Phx-Suns.Net

Nationally televised games this week

Wednesday: Cleveland @ New York 8:00PM EST ESPN, Golden State @ L.A. Clippers 10:30PM EST ESPN
Thursday: Minnesota @ Toronto 7:00PM EST TNT, San Antonio @ Chicago 9:30PM EST TNT
Friday: Houston @ OKC 8:00PM EST ESPN, Phoenix @ L.A. Lakers 10:30PM EST ESPN
Saturday: Miami @ Chicago 8:00PM EST NBATv, New Orleans @ L.A. Clippers 10:30PM EST NBATv
Sunday: No televised games.

NBA News

The Clips try to build something lasting, the Wolves try to get defensive, Q&A with DeMarcus Cousins on D.A.'s Morning Tip: http://www.nba.com/article/2016/12/05/m ... onsistency

What do you do with Boogie Cousins? Flannery's Sunday Shootaround: http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2016/12/4/1 ... hootaround

The Kings can't trade Boogie. They just built a new arena and had a fight to keep the team there. They can't turn around and gut the team by trading their biggest star. They think the fans would revolt. (I don't think they would, but still.)

Interesting things from the current league standings:

- The Spurs are doing that Spurs thing again. Everybody is impressed with the new Warriors who sit at 18-3, but the Spurs are right behind them at 18-4. Nobody is really talking about them. Just as they want it to be. Amazing how they manage to field an elite team year after year, even without Duncan this time.

- The Lakers have really cooled off from their hot start. They currently sit at 9th in the West with a record of 10-13. Hmm, sure would be nice to have their DRAFT PICK this year. :'(

- The West standings overall are very tight in the 3-7 range. Just a few games separate the #3 Clips from the #7 Jazz. But it kind of looks like the 8 playoff teams are starting to distance themselves from the rest of the pack, with the #8 Blazers almost 3 games ahead of the #9 Lakers.

- The East after seeds 1-2 (CLE and TOR) is pretty surprising to me. The Hornets are #3 at 12-9, which I didn't expect at all. The Celtics are a bit disappointing at the 4 seed with the same 12-9 record, but I guess you can blame that on injuries. It sounds like maybe the Bulls are due to drop out of the playoffs given how badly Rondo is performing. I still think the Pacers (currently at #9 with a 10-11 record) are likely to make the playoffs. The Hawks are also dropping off, currently in the #10 seed with a 10-12 record; they must be disappointed with that performance. The curse of Dwight. And the Wizards are an abysmal 7-13; wow. How can a team with that much talent including Wall/Beal/Porter be so bad?

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote: And the Wizards are an abysmal 7-13; wow. How can a team with that much talent including Wall/Beal/Porter be so bad?

Ask Marcin.

Cap wrote:

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote: And the Wizards are an abysmal 7-13; wow. How can a team with that much talent including Wall/Beal/Porter be so bad?

Ask Marcin.

Heh. For sure. No bench will do that to you unless you are the 7SOL Suns.

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:Interesting things from the current league standings:

- The Spurs are doing that Spurs thing again. Everybody is impressed with the new Warriors who sit at 18-3, but the Spurs are right behind them at 18-4. Nobody is really talking about them. Just as they want it to be. Amazing how they manage to field an elite team year after year, even without Duncan this time.

Spurs are doing this starting a guy at PG named Nico Laprovittola, who I'm pretty sure 99.9% of NBA fans had never heard of prior to this season and could not pick out of a police lineup (I'm one of those fans).

Spurs have honestly looked like trash this season. Many of their wins have been super close ones that they were lucky to win against very bad teams.

I can see the Spurs not having home court this year during playoffs.

UglyTruth wrote:Spurs have honestly looked like trash this season. Many of their wins have been super close ones that they were lucky to win against very bad teams.

I can see the Spurs not having home court this year during playoffs.

Yeah, they have 18 terrible wins. Such a shitty team

To be fair to you, they have had a fairly easy schedule so far. 18 wins is 18 wins though.

Shabazz wrote:

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:Interesting things from the current league standings:

- The Spurs are doing that Spurs thing again. Everybody is impressed with the new Warriors who sit at 18-3, but the Spurs are right behind them at 18-4. Nobody is really talking about them. Just as they want it to be. Amazing how they manage to field an elite team year after year, even without Duncan this time.

Spurs are doing this starting a guy at PG named Nico Laprovittola, who I'm pretty sure 99.9% of NBA fans had never heard of prior to this season and could not pick out of a police lineup (I'm one of those fans).

Kind of a Delly. Spent time last season at Estudiantes, ACB team. Know nothing else. Friend of mine who is an ACB freak says he is surprised he got called by the NBA.

