Anyone who's a Suns fan has to be concerned that they do let teams back into games and even a double-digit lead in the last two minutes isn't a huge cushion for them. That said, with Amare sagging to take away the drive and a threat to block shots in the paint, and with a healthy Kurt Thomas, they are a much stronger defensive team this year than last.I have to think that if you look at the improvement in the team since November they've taken a serious step up and by playoff time I think they will likely be better than they are now. And if we're all fretting about defense and matchups surely D"Antoni and staff are working on the same thing.As an old bastard who started watching the NBA in '69-'70, I have to put this team up with the championship teams of both the West/Wilt and Magic/Kareem Lakers, Bird-era Celtics, Frasier/Reed Knicks and MJ Bulls. Strangely, because they do not run a grind-it-out style, the Suns get less respect than they deserve. What they share with those other teams, to my mind, is brilliant team play at both ends, a share the ball mentality and confidence.I really think they will go down as one of the special teams in league history.I only fear Dallas and with a healthy Stoudemire I think Dallas should fear the Suns as well.But I still would not be surprised to see a trade of some kind for a dedicated defensice stopper before the deadline, though I hate to see the Suns give up draft picks again.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JohnEastVan @ Jan 18 2007, 10:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Anyone who's a Suns fan has to be concerned that they do let teams back into games and even a double-digit lead in the last two minutes isn't a huge cushion for them. That said, with Amare sagging to take away the drive and a threat to block shots in the paint, and with a healthy Kurt Thomas, they are a much stronger defensive team this year than last.I have to think that if you look at the improvement in the team since November they've taken a serious step up and by playoff time I think they will likely be better than they are now. And if we're all fretting about defense and matchups surely D"Antoni and staff are working on the same thing.As an old bastard who started watching the NBA in '69-'70, I have to put this team up with the championship teams of both the West/Wilt and Magic/Kareem Lakers, Bird-era Celtics, Frasier/Reed Knicks and MJ Bulls. Strangely, because they do not run a grind-it-out style, the Suns get less respect than they deserve. What they share with those other teams, to my mind, is brilliant team play at both ends, a share the ball mentality and confidence.I really think they will go down as one of the special teams in league history.I only fear Dallas and with a healthy Stoudemire I think Dallas should fear the Suns as well.But I still would not be surprised to see a trade of some kind for a dedicated defensice stopper before the deadline, though I hate to see the Suns give up draft picks again.</div> Good post.
This whole thing about you are forced to play the up-tempo style when you play the Suns is hilarious.It's not that hard to slow your OFFENSIVE pace down. The Lakers did it early in the series last year. It worked. Too bad we fell off in game 7.The Suns are overrated. And they will still be overrated when they DON'T make the finals.
"It's not that hard to slow your OFFENSIVE pace down. The Lakers did it early in the series last year. It worked. Too bad we fell off in game 7."Good point - Kobe slowed down his offensive so effectively he wasn't even there in Game 7.
^But Lefty has a point.The Suns are too good, and almost unbeatable if you try to outscore them. And it's too hard to slow them down into a grind it out style of game, if you're not efficient on offense.That's why the Suns have lost in the last two WCF's. Both the Spurs and Mavs couldn't be lured into the Suns fast paced game, and in turn, the Suns were forced into a half court game, which I hope even Suns fans will admit, they aren't very good, or at least not comfortable, with.Yes the Suns have improved on defense...but is it enough to beat a team that's better defensively than them, AND can force them into a slower game instead of being forced to play into the Suns hand and play a fast paced game?No.BTW, whoever said the Suns aren't getting the respect they deserve, hasn't been watching TV, listening to the radio, or reading up on the Internet/Newspapers.The Suns are the darlings of the NBA. Everyone loves them and their style, and they are the most picked team to win a title.Sure there are a few pundits out there actually picking the NBA's best team, the Mavs, to win the Finals...but it's more heavily favored in the Suns way than anyones.If any team is being disrespected by being overlooked, it's the Mavs.I just find it really funny that the Mavs were ridiculed years ago, not just for being soft on defense, but also because it was said that their fast paced style of play couldn't win in the playoffs...but now everyone has been picking the Suns for the past 3 years to go all the way, and they've yet make it past the 6th game of the WCF.That's proof enough to me that the Suns have a little ways to go before I'll say they're that much improved.
