Western Conference Round 2, Game 2: Suns (0-1) @ Nuggets (1-0), Mon 5/01/23

[wpmiller42]

I also feel like we've abandoned our very imaginative, motion based offense. We used to run so many variations of the Spain pick and roll, and this year working a lot of options out of the high post. How are we not even trying to run a Spain like screen and roll with DA and KD? You have Book in the corner and what is a defense supposed to do? Or Book as the point and KD and DA as the first and second screeners... you don't think we get a mismatch out of that? Or run KD out of the high post? I feel like we went from a very imaginative, free-flowing offense to an iso-heavy where teams are sagging so far off of Okogie or even DA to force KD and Booker into tough shots all game.

[Vladimir_Taltos]

We lost because our 3 point shooting was abysmal, 6/31. If we had shot at a 30% clip, that's ballgame. Now, I blame a lot of that on the fact that our interior threat is non existent, which thus fails to open up better looks. Against Jockic, DA had ZERO Fouls...ZERO. Nobody is being forced to defend him and pay any kind of penalty. He's 250 pounds of SOFT. If he demanded more at the interior, we'd have had more success from the arc.

VT

[Vladimir_Taltos]

New marketing opp? The Suns Staypuft Marshmallow Man?

[Vladimir_Taltos]

I know I shouldn't, but the commercial has an AWESOME line...

"Stay's Puft Even When Toasted"....hmmm, who does that remind you of? LMAO

[JeremyG]

I’d consider putting Craig back in the starting lineup to see if that jumpstarts his offense that has gone mia since the Clippers series.

It's not just since he went to the bench after the Clippers series. He's made 1 three in the last 4 games and is averaging 2.8 points.

[Drewsprocket]

What’s Ishbia thinking right now?

Would the results be dramatically different with Bridges and Cam Johnson though? The problem is not addressing the decline of CP3 which started the Dallas series last postseason. Monty also seems to have no idea what to do with his bench. TJ Warren can't get a sniff of time on the floor. Rotations are constantly different combinations. I know it's not easy when the entire bench can't hit a thing.

Ayton played well, I thought. He battled against Jokic on many possessions. I'll take effort even if Jokic goes off. Which he had to with Murray being ice cold.

Frustrating game. Cam Payne never should have been PG2. He hasn't been good since Clippers our Finals run. Next year CP3 will be moved for an upgrade at the PG spot.

Yeah I agree. I don’t have remorse over KD. This is an extension of year 2 with no bench. Payne, Shamet, Biz just aren’t post season players. Okogie just needs to work on his shot more. He had some open mid range looks that he passed out. If he is doing that then he can’t be on the floor. Craig is a 7th or 8th man.

[Split T]

I’d consider putting Craig back in the starting lineup to see if that jumpstarts his offense that has gone mia since the Clippers series.

It's not just since he went to the bench after the Clippers series. He's made 1 three in the last 4 games and is averaging 2.8 points.

Ya his last game against LA was bad too, only played 7 minutes. He’s 1/6 in his last 3. Was 4/7 in game 4, which would be fine with me, even though he didn’t hit a 3.

[Drewsprocket]

It’s painful to watch any coach have to experiment with their rotation in the playoffs with lineups that haven’t done a lot together. To me that’s why you play TJ and Ross for lack of their defense. At least as veterans they have a better shot at figuring shit out against the other bench units. Ish barely knows who the fuck he is as an nba player. Cam Payne is either on or off. At this point they need to just start Book at point and run him with Lee and Craig. Book is going to have to penetrate and generate open looks.
I think at least the writing is on the wall and Ishbia can’t ignore what needs to happen to win a ring with Book and KD.

[The Bobster]

How many of us thought that the championship window was closing when they lost in the Finals to Milwaukee?

I thought the future was rosey, but they chose to pretty much sit on their hands for the next year and a half. Now, after they made the trade for Durrant they don't have the depth to get it done.

It would have been nice to add a couple of actual contributors rather than just hope that minimum contract guys would pan out.

[Split T]

That’s Sarver not wanting to pay for you.

[TOO]

How many of us thought that the championship window was closing when they lost in the Finals to Milwaukee?

I thought the future was rosey, but they chose to pretty much sit on their hands for the next year and a half. Now, after they made the trade for Durrant they don't have the depth to get it done.

It would have been nice to add a couple of actual contributors rather than just hope that minimum contract guys would pan out.

Hello, I thought it was closed. As soon as the next season started and they left the bench alone that was the death knell.

[Superbone]

It’s painful to watch any coach have to experiment with their rotation in the playoffs with lineups that haven’t done a lot together. To me that’s why you play TJ and Ross for lack of their defense. At least as veterans they have a better shot at figuring shit out against the other bench units. Ish barely knows who the fuck he is as an nba player. Cam Payne is either on or off. At this point they need to just start Book at point and run him with Lee and Craig. Book is going to have to penetrate and generate open looks.
I think at least the writing is on the wall and Ishbia can’t ignore what needs to happen to win a ring with Book and KD.

Plus, the time is NOW. Ishbia needs to do whatever he can to support the big two.

[Flagrant Fowl]

How many of us thought that the championship window was closing when they lost in the Finals to Milwaukee?

I thought the future was rosey, but they chose to pretty much sit on their hands for the next year and a half. Now, after they made the trade for Durrant they don't have the depth to get it done.

It would have been nice to add a couple of actual contributors rather than just hope that minimum contract guys would pan out.

Hello, I thought it was closed. As soon as the next season started and they left the bench alone that was the death knell.

Same here. The window was closed at least until they found a viable replacement for Paul, and who knows how long that would (will) take?

[JeremyG]

Outside of the big four, the entire rest of the team scored a combined total of 6 (SIX!) points last night.

[TOO]

Big 2.5 at this point. Sad times.

[virtual9mm]

Why does KD suck so much? Wasting a good Ayton game here.

Good chance yes wearing down. Him n CP aren't Booker. Playing guys in their 30s 44mins a night is a recipe for disaster.

It was always going to end with one of the big 4 going down.

[SunsSince92]

It's been a strange year since the game 7 loss to Dallas.

- We spend the entire summer flirting with Durant only to fall short (or so we thought) and miss out on other trades / free agents that could have helped us.

- Crowder decides he doesn't want to play for us / is told to stay home.

- We pay Ayton but he turns up to camp pouting.

- We sign a bunch of rotation guys on the cheap, and for a while things seem to be working out ok.

- We trade for Durant, presumably to get us over the hump that is Doncic/Dallas.

- Dallas don't make the playoffs and we realise we've sacrificed much of our depth for an injury prone big 4. Our bench is a mixture of G-league stars and guys that for whatever reason Monty doesn't want to play.

- We struggle against a depleted Clippers team

- We are 0-2 in the second round and lose Paul to injury.

Of course we could still go on and win the whole thing, but at this point, it's really hard to see how we are any better off than we were last year despite landing our top target in Durant.

[Split T]

I still maintain that trading for Durant was always more about next year. Need the summer to remake the roster around Book/KD

[SunsSince92]

I still maintain that trading for Durant was always more about next year. Need the summer to remake the roster around Book/KD

I really hope you are right.

[TOO]

I still maintain that trading for Durant was always more about next year. Need the summer to remake the roster around Book/KD

I don't know if I trust Jones to do it though. He's still never fortified the bench which closed the title window. Now the offseason will require a 2 massive decisions on Paul and Ayton, then upgrading the other 8 spots, that's A LOT to do in 1 offseason with such limited resources, and if they don't move Ayton they'll have to run it back with whatever they trot out at PG. Maybe they'll shock me and retool, but I'm not getting my hopes up.