Shabazz wrote:

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:Interesting things from the current league standings:

- The Spurs are doing that Spurs thing again. Everybody is impressed with the new Warriors who sit at 18-3, but the Spurs are right behind them at 18-4. Nobody is really talking about them. Just as they want it to be. Amazing how they manage to field an elite team year after year, even without Duncan this time.

Spurs are doing this starting a guy at PG named Nico Laprovittola, who I'm pretty sure 99.9% of NBA fans had never heard of prior to this season and could not pick out of a police lineup (I'm one of those fans).

Some of us haven't heard of him until reading your first sentence just now.

To be fair, Laprovittola has only starter 3 games. Patty mils started 4, and some guy named Parker has started 14.

Is Minnesota ever going to start winning games? Lots of people have them as the top up and coming team, but I'm thinking I'd rather have the bucks roster going forward.

Split T wrote:Is Minnesota ever going to start winning games? Lots of people have them as the top up and coming team, but I'm thinking I'd rather have the bucks roster going forward.

Okay, you're literally crazy if you want the Bucks roster over the Wolves. But yeah, Minny is struggling so far. They are really young and still figuring out how to play together. I don't know what is causing their woes. My guess would be that they lack 3-point / outside shooting and that their coach doesn't practice offense or emphasize offense much. Do others have a more knowledgeable opinion?

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:

Split T wrote:Is Minnesota ever going to start winning games? Lots of people have them as the top up and coming team, but I'm thinking I'd rather have the bucks roster going forward.

Okay, you're literally crazy if you want the Bucks roster over the Wolves. But yeah, Minny is struggling so far. They are really young and still figuring out how to play together. I don't know what is causing their woes. My guess would be that they lack 3-point / outside shooting and that their coach doesn't practice offense or emphasize offense much. Do others have a more knowledgeable opinion?

I haven't watched them, but Towns, Wiggins, and Lavine are all putting up numbers, they just aren't winning games.

As for bucks over wolves, it might seem crazy, but Middleton-Antetekoumpo-Jabari is a very good core. Middleton is one of the most underrated wings in the game, Greek Freak is going to be a top 5 level talent and is already top 10, IMO. Jabari is very gifted offensively and his defensive shortcomings are covered up by Giannis. Wolves secondary prospects have more potential (Dunn, Dieng, Muhammad are better than Maker, Henson, Dellavadova) but if its Middleton-Antetekoumpo-Jabari or Towns-Wiggins-Lavine, I'd be tempted to take the bucks trio. I'm not sold yet on Wiggins and while I do really like Lavine, I can see him just being an offensive gunner his whole career. Jamal Crawford or 2013 Gerald Green.

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:

Split T wrote:Is Minnesota ever going to start winning games? Lots of people have them as the top up and coming team, but I'm thinking I'd rather have the bucks roster going forward.

Okay, you're literally crazy if you want the Bucks roster over the Wolves. But yeah, Minny is struggling so far. They are really young and still figuring out how to play together. I don't know what is causing their woes. My guess would be that they lack 3-point / outside shooting and that their coach doesn't practice offense or emphasize offense much. Do others have a more knowledgeable opinion?

Oddly enough, Minnesota is 10th in offensive efficiency and 26th in defensive efficiency.

Bucks were in a similar position last year or two weren't they? The most promising young team that just couldn't put it together.
Wolves are very inexpirienced. Of the guys who played tonight only Aldrich(6) and Rubio(5) were in the league for more than three years. I think the expectations were a little too high too soon for them.
That said, I guess they lack some defensive players, but Thibs should fix that soon enough.

I watched the beginning and bits and pieces of the Spurs game but never saw that point guard that I had never heard of play that Shabazz mentioned.

Shabazz wrote:

Marty [Mori Chu] wrote:

Split T wrote:Is Minnesota ever going to start winning games? Lots of people have them as the top up and coming team, but I'm thinking I'd rather have the bucks roster going forward.

Okay, you're literally crazy if you want the Bucks roster over the Wolves. But yeah, Minny is struggling so far. They are really young and still figuring out how to play together. I don't know what is causing their woes. My guess would be that they lack 3-point / outside shooting and that their coach doesn't practice offense or emphasize offense much. Do others have a more knowledgeable opinion?

Oddly enough, Minnesota is 10th in offensive efficiency and 26th in defensive efficiency.

The Wolves were putrid on defense last season and it seems Thibs has not improved them just yet.

As for Bucks vs Wolves, I take the Freak over everybody else but LeBron, Curry, Durant and Davis (with an asterisk due to health).

I was going to say that Thibs is a very underrated offensive coach. The Bulls offense went to shit when Hoiberg took over after Thibs left with the exact same team. I am surprised that he doesn't have them playing good defense yet, but defense is complex in the NBA and it takes time.