, motivated, self-respecting team loses by 50 on opening night. That's some shit the Knicks did while Isaiah Thomas was coach. But anyone who watched preseason knows this isn't a well coached, disciplined team. And losing this badly and this consistently is bad news for young players. Would've loved to hear that postgame speech from Watson. He might be a nice guy, but he's a bullshit coach.

[The Bobster]

So just how long is long enough?

Suns Coaches Listed by Games Coached -

1122 - John MacLeod - 579-543, .516
549 - Cotton Fitzsimmons - 341-208, .621
389 - Mike D'Antoni - 253-136, .650
302 - Alvin Gentry - 158-144, .523
279 - Paul Westphal - 191-88, .685
226 - Danny Ainge - 136-90, .602
213 - Jeff Hornacek - 101-112, .474
195 - Scott Skiles - 116-79, .595
134 - Frank Johnson - 63-71, .470
120 - Red Kerr - 31-89, .258
119 - Jerry Colangelo - 59-60, .496 [two-time interim Head Coach]
116 - Earl Watson - 33-83, .284
82 - John Wetzel - 28-54, .341
51 - Terry Porter - 28-23, .549
41 - Lindsey Hunter - 12-29, .293
26 - Dick Van Arsdale - 14-12, .538 [interim Head Coach]
7 - Butch van Breda Kolff - 3-4, .429

[LazarusLong]

Apologists will say "it's only one game," but it's not.
It was the home opener of a milestone 50th season for the franchise.
The game was prefaced by an elaborate ceremony featuring a video narrated by the state's senior US senator.
And then the team goes and records the worst loss opening loss in NBA history, and the worst loss in franchise history.

It's like being at a high-dollar wedding in a storied cathedral, and the groom breaking wind loudly when he was supposed to say "I do" ...

[da_suns_fan]

These two teams looked like they didnt even belong in the same league.

[O_Gardino]

And it would have been 51 points if not for a tough, late three by James.

James had 12 points (5-10) and 1 assist in 10 minutes. Pretty good.

[Vladimir_Taltos]

I blame the fact that...

I. Bledsoe is and always has been a score first PG
ii. We went to trade him to the Cavs in the public eye, and we didn't. His motivational level is going to be way off.

...thus...crash.

VT

[O_Gardino]

And it would have been 51 points if not for a tough, late three by James.

Looking forward to seeing more of James once Bledsoe is traded.

Agreed. They are actually very similar players, but James attacks and plays like his career is on the line. Which it is.

[O_Gardino]

Game one of the season. They got their ass kicked. So what? It happens. Lots of teaching moments in the replay session tomorrow. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Lots of work to be done. I'm not gonna freak out over it. I'm half torn between tanking and not tanking anyway.

Aside from the ass kickage, it was nice to finally see the new guys in action. It's a bummer that Len was out. Been hearing how great he is playing and he misses the start. I hadn't been keeping up over the summer and didn't know that Williams was also out for surgery.

I was actually enjoying the game in the first quarter when it looked like we would lose by 15ish. OK, a couple of our starters looked rusty, but the bench was going to make a difference, and Bender was getting stops.

The reason for the freak-out is that a loss this bad this has literally never happened in the history of the Suns or the history of NBA opening nights.

[O_Gardino]

Worst Opening Night Losses in NBA History -

48 points - 10/18/17 - Portland Trail Blazers 124, Phoenix Suns 76
46 points - 11/06/87 - Denver Nuggets 139, Los Angeles Clippers 93
42 points - 10/31/06 - Chicago Bulls 108, Miami Heat 66
41 points - 11/01/91 - San Antonio Spurs 140, Dallas Mavericks 99
40 points - 11/04/88 - Cleveland Cavaliers 133, Charlotte Hornets 93
38 points - 10/29/08 - Los Angeles Lakers 117, Los Angeles Clippers 79

Do you happen to have a list of the worst Suns' losses regardless of season timeframe?

