SB Nation - Steve Nash

It's Safe to Say That J.J. Redick is Figuring Things Out in the NBA

erivera7 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:05:23 -0000

More photos » by Phelan M. Ebenhack - AP

There's one player on the Orlando Magic roster who's been turning heads lately - no, not Dwight Howard - and his name is J.J. Redick. Last night against the Utah Jazz, Redick came off the bench and torched Jerry Sloan's defense to the tune of 20 points. And Redick did it in an extremely efficient manner (7-9 FG, 2-2 3PT, 4-4 FT). Efficiency is the name of the game in the NBA and for Redick, he provided a textbook example of how to not waste possessions on offense. Nearly every time Redick attempted a shot in yesterday's contest, he put points on the scoreboard. Thing is, Redick has been doing this all season - he leads the Magic with an Offensive Rating of 125.2 (3rd in the Association and ranked better than some guy named Steve Nash). That's excellent.

Against the Jazz, Redick scored in a variety of ways (via Hoopdata):

	FGM-A	AFGM*	eFG%
At Rim	3-3	1	100.0%
10-15 Feet	1-1	0	100.0%
16-23 Feet	1-3	0	33.3%
Threes	2-2	2	150.0%

*Assisted Field Goals Made

In the second quarter, Redick got things going with a jumper off the dribble after Utah's rookie Wesley Matthews, the player defending him, gave him too much space to work with. A few possessions later, and with the shot clock winding down, Redick made a very difficult, off-balance three to beat the buzzer after the Jazz played perfect team defense for 23 seconds. Can't be too surprised that Redick made the shot, given that he's been on a shooting tear lately. With the period winding down, Redick once again operated off the dribble and was able to penetrate into the lane for a layup. What's interesting about this particular play is the fact that Redick was clearly looking to pass before he, at the very last minute, decided to put up the attempt. Whatever works.

Redick didn't re-enter the game until the start of the fourth quarter and it didn't take him too long to score again, as he was able to make a jumpshot off the dribble along the baseline after being set up by a screen from Dwight Howard. A 2/5 pick & roll, in other words. After a few minutes, Redick was able to make another layup off the dribble after being aggressive and attacking the basket. Redick followed that with a three in the corner off a pass from Anthony Johnson on the fast break.

Confidence.

That's the word that perfectly explains why Redick has been playing so well on offense since the start of the regular season. Redick is developing some swagger, too.

There's one more play that epitomizes the confidence Redick has been displaying on offense. For the first time since I've been writing at Orlando Pinstriped Post, I'm going to go breakdown this possession frame-by-frame.

FRAME 1: Orlando sets up in a 4-out/1-in offensive set. With Howard posted up, Utah decides to double-team him with Mehmet Okur and Deron Williams. There's a few things to notice in this screenshot. Despite being double-teamed, Howard has an unobstructed angle to potentially pass to Redick and they both know that (look at Redick's posture; he's getting ready to make a move). C.J. Miles, at the same time, is looking directly at Howard and not keeping an eye on either Redick or Johnson in the corner.

FRAME 2: Howard passes the ball. As such, Miles gambles and sprints to Johnson but makes the wrong decision. Miles realizes, albeit a little too late, that Redick is cutting to the basket.

FRAME 3: Redick is left unimpeded in the lane ...

FRAME 4: ... and scores.

If there's one thing to take away from the Magic's game against the Jazz, it's that Redick is proving to be more than a spot-up shooter. Redick can score off the dribble and opposing defenses are going to have to start realizing that.

Practice Report: Where the Suns Over-Respect the Cavs and Barbosa Explains The Goat

Phoenix Stan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:09:02 -0000

Leandro Barbosa talked after practice today about the status of his ankle and wrist injuries and answered crucial questions about his goat-like "singing" on a recent Steve Nash video.

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After the Suns practiced today, Coach Alvin Gentry (sort-of) confirmed my post-game theory that the Suns didn't believe they could beat the Cavs.

"We seemed to give them more respect than I think, I mean they're a great team, but we're a pretty dog-god good team too and we need to play against them the way we play against all the other good teams," said Gentry.

Gentry had a similar remark after losing to the Laker's the first time. It seems to be part of the deal that comes with a veteran team. A young group like the Thunder don't know how good they are and don't worry about their place in the universe. A team like the Suns understands all too well where they fit in the order of things and last night, and against the Cavs and Lakers earlier in the season the Suns played like a team that knew it couldn't compete.

Maybe that's not correct, but that's my theory and I'm sticking to it. How else do you explain going scoreless for 7+ minutes even against the Cavs defense and the general lack of confidence and decisiveness that Nash described?