Suns fans better be glad they don't get forced into more halfcourt games then they do. If the Suns are forced into one quarter of halfcourt offense, they are beat. Simple as that. Their only post up player is Amare, which with the team's idea of let's run every play, you don't see him post up as often as a regular PF would do.They don't have a go to scorer. No one can take someone 1 on 1 and score on a somewhat consistent basis. Acutally their best player at that would be Nash. I don't wanna hear Marion or Raja or anyone else, cause they can't.
What's wrong with having a go to play instead of a go to player? Pick and roll is unstoppable with Nash and Amare. The suns might lose to the mavs but it's not because of their style. It's because the mavs are playing at an unbelieveable level this year. On pace for 66 wins. The mavs have a flaw as well though. Last in the league in points in the paint along with not having a post player.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (The Lefty @ Jan 19 2007, 01:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Suns fans better be glad they don't get forced into more halfcourt games then they do. If the Suns are forced into one quarter of halfcourt offense, they are beat. Simple as that. Their only post up player is Amare, which with the team's idea of let's run every play, you don't see him post up as often as a regular PF would do.They don't have a go to scorer. No one can take someone 1 on 1 and score on a somewhat consistent basis. Acutally their best player at that would be Nash. I don't wanna hear Marion or Raja or anyone else, cause they can't.</div>It's not an easy thing to accomplish, very few teams can make that happen. That's no true, the Suns have had many slow quarters, or bad halves and have come back to win the game. Diaw can post up too, he just doesn't need to look for his shot this year with all the weapons we have.Nash and Amare are go to scorers.Teams can slow us down now but with the way our offense is looking at the moment I don't think it'll be possible to hold us under 100 and I think our defense will prove themselves in the playoffs but we'll see. The only team I'm really worried about is the Mavericks. The Spurs don't even scare me at all, they actually scare me the least of the other 6, good Western Conference teams.
Just because I have nothing better to do at the moment. Plus it is always fun to compare them to the regular stats that do not tell the full story :happy0144: PPS:1. San Antonio 1.152. Houston 1.163. Phoenix 1.174. Minnesota 1.185. Detroit 1.206. Denver 1.207. New Orleans 1.208. Chicago 1.209. Cleveland 1.2010. Orlando/ Dallas 1.22eFG%: 1. Houston 45.82. Orlando 46.53. Detroit 47.44. San Antonio 47.55. Cleveland 47.66. Dallas 47.77. Chicago 47.78. Phoenix 48.29. Indiana 48.410. Minnesota 48.4dEFF:1. Houston 100.52. Chicago 101.13. San Antonio 101.64. Orlando 103.35. Cleveland 103.96. Dallas 104.57. Phoenix 105.48. Denver 105.79. Indiana 105.810. New Orleans 105.8Oreb%: this is where they need to focus on improving. By doing that it would take them from a decent/above average defensive team to an elite defensive team.1. Houston 23.52. San Antonio 24.53. Dallas 24.94. Utah 25.15. New Jersey 25.26. Cleveland 25.47. LA Clippers 25.68. New Orleans 25.89. Miami 25.910. Chicago 26.015. Phoenix 26.9 22. Detroit 28.7
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ASUFan22 @ Jan 20 2007, 10:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>What is PPS and how does defensive efficiency work?</div>Both of them take the pace of the game into account.PPS (Points per shot), correlates points scored with the amount of attempts taken. You take points scored and divide it by the amount of FGA given up.The Suns give up 102.5 points on 87.4 attempts per game so you take numbers and divide PPG from FGA.102.5/ 87.4 = 1.17 points per shotDefensive efficiency simply put is points scored per 100 possessions. The Suns currently give up 87.4 FGA. 19.5% of those are 3 pointers so by using 100 possessions you would have 80.5 2pFGA and 19.5 3pFGA80.5 * 48.2% (eFG%) = 38.801 FGM * 2 = 77.602 points via 2 point FGs19.5 * 48.2% (eFG%) = 09.399 FGM * 3 = 28.197 points via 3 point FGs77.602 + 28.197 = 105.7 points per 100 possessions
Well with how good Amare and Marion and sometimes Diaw or Jones has been at blocking shots I wouldn't mind playing a half-court set on D. Only problem is that Nash is always helping out so his man always has an open 3.
