Game Day: Nets (3-5) @ Suns (3-6), Sat 11/12/16

[Gladiator]

A few random thoughts/observations:
Our guards were horrible and when that happens it's going to be a massive struggle, especially when they had 39 shots between them (and made a whopping 8 of them)
It was good to see some better signs from Chriss, his athleticism is unreal and his shooting touch pretty good, so there's a lot to work with
Len had such an almost game -a few nice moves that he couldn't finish, some good d and rebounds, followed by some lackluster stuff. He looks like he could be close to breaking through, but I'm losing faith that he ever will
I didn't like the uber small ball line-up of Ulis-Knight-Booker-Dudley-Tucker at all, especially when we've got 3 fairly mobile bigs (Chriss, Bender, Len) who can play the 5 if you go small ball.
When we got it back to 2 points in the 4th, we just jacked up quick jump shots. How about moving the ball and putting some pressure on the defense?

[The Bobster]

Bledsoe, Booker and Knight shot 8/28

8 for fucking 28.

[Gladiator]

Bledsoe, Booker and Knight shot 8/28

8 for f*** 28.

I think it was worse than that. I made it 8 for 39 (Bledsoe 8, Booker 18, Knight 13)

[Superbone]

When we got it back to 2 points in the 4th, we just jacked up quick jump shots. How about moving the ball and putting some pressure on the defense?

Especially because we were in the bonus. We didn't take advantage.

[Superbone]

Booker with one of his worst games in a long time. He couldn't make anything. Had no confidence and even passed on a wide open three.

[carey]

Bender comes in, hits a driving layup, drills a 3 and gets yanked after he misses a shot and is out of position on defense once (partly because he is trying to cover EVERYBODY since our defense is always breaking down.)

I don't understand why Watson won't play the kid.

[carey]

Anyway, time for my game day chant.

"Brandon Knight has got to go. Hey-hey. Ho-ho." I'll chant it every game until he's gone.

[EDC]

Bender comes in, hits a driving layup, drills a 3 and gets yanked after he misses a shot and is out of position on defense once (partly because he is trying to cover EVERYBODY since our defense is always breaking down.)

I don't understand why Watson won't play the kid.

He just can't stand defensive effort. I am really looking forward to watching this team in a few months after dreams of the playoffs have been crushed and we have traded away some of the excess fat.

[Mori Chu]

My mother-in-law is in town so I only got to watch pieces of this one. Hard to watch this team sometimes. I guess Chriss had a good game at least (16pts on 7-15 shooting; 5 rebs).

[UglyTruth]

Suns have lost to the Nets and Lakers already and we're not even a month into the season.

Safe to say we are NBA's worst team?

I wish they would give up on the playoffs dream and just focus on development.

[Cap]

Safe to say we are NBA's worst team?

Sixers might have something to say about it.

[Phoenix219]

God we need a real point guard.

These combo guards playing heroball is just not cutting it.

[Superbone]

That was a very disappointing loss after a promising win on Wednesday. Now we're headed for slaughter tomorrow.

[UglyTruth]

God we need a real point guard.

These combo guards playing heroball is just not cutting it.

Time to get IT back, he's better than Bledsoe, Dragic, Ennis and Knight (all PGs involved in those trades).

[O_Gardino]

TJ had a pretty good game. He got his shot back on track after struggling in the first quarter, and finished with a decent stat line. For much of the game he looked like our most active player off the ball, and that is very encouraging to see. I would like to see him get more rebounds, but we didn't get beat on the boards, so I can't complain.

Again, even with Chandler out, we rebounded the ball very well as a team. I'm impressed.

Len shot 1-5 on the first 5 or so possessions of the game, then calmed down and shot 3-5 for the rest of the contest. WHY DO WE FORCE THE BALL TO HIM TO START EVERY GAME?!?!?!? He also had a better stat line than I expected. 11 boards, 2 blocks, one turnover. But I swear I saw the ball bounce off his hands, his chest, his head. It seemed like ever other time he touched the ball was a turnover. He did a pretty good job on Brook Lopez, though.

B. Knight is another one who I thought would have 5 or 10 turnovers in the box score. Just two?

The starters started terrible again. This time it was just a lack of energy and focus. They were getting good shots but not finishing them, and they didn't play a lick of defense to start the game. It seemed like the shots would start falling if they just had a time out and a group hug and come back out and play with heart. Unfortunately, Booker's confidence and shot got worse, and Knight and Bledsoe stopped trying to get good shots. The rest of the team actually got their act together and shot well for the rest of the game.

And, wow, that collapse in the last 4 minutes. Watson got killed in that stretch. Just killed.

All in all, I was bored throughout the game. All through the 4th, I just kept hoping we wouldn't go to OT so I could go to bed.

[LazarusLong]

God we need a real point guard.

They may have one in Ulis, but he's not getting a chance.

[EDC]

God we need a real point guard.

They may have one in Ulis, but he's not getting a chance.

What? Just because Ulis has to play with Knight and watch him control the ball for 90% of the time he is on the court doesn't mean he didn't get a chance.

Got to love Coach putting Ulis in only to have Knight take contested jumpers with 20 seconds left on the shot clock or just throw the ball away multiple times. They need to give Ulis time on the court with Booker as the only other guard.

[Cap]

I am of the opinion that AASE should never play point. He may be serviceable as an undersized SG, but as PG he's an unmitigated disaster. No matter who his backcourt mate is — Bledsoe, Booker, Barbosa, or Ulis — they're all better at running an offense than he is.

[Shabazz]

It's amazing how bad he is at all the things a point guard needs to be good at.

[specialsauce]

Again, he's not good at anything.