Game Day: Thunder (21-12) @ Suns (9-26), Fri 12/28/18

[The Bobster]

They totally fell apart offensively in the 4th quarter - mostly because OKC turned up the defense, but in part because they settled for outside shots every trip down.

[djy2j]

Team still needs a PG and a coach. Both sucked tonight.

[Superbone]

Do you guys realize that this is Kelly Oubre Jr.'s first Phoenix Suns home game? Let's hope the crowd gives him a warm reception.

I think 50% of the crowd will, anyway.

Did everybody hear those annoying girls screaming for OKC the entire game? It was maddening.

[Democritus]

Good 3 quarters. We just need a NBA caliber PG and then we will be competing for a Playoff spot. Simple as that. I really like our team now. Just been tired of trying to be patient.

[iLLmatic]

Do you guys realize that this is Kelly Oubre Jr.'s first Phoenix Suns home game? Let's hope the crowd gives him a warm reception.

I think 50% of the crowd will, anyway.

Did everybody hear those annoying girls screaming for OKC the entire game? It was maddening.

Yes, I found it super annoying every time they scored you could hear that broad screeching.

[bajanguy008]

I had to leave home mid 3rd quarter and been trying to stay off here til I watched the replay online.
Can't do that til later so just peeped the box score and 37 - 18 in the 4th is rough. I don't like being a box score analyst so will still have to watch cause I'm surprised to see that the game went like that.

[LazarusLong]

They totally fell apart offensively in the 4th quarter - mostly because OKC turned up the defense, but in part because they settled for outside shots every trip down.

That's a common error with this group.
They get 9 or 10 pts behind and then they panic on offense, jacking up threes.
Even Crawford, who should know better, was cranking up bricks.

A possible turning point was early in the fourth.
Ayton got on the floor under the OKC basket and stole the ball.
He passed it quickly to a teammate.
The Suns had numbers but missed a corner three.
OKC came back and made a trey.
It was a five or six point swing, and one got the sense the Suns were a bit demoralized by the exchange.

[iLLmatic]

They totally fell apart offensively in the 4th quarter - mostly because OKC turned up the defense, but in part because they settled for outside shots every trip down.

That's a common error with this group.
They get 9 or 10 pts behind and then they panic on offense, jacking up threes.
Even Crawford, who should know better, was cranking up bricks.

A possible turning point was early in the fourth.
Ayton got on the floor under the OKC basket and stole the ball.
He passed it quickly to a teammate.
The Suns had numbers but missed a corner three.
OKC came back and made a trey.
It was a five or six point swing, and one got the sense the Suns were a bit demoralized by the exchange.

That was Bridges who missed the 3.

[Shabazz]

It's pretty inexcusable for a 7'1 athletic freak like Ayton to play 32 minutes and not have a single block, free throw or foul.

[In2ition]

Do you guys realize that this is Kelly Oubre Jr.'s first Phoenix Suns home game? Let's hope the crowd gives him a warm reception.

I think 50% of the crowd will, anyway.

Did everybody hear those annoying girls screaming for OKC the entire game? It was maddening.

I did, it was infuriatingly annoying. I wanted someone to give them new seats somewhere where we couldn't hear their screeching.

[INFORMER]

This team still has a long ways to go.

Indeed, but the flashes of potential are real. They're still far from the abomination that they had been showcasing the first quarter of the season.

[INFORMER]

It's pretty inexcusable for a 7'1 athletic freak like Ayton to play 32 minutes and not have a single block, free throw or foul.

He is going to have those moments throughout his rookie season. There are times when all the "generational talent" hoopla seems laughable, but then there are other times where you see enough flashes that dare you to believe.

[Superbone]

It's pretty inexcusable for a 7'1 athletic freak like Ayton to play 32 minutes and not have a single block, free throw or foul.

He is going to have those moments throughout his rookie season. There are times when all the "generational talent" hoopla seems laughable, but then there are other times where you see enough flashes that dare you to believe.

Like tonight, for example.

[The Bobster]

It's pretty inexcusable for a 7'1 athletic freak like Ayton to play 32 minutes and not have a single block, free throw or foul.

He is going to have those moments throughout his rookie season. There are times when all the "generational talent" hoopla seems laughable, but then there are other times where you see enough flashes that dare you to believe.

Like tonight, for example.

Last 8 games - 32.9 Min, 21.4 Pts, 14.1 Reb, 1.3 Ast, 1.0 Blk, 68.1 FG%, 77.3 FT%

[iLLmatic]

It's pretty inexcusable for a 7'1 athletic freak like Ayton to play 32 minutes and not have a single block, free throw or foul.

He is going to have those moments throughout his rookie season. There are times when all the "generational talent" hoopla seems laughable, but then there are other times where you see enough flashes that dare you to believe.

I'm taken aback regarding your optimism. Does Ayton have you believing or starting to?

[INFORMER]

It's pretty inexcusable for a 7'1 athletic freak like Ayton to play 32 minutes and not have a single block, free throw or foul.

He is going to have those moments throughout his rookie season. There are times when all the "generational talent" hoopla seems laughable, but then there are other times where you see enough flashes that dare you to believe.

I'm taken aback regarding your optimism.

I know, right? Optimism from me?! My account must have been hacked.

I never disliked Ayton. I just liked Luke Doncic and Jaren Jackson Jr. more. It was infuriating to see him get outplayed by nearly every starting center we faced, and it is still troubling to see him have games where he gets numbers but manages to not actually impact the game. Still, I'm comfortable building with him and Booker. I'm not hoping the Suns move him, or anything like that.

