NBA Playoffs WCSF, Game 5: Dallas Mavericks @ Phoenix Suns (2-2), Tues 5/10/22

[Superbone]

Time: 7:00 pm AZ (7:00 pm PT/10:00 pm ET)
Place: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ
TV: TNT

I'm taking matters into my own hands. We need to right this ship. How about getting a "normally" refereed game with no shenanigans to start with? Our home crowd is going to be up for this one. Let's get back to Phoenix Suns basketball. Let's do this!

‪https://www.nba.com/gamenotes/suns.pdf
‪https://www.nba.com/gamenotes/mavericks.pdf

Go Suns!!!

Dis • cuss

[Split T]

My strategy for the final 3 games:

Bench Payne and McGee. Play Ish at backup 5 and either Shamet or Holiday at backup 1.

Paul - 36 minutes
Booker - 40 minutes
Bridges - 40 minutes
Crowder - 32 minutes
Ayton - 36 minutes

Shamet or Holiday - 12 minutes
Johnson - 32 minutes
Ish - 12 minutes

That would be my rotation

[Indy]

I like the idea, Split. But the only way you can play Ayton that many minutes is if he is aggressive from the start. He hasn't been sealing or honestly even running back. He kind of jogs, and it was early in the game, too. It wasn't fatigue. And a lazy Ayton is worse than a tired/out of shape Ayton.

[Split T]

If so, just give Ish more minutes. I’d go to Biyombo before McGee, but I like that Ish can hit a 3. There’s just no reason to play a big when Kleber or DFS are the biggest guys on the court for the Mavs. Especially bigs that can’t make them pay for being small. Right now that includes all of our bigs.

[Indy]

If so, just give Ish more minutes. I’d go to Biyombo before McGee, but I like that Ish can hit a 3. There’s just no reason to play a big when Kleber or DFS are the biggest guys on the court for the Mavs. Especially bigs that can’t make them pay for being small. Right now that includes all of our bigs.

I hear you, but Ayton was getting out-rebounded by Kleber and DFS. (And before anyone comes at me on this, yes I do realize that DA ended up with more boards than either of those guys, but there were plenty of critical rebounds he stood flat-footed for while those guys went and got them). It isn't all of his fault, but a lot of it rests on his shoulders. If Ayton can't punish them for going small, I am not sure Ish can.

[Split T]

The point isn’t to punish them for going small. It improves our defense to have Ish out there instead of McGee. McGee wants to stay near the rim and gives up open 3s or gets beat in isolation and fouls trying to recover.

When Ayton and Paul go to the bench, a Booker/Cam/Mikal/Jae/Ish lineup can just switch everything and there’s not a major disadvantage. Luka will try to pick on Cam as he’s done that a lot, but I think we can live with that. This lineup would do great against the Luka on the bench lineups. Those teams depend on getting into the paint, drawing help, and kicking out to 3. I’m not really worried about Brunson or Dinwiddie taking advantage of any of those defenders, so we wouldn’t need to help. Just switch and make them score in isolation.

[Drewsprocket]

It all depends if Ayton shows up. I don’t understand, does he not recognize where he gets thrown off or confused and slows down his effort?

[Indy]

That all makes sense. I guess I am letting my frustration show. I know it is a small sample size, but we probably didn't get 3 bad Ayton games all of last year's playoffs, and we get 3 in a row in this series...

[Superbone]

If so, just give Ish more minutes. I’d go to Biyombo before McGee, but I like that Ish can hit a 3. There’s just no reason to play a big when Kleber or DFS are the biggest guys on the court for the Mavs. Especially bigs that can’t make them pay for being small. Right now that includes all of our bigs.

I'd like to see Ish spend some time on Doncic defensively.

[iLLmatic]

Suns are 6.5 point favorites

https://arizonasports.com/story/3135412 ... mavericks/

[Indy]

Suns are 6.5 point favorites

https://arizonasports.com/story/3135412 ... mavericks/

Watch the line move after Foster is announced.

[JeremyG]

My strategy for the final 3 games:

Bench Payne and McGee. Play Ish at backup 5 and either Shamet or Holiday at backup 1.

