Phx-Suns.Net

This the real shit they don’t tell you though. The truth is, there were times where I got too in my head. The role I took on the Hawks came with a lot of extra pressure. You get that kind of number by your name, suddenly everybody’s like, “Why aren’t you leading the team? Why aren’t you this or that?”

Everything becomes your fault, your responsibility.

And I can be a man now and say that some of it was my fault. But that’s a 40-year-old man talking. If you asked me back then? Which a lot of people did in the media, I probably deflected more of that responsibility than I would today.

That’s why I always say you have to have older people around you. Especially guys who’ve been through the wars and the battles that you’re currently in, or going through, or gonna face, who can help you through those crossroads.

I didn’t really have that. There were plenty of guys that I had played with that I could have asked for help, but I’ll be honest, I really never reached out or sought guidance. I came up in a different era. A different NBA. We didn’t talk about things like the mental side, like they do now. That wasn’t a part of the culture yet.

So, I just kind of dealt with all those challenges in the best way I knew how: I didn’t say nothing to nobody.

The Bobster wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 18, 2022 6:19 am

Something needs to be done to swing things back a little towards the defense. My first choices would be to tighten up the carrying and traveling rules, which have been relaxed a great deal over the years. Also, some of the blocking fouls when the offensive player barrels in and initiates contact should be called the other way.

The Bobster wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 18, 2022 6:21 am

The Suns are in some prestigious company. Here are the teams which finished 8+ games ahead of the rest of the league in the regular season -

1970-71 - MIL - 14 - Won Finals
1963-64 - BOS - 13 - Won Finals
1991-92 - CHI - 10 - Won Finals
1959-60 - BOS - 10 - Won Finals
1946-47 - WSC - 10 - Lost Semifinals
2021-22 - PHO - 8 - ???
1999-00 - LAL - 8 - Won Finals
1995-96 - CHI - 8 - Won Finals
1983-84 - BOS - 8 - Won Finals
1972-73 - BOS - 8 - Lost EC Finals
1966-67 - PHI - 8 - Won Finals
1957-58 - BOS - 8 - Lost Finals

Split T wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 18, 2022 7:34 am

The Bobster wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 18, 2022 6:19 am

Something needs to be done to swing things back a little towards the defense. My first choices would be to tighten up the carrying and traveling rules, which have been relaxed a great deal over the years. Also, some of the blocking fouls when the offensive player barrels in and initiates contact should be called the other way.

I’m ok with offense being more advantaged…though there are a few areas I’d look at, like the offensive player creating all the contact stuff that you mention. If the defender doesn’t play it 100% perfectly it’s a blocking foul currently. I do think we could adjust that a bit. I personally wouldn’t change the carrying or traveling rules though.

The Bobster wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 18, 2022 6:19 am

Something needs to be done to swing things back a little towards the defense. My first choices would be to tighten up the carrying and traveling rules, which have been relaxed a great deal over the years. Also, some of the blocking fouls when the offensive player barrels in and initiates contact should be called the other way.

The Bobster wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 18, 2022 6:21 am

The Suns are in some prestigious company. Here are the teams which finished 8+ games ahead of the rest of the league in the regular season -

1970-71 - MIL - 14 - Won Finals
1963-64 - BOS - 13 - Won Finals
1991-92 - CHI - 10 - Won Finals
1959-60 - BOS - 10 - Won Finals
1946-47 - WSC - 10 - Lost Semifinals
2021-22 - PHO - 8 - ???
1999-00 - LAL - 8 - Won Finals
1995-96 - CHI - 8 - Won Finals
1983-84 - BOS - 8 - Won Finals
1972-73 - BOS - 8 - Lost EC Finals
1966-67 - PHI - 8 - Won Finals
1957-58 - BOS - 8 - Lost Finals

Indy wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 18, 2022 10:18 am

Did they call a timeout there? The clock wasn't moving so I was confused.

Superbone wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 17, 2022 6:26 pm

bajanguy008 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 17, 2022 2:40 pm

Well.....
Don't think I need to encourage anyone to read this

And here it is:

Come summer, I was a restricted free agent — and I’ll put it this way: I don’t think anyone was surprised that I wanted a bigger role. With Shawn, Amar’e and Steve, they was all gonna be All-Stars for a while. That was understood. So if I was gonna take the next step as a player, I knew I needed to find a place where I could have those types of expectations.

Atlanta made an offer, and let it be known they wanted me to be that guy. I asked Phoenix not to match. Sarver wasn’t about to let me walk for nothing, though, so they worked out a sign-and-trade.

Was it tough leaving? Yeah, man, it was. But I believed in my abilities. And I wanted to play for an organization that believed in me the same amount.

Honestly makes me feel better about it. JJ really wanted to be the man and have a role that he couldn't have with Nash/Amare/Matrix. I had read that at the time but now the man himself verifies it.