[Mori Chu]

A fair and measured take. I like Ayton more than I thought I would. I'm not super concerned with these criticisms of his "motor" or effort or whatever. I think he plays smart and doesn't just throw chaotic energy out there; I actually think it is a good way to play, and it'll grow better as he learns the game and ages into his prime. A guy like Holmes who is all hustle and energy is great, but Ayton has a ton of talent and strength, and he'll learn how best to apply his energy and effort to be a great player. And I don't expect him to be great at everything right away; he will learn and improve a lot going forward. I'm not concerned.

I love seeing these Luka highlights, but I do think the hype has gotten a bit ahead of the numbers. Would still love to have him, but I don't think we blew it or anything like that. Ayton is great. Both teams did a great job with the draft. It doesn't have to be zero-sum.

[Cap]

I love seeing these Luka highlights, but I do think the hype has gotten a bit ahead of the numbers. Would still love to have him, but I don't think we blew it or anything like that. Ayton is great. Both teams did a great job with the draft. It doesn't have to be zero-sum.

Luka’s numbers are remarkable similar to Deandre’s:

Code: Select all

                                                                                                                          
Player          Age  G GS   MP  FG  FGA  FG%  3P 3PA  3P%  2P  2PA  2P%  FT FTA  FT% ORB DRB  TRB AST STL BLK TOV  PF  PTS
Deandre Ayton    20 37 36 1156 8.6 14.1 .608 0.0 0.1 .000 8.6 14.1 .611 2.1 2.8 .756 3.6 8.9 12.6 2.6 0.9 1.1 2.1 3.2 19.3
Luka Doncic      19 34 34 1105 7.1 16.3 .437 2.6 6.9 .371 4.6  9.4 .486 4.9 6.5 .755 1.2 6.0  7.2 5.6 1.2 0.3 3.8 2.2 21.8

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/31/2018.

Code: Select all

                                                                                                                            
Player          Age  G   MP  PER  TS% 3PAr  FTr ORB% DRB% TRB% AST% STL% BLK% TOV% USG% OWS DWS  WS WS/48 OBPM DBPM BPM VORP
Deandre Ayton    20 37 1156 22.2 .628 .004 .198 11.2 28.2 19.6 12.2  1.2  2.5 12.1 21.2 2.7 1.1 3.8  .159  1.3  0.9 2.2  1.2
Luka Doncic      19 34 1105 18.0 .567 .425 .399  3.7 17.7 10.9 25.5  1.6  0.8 16.5 27.2 1.3 1.2 2.4  .105  2.2  0.3 2.5  1.3

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/31/2018.

Deandre has advantages in rebounds and blocks, and Luka in assists and threes, that are to be expected given their relative roles and positions. Aside from that, the only area where one player has a really clear advantage over the other is FTr.

I think we’d all like to see DA get to the line a lot more. Dude has a total of 3 FTA in his last 4 games. Averaging just 2.4 on the season.

[JeremyG]

A fair and measured take. I like Ayton more than I thought I would. I'm not super concerned with these criticisms of his "motor" or effort or whatever. I think he plays smart and doesn't just throw chaotic energy out there; I actually think it is a good way to play, and it'll grow better as he learns the game and ages into his prime. A guy like Holmes who is all hustle and energy is great, but Ayton has a ton of talent and strength, and he'll learn how best to apply his energy and effort to be a great player. And I don't expect him to be great at everything right away; he will learn and improve a lot going forward. I'm not concerned.

I love seeing these Luka highlights, but I do think the hype has gotten a bit ahead of the numbers. Would still love to have him, but I don't think we blew it or anything like that. Ayton is great. Both teams did a great job with the draft. It doesn't have to be zero-sum.

What excites me is that I think Ayton has the higher ceiling. Luka isn't your typical rookie, he's already been playing professionally for years. I think Ayton has a ton of upside still.

[Split T]

I love seeing these Luka highlights, but I do think the hype has gotten a bit ahead of the numbers. Would still love to have him, but I don't think we blew it or anything like that. Ayton is great. Both teams did a great job with the draft. It doesn't have to be zero-sum.

Luka’s numbers are remarkable similar to Deandre’s:

Code: Select all

                                                                                                                          
Player          Age  G GS   MP  FG  FGA  FG%  3P 3PA  3P%  2P  2PA  2P%  FT FTA  FT% ORB DRB  TRB AST STL BLK TOV  PF  PTS
Deandre Ayton    20 37 36 1156 8.6 14.1 .608 0.0 0.1 .000 8.6 14.1 .611 2.1 2.8 .756 3.6 8.9 12.6 2.6 0.9 1.1 2.1 3.2 19.3
Luka Doncic      19 34 34 1105 7.1 16.3 .437 2.6 6.9 .371 4.6  9.4 .486 4.9 6.5 .755 1.2 6.0  7.2 5.6 1.2 0.3 3.8 2.2 21.8

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/31/2018.

Code: Select all

                                                                                                                            
Player          Age  G   MP  PER  TS% 3PAr  FTr ORB% DRB% TRB% AST% STL% BLK% TOV% USG% OWS DWS  WS WS/48 OBPM DBPM BPM VORP
Deandre Ayton    20 37 1156 22.2 .628 .004 .198 11.2 28.2 19.6 12.2  1.2  2.5 12.1 21.2 2.7 1.1 3.8  .159  1.3  0.9 2.2  1.2
Luka Doncic      19 34 1105 18.0 .567 .425 .399  3.7 17.7 10.9 25.5  1.6  0.8 16.5 27.2 1.3 1.2 2.4  .105  2.2  0.3 2.5  1.3

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/31/2018.

Deandre has advantages in rebounds and blocks, and Luka in assists and threes, that are to be expected given their relative roles and positions. Aside from that, the only area where one player has a really clear advantage over the other is FTr.

I think we’d all like to see DA get to the line a lot more. Dude has a total of 3 FTA in his last 4 games. Averaging just 2.4 on the season.

Ayton is also a significantly more efficient scorer