Yes, missing Barbosa doesn't help and Gentry said as much, "It's been tough. You know because we are 4 and 7 without him now. Obviously, he's a guy that can come in and when we are struggling offensively he's been usually the guy to give us that spark. He can come up with a basket or two here and there and sometimes he can get on a roll, you know that, where he can really change the game."

And speaking about LB, (nice segue, huh?) he's still on track to play on Christmas Day. He practiced today for the first time 3 on 3 and is still feeling some pain and discomfort in the ankle. His wrist is still bothering him as well to the point that he can't flex it all the way back and he's dribbling more with his left hand to compensate.

This was the worst ankle injury Barbosa has suffered in his career. Asked about the injury he said this, "It was the worst. It was something different for me. I never saw my ankle got that big. It was impressive for me. I was kind of scared but I know that we have a good trainer and they did a great job, I'm recovering real well."

And on the most important question of the day, Leandro talked about his unusual goat-like "singing" performance on the most recent Steve Nash video, "All Night Long", "We used to do that every game that we win. I don't know where that came from but I just started doing it and the guys liking it and laughing so I think it was funny so I keep it up."

Paul Coro followed up with the hard hitting question of the day asking LB if he was trying to sound like a goat, "No. No I'm not trying you know it just happened it was normal. It just came. I didn't try nothing. I'm going to check it out. I wanted to see it."

Full Audio from Gentry and Barbosa (hear for yourself) after the jump:

Speaking of audio, I am thinking of setting up another podcast account so I can syndicate these audio files and you can subscribe to an audio only feed for your iPod or other devise. But that costs a bit of money. Is there interest in that? If so, let me know.

Daily Links:

The Official Phoenix Suns Blog " Blog Archive " Day in the Life of a GM: Communication
Cavaliers 109, Suns 91 -- Home dominance halted| Valley of the Suns
The Cleveland Cavaliers ended the Phoenix Suns' home winning streak at 19 games with a 109-91 victory in US Airways Center.
Shaq Returns to Phoenix in Limited Role With Cavaliers -- NBA FanHouse
Cavaliers Hand Suns First Home Loss of the Season -- NBA FanHouse
The Official Phoenix Suns Blog » Blog Archive » LeBron Show Gives Suns First Home Loss of the Season
Suns starting to feel like they belong near the top
Notes: The Suns are starting to feel like they deserve to be among the West's top four teams.
Cavaliers end Suns' home winning streak
Cavaliers end Suns' home winning streak, The Suns still might be unbeatable at home, as long as you don't count the Cleveland Cavaliers. {snl} Photos from the game | Box score
YouTube - VOTE4AMARE 2010- EPISODE 2 - GOGGLES
The second in a series of 4 shorts featuring Amar'e Stoudemire and David Spade preparing Amar'e to take his game to the...

and because I KNOW YOU CARE...

Ann Meyers Drysdale: Mercury Not Likely To Return Full Championship Roster - Swish Appeal
Of the Mercury core players, only Diana Taurasi is under contract for the 2010 season. Mercury GM Ann Meyers-Drysdale admits that it will be very difficult to return the entire roster given a significant cut to the salary cap which was done to save teams money.

From the "It Could Always Be Worse" Department we give you the Chicago Bulls (and some Spurs angst)

'Net reaction: Bulls' epic collapse - Ball Don't Lie - NBA Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Comprehensive National Basketball Association news, scores, standings, fantasy games, rumors, and more
Basketbawful
The very best of the worst of professional basketball.
Hardwood Paroxysm " Blog Archive " The San Antonio Crisis Of Faith

Suns Lose Edge, Focus, Discipline and Game to Cavs

Phoenix Stan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:23:41 -0000

Amare Stoudemire and the Phoenix Suns were confused by their own lack of confidence and aggression against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs snapped the Suns 10 game home winning streak with a fourth quarter 17-1 run. (Photo by Max Simbron)

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It will be easy to point to the 17-1 run the Cavs went on starting at the 6:51 mark of the fourth quarter and say the Suns lost the game there. But that's not what happened. The Suns lost this game when they walked on the floor not fully believing they could beat LeBron and the Cavs.

There was a distinct lack of focus and confidence throughout the entire game. In the first half it manifested itself in turnovers (10 of them leading to 16 points for the Cavs). In the second half it was turnovers (9 for 14 points) and poor shooting. And poor defense. And too much energy paid to the officials' calls or non-calls.

"I thought we lacked a little bit of confidence at times," said Nash who went on to add, "Overall we didn't have a real winning mentality tonight. I thought we were hesitant and a little doubtful rather than bold and aggressive and determined."

That's an understatement.