Paul - 36 minutes
Booker - 40 minutes
Bridges - 40 minutes
Crowder - 32 minutes
Ayton - 36 minutes

Shamet or Holiday - 12 minutes
Johnson - 32 minutes
Ish - 12 minutes

That would be my rotation

I don't understand what Monty is saving his players for? Their summer vacations?

Last postseason, Ayton averaged more than 36 minutes. Even Booker is down to 36.4 mpg from 40.4 mpg last year.

[Indy]

My strategy for the final 3 games:

Bench Payne and McGee. Play Ish at backup 5 and either Shamet or Holiday at backup 1.

Paul - 36 minutes
Booker - 40 minutes
Bridges - 40 minutes
Crowder - 32 minutes
Ayton - 36 minutes

Shamet or Holiday - 12 minutes
Johnson - 32 minutes
Ish - 12 minutes

That would be my rotation

I don't understand what Monty is saving his players for? Their summer vacations?

Last postseason, Ayton averaged more than 36 minutes. Even Booker is down to 36.4 mpg from 40.4 mpg last year.

Couple things--last year he had no reliable backup. That forced him into playing extended minutes.

This year, he was averaging 35 in the Pels series, but in this one he has been really bad. The way he has played the last 3 games, we would have been better off if he played even less minutes.

I have confidence he can turn that around.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I predicted a Suns series win in 6 games, so everything is still on track.

I just thought Game 5 would be the weird one with dumb officiating, an injury or random ejection. Turns out it was Game 4. Don't fret too much, the same thing happened against the Pels in Game 2.

I think The Fellas will have their shit together for this one, but like other's have said, some adjustments are needed if the Suns are again trying to dig themselves out of an early hole.

[Nodack]

And the media has been talking about the reffing in the last game a lot.


Ayton has made it seem as if he is just going through the motions in this series. The bigger advantage he has against the competition the less likely he is to dominate. If this was Jokic he was playing against Ayton would be a force to deal with. Someone needs to light a fire under his ass and Monty, Booker and Paul are the guys.

[Superbone]

I predicted a Suns series win in 6 games, so everything is still on track.

I just thought Game 5 would be the weird one with dumb officiating, an injury or random ejection. Turns out it was Game 4. Don't fret too much, the same thing happened against the Pels in Game 2.

I think The Fellas will have their shit together for this one, but like other's have said, some adjustments are needed if the Suns are again trying to dig themselves out of an early hole.

Yep, feeling similar to how I did during the Pels series. But then we were feeling so good after the first two games of the Mavs series. It's been a roller coaster for sure. I sure hope the team has their stuff together but I thought they would in Game 4 too. We'll either be back to feeling good about ourselves or really lousy depending on the results of Game 5. It's a pivotal game for sure.

[Flagrant Fowl]

As it relates to the officials, I'll be surprised if the NBA puts Scott Foster on Game 5 duty. The entire basketball world knows that narrative and given the officiating antics in Game 4, I just don't think they want that drama.

Game 6, on the other hand, all bets are off.

[Nodack]

Desperate teams play harder. Getting beat twice by Dallas should be a wakeup call.

I like trying something different. Holiday is super aggressive and has been sitting on the bench now for awhile with just a couple minutes of trash time under his belt in the playoffs. He plays aggressive offense and defense. He’s itching to play and hits shots. Going with two centers for a brief time threw off the Pelicans for awhile and we went on a run. It’s time for some curveballs. Switch up double teaming Doncic. Switch up man to man and zone. Pressure the ball 72 feet. Be unpredictable.

[Superbone]

And the media has been talking about the reffing in the last game a lot.


Ayton has made it seem as if he is just going through the motions in this series. The bigger advantage he has against the competition the less likely he is to dominate. If this was Jokic he was playing against Ayton would be a force to deal with. Someone needs to light a fire under his ass and Monty, Booker and Paul are the guys.

He has the ability to dominate this series but apparently not the will which leads me to why he may not be considered a max player compared to other max players. Ayton is not an alpha while almost all of the other max players are.

[Flagrant Fowl]

He just doesn't know how to assert himself to change a game. He needs teammates or coaches to lead him there, and even then it sometimes doesn't work because he's thrown off by officiating or making a couple of mistakes.