48 points - 10/18/17 - Portland Trail Blazers 124, Phoenix Suns 76
44 points - 04/27/97 - Seattle SuperSonics 122, Phoenix Suns 78 (playoff game)
44 points - 04/02/88 - Seattle SuperSonics 151, Phoenix Suns 107
41 points - 03/10/71 - Atlanta Hawks 139, Phoenix Suns 98
40 points - 02/22/16 - Los Angeles Clippers 124, Phoenix Suns 84
40 points - 04/25/91 - Detroit Pistons 117, Phoenix Suns 77

Watson gets 2 of those!

[ShelC]

And yea I'm being emotional right now, but D McDonaugh and his Timeline bullshit too. He put this roster together, he and Watson should be shown the door at the same time.

[djy2j]

No deserving NBA coach lets his team go out on opening night and lose by 48. Sure Watson's not out there shooting but this team was not at all prepared to start an NBA season. This is what happens when no one is held accountable for anything. The timeline hath stopped.

[O_Gardino]

So just how long is long enough?

Suns Coaches Listed by Games Coached -

1122 - John MacLeod - 579-543, .516
549 - Cotton Fitzsimmons - 341-208, .621
389 - Mike D'Antoni - 253-136, .650
302 - Alvin Gentry - 158-144, .523
279 - Paul Westphal - 191-88, .685
226 - Danny Ainge - 136-90, .602
213 - Jeff Hornacek - 101-112, .474
195 - Scott Skiles - 116-79, .595
134 - Frank Johnson - 63-71, .470
120 - Red Kerr - 31-89, .258
119 - Jerry Colangelo - 59-60, .496 [two-time interim Head Coach]
116 - Earl Watson - 33-83, .284
82 - John Wetzel - 28-54, .341
51 - Terry Porter - 28-23, .549
41 - Lindsey Hunter - 12-29, .293
26 - Dick Van Arsdale - 14-12, .538 [interim Head Coach]
7 - Butch van Breda Kolff - 3-4, .429

Remember how much we hated Frank Johnson who only won 47%?

[Indy]

And yea I'm being emotional right now, but D McDonaugh and his Timeline bullshit too. He put this roster together, he and Watson should be shown the door at the same time.

I don't disagree, but who do you hire for either one? We only hire brand new people with nearly no experience (because they are cheap). Would that give you better results?

We are going to be wasting any talent we have on this roster by letting these guys learn how to lose over and over and over again.

[ShelC]

And this whole "player friendly" coach thing is bullshit too. Players always say they want a player friendly coach, but they really want a coach who will get them winning games. And once that happens, the players end up respecting the coach. I'm sure we'll see quotes with the players defending Watson and saying it's on the players to show up, but it's the coach's job to get the players ready and prepared.

[The Bobster]

If the next Head Coach candidate has anything about yoga, bowling nights or group hugs on his resume, just throw his ass out right then and there.

[Split T]

Glad I missed this game... Embarrassing

[O_Gardino]

And yea I'm being emotional right now, but D McDonaugh and his Timeline bullshit too. He put this roster together, he and Watson should be shown the door at the same time.

I don't disagree, but who do you hire for either one? We only hire brand new people with nearly no experience (because they are cheap). Would that give you better results?

We are going to be wasting any talent we have on this roster by letting these guys learn how to lose over and over and over again.

I actually think McD is probably a decent GM, and that he does draft pretty well and bring in undrafted talent pretty well. Back in the day, I thought he got back pretty good return for the players he traded away. I don't want to drop him before this very important draft, becasue I think he is better than whoever else we will get.

It's easy to say that it's his job to build the roster, etc, and it certainly is. But he does not do that in isolation. He has to keep Sarver happy, and Sarver is very involved in the high profile decision on the roster. The coach also has a say, and Sarver has hired a bad coach. That's why I evaluate McD more by how the 2nd rounders turn out than moves like the Chriss pick.