This was a very disappointing loss and the Suns only have to look in the mirror to find the culprit. I've made a lot of excuses for this team from the road heavy schedule, injuries, the occasional bad call but there is no excuse for tonight other than the obvious.

The Cavs are a far better team than the Suns right now and everyone in that locker room knew it. Instead of "We believe" this game was about "We hope". That's not a recipe for success.

It is still a long season. They still have another game in less than 48 hours but we all saw it and it's going to take a lot of good wins to earn back the faith that this team is anywhere close to being considered not just a contender but a truly viable playoff team.

The excuses varied depending on who you asked:

"I thought overall, although they shot a high percentage, that we did a pretty good job defensively for the most part," said Gentry who laid the majority of the blame at the feet of the turnovers.

"I think Cleveland did a good job. What they did was they went small. They put LeBron at the four...," said Dudley who went on to talk about how difficult it was for Nash to shoot over a big or to find the wings open.

"They came out and played well and did what they had to do and beat us pretty bad," said Hill.

Nash had a different answer. He didn't think the Cavs lineups had anything to do with it. He didn't think he and his teammates let the referees impact their mental focus. It was just about a "lack of confidence and decisiveness" - two words which are becoming this season's "lack of energy" go to explanation for anything bad.

At first Steve tried to stick with the line that they did a decent job in the half court defensively stressing that the turnovers and fast break points were the real downfall. But then he thought better of that, "To be honest, we did have a bunch of break downs in the half court."

He credited 50 of the Cavs 109 points from the combination of turnovers and half court defensive break downs.

So where did those break downs come from?

Showing hard and consistently on the high pick and roll didn't help. We saw the same thing against the Spurs. Good teams, and say what you want about the Cavs "LeBron on 5 offense" but they are a good team, are able to take advantage of that. They slipped the pick and roll and with Verajao in the game they were able to take advantage of that as the Suns rotation was confused and tentative.

"We gave up a lot half court on simple back cuts that we've got to be able to defend," Gentry said about the Suns porous defensive effort. While the Cavs were giving up nothing easy and closing out on shooters as if they were the rested team, the Suns visibly deflated in the final minutes and basically rolled over and played dead. That's never how you want to finish a game.

Amare, aside from hitting open jump shots against Shaq's sagging defense, was a non-factor. He played a very poor game showing a distinct lack of poise and/or leadership. He was also noticeably absent from the locker room media availability as well, leaving Hill and Nash to face the music. That's never a good sign.

This game isn't the end of anything. The Suns still have a very favorable schedule starting in January and the team is still able to beat lesser teams but without a huge step forward over the next few months the Suns are (to paraphrase Denny Green) who we thought they were.

If you let your expectations get to high, this will serve as your reality check. If you expected disaster from this year's Suns you still have reason to be impressed. In the mean time, there are plenty of teams that wish they were as good as the Phoenix Suns and fortunately, we get to play a lot of them in the coming weeks and months. Fun times indeed.

Game Notes Record In Real Time:

1st Quarter

Amare tests the jump shot early. Missed. LeBron jump shot. Money
Shaq is not going to come out and guard Amare. Nor can he run the floor with him. Amare dunk after a made basket
JRich had his teeth rattled running into Shaq at full speed. At least he knocked Shaq down as well
JJ Hickson switched on to Nash? Steve goes right at him and easily gets past hiim
Crowd goes nuts for LeBron dunk on the break. You suck Phoenix
Amare with 10 quick points against Shaq and draws offensive foul against him
Suns sloppy. 4 turnovers lead to 2 Bron jams that got the crowd buzzing. Amare used to get opposing crowds buzzing....those were the days
Suns offense doing it's thing. Great side for things to come. 27 points w/ 2 minutes to go in qtr
30-29. Suns shooting 61% behind Amare's 5-7, 10 points. Suns also lead rebounding 10-8
Without 6 turnovers, Suns are up 8 or 10 points

2nd Quarter

Grant Hill in the open court. So smoooooth
Lou hit a jump shot!!! !!!!! !!!!!!!!!
Dragic with the Nash-like move to drive baseline and sidearm a pass to an open Dudley for three
Suns making silly mistakes. Bad passes. Bad fouls. Not playing smart
Lou + Varejao equals much hustle hair. Almost too much to take in
Suns fans booing Shaq when he checks in or touches ball. Why?
Dragic just left LeBron in his wake and on the deck after LeBron switched onto him!!!! Hell Yes!!!
Gentry is PISSED. Another turnover. That's 9 total. That one on Dragic
Nash got long rest. Came back in 5:27 in the 2nd
Delonte West playing well. 9 points in 10 minutes
Crowd goes NUTS for travel call on LeBron
Suns getting lost on defense with too many heads turned watching LeBron play basketball
Amare with 3rd foul with 2:25 to go in half. Not a Max night despite hitting some open shots early
Frye took that hit from Shaq like a man
Frye goes out with this 3rd foul as well. Robin in. Lou and Robin on the floor together. Suns better get stops b/c those guys ain't scoring
Gentry and LeBron jawing after James gets his 1st foul at the end of the half
I take back what a said about Anthony being a lesser player than Candace. Hits a face up three on Lou
Cavs up 59-53

3rd Quarter

Energy a bit flat to start 3rd. Maybe they have no asses left after Gentry chewed them off. 10 1st half turnover give the Cavs 16 points. Not going to work
Nash PISSED after non-call on layup attempt versus Shaq. Nash made it btw throwing it over his head while facing the other way. Oh, Steve
Like a little green Canadian, Nash hulks up and drops like 7 quick points
James barrels into lane after dribbling air out of ball and runs over Frye. No call. Of course
Suns can't buy a three. 4-13 (30%)
Cavs playing hard and tough D. Can they keep it up? (that's what she said)
So much for Lou coming back this year as a better shooter
LeBron PISSED now after picking up an offensive foul. Stands and watches Lou go right around him afraid to pick up 4th
Poor shooting 3rd quarter but Suns still only down 7. 75-82

4th Quarter

Suns now shooting 27% from three
Frye hammers Verajao HARD in the face. That easily could have been a flagrant. Torched him w/ the elbow
Going to take a serious come back to win this one. Suns only down 7 but getting beat thoroughly
Too much energy expended on refs
Suns can't get stops. Can't hit shots. Cavs closing out hard and making their looks
Dudley playing well. Pump fakes a three and drives for an open lay up. Mike Brown calls a timely timeout. Cavs up 92-86 but momentum might have been shifting back
Mo Williams torching Suns yet again. 23 points
Suns D is horrible. HORRIBLE
Down 11. Crowd doesn't believe. Suns playing like they don't believe. Gonna take a Nashicle
Amare misses a zero footer. Grabs the miss. Goes up. Verajao gets a clean block and Amare loses his shit and picks up the dumb T. Not a smart game for Ax
Suns in free fall as LeBron starts lighting it up to close game. Cavs up 103-86. Fans streaming for the exits with no tacos in sight. 4:18 to go
Amare's trying to foul out
Epic collapse. Weak effort. Suns down 105-86 with 2:30
Garbage time with 2:00 minutes to go. ugh

Cavaliers vs Suns boxscore

Post game audio:

Suns Trounce Wizards: Live by the Gilbert, Die by the Gilbert

Phoenix Stan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 06:20:09 -0000

Gilbert Arenas had 22 points on 21 shot attempts and wasn't able to lead his team to a competitive game as the Suns rolled over the Wizards 121-95. (Photo by Max Simbron)

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I'm not going to lie. I totally predicted a blow out tonight. Which isn't saying all that much because what Suns/NBA fan didn't see this one coming?

What with the Wiz generally playing poor anyway and having played the night before in Golden State and barely edging out the Warriors at the end of that game.

But Wizards head coach Flip Saunders wanted none of that, "You can come up with excuses every night why not to play...It's almost as though the last thing we wanted to do was to be out there tonight. It's pretty much unacceptable."

Unacceptable, unless your name is Gilbert Arenas and bombing away is your game.

Agent "Double O" Zero was deadly tonight but to the wrong side. He put up 17 shots only connecting on 5 of them in the first half "leading" his team to an overall shooting percentage of 37.5% through the first 24 minutes. But fortunately for the Wizards he got it together in the locker room at half time and only jacked up four more in the first 6 minutes of third quarter as the Suns dropped 39 points on a Wizards team that visibly gave up playing defense.

Thank you Gilbert Arenas. It was a pleasure watching a volume shooter in action. Last night you torched the Warriors for 45 points on 25 attempts. Tonight, 22 points on 21 attempts.

Live by the Gilbert. Die by the Gilbert.

This looked a lot like an undisciplined team which is exactly what Flip said about his squad, "I think we understand now that to be good we have to be disciplined in our approach both on the offensive end and the defensive end. And our guys have to understand that that means they have to sacrifice certain things...As I told them, I gave a lot of rope early to see where they were. Now we know."

As for the home team, they did pretty well and were happy about that. Not so much happy as satisfied. They took care of business and they knew they were playing a team that didn't have their hearts in the game. As Steve Nash pointed out, "There was a point in the game tonight where you could feel the air going out of their, uh, their attack."

Nash had 15 assists in three quarters of play (29 min) which was one more than the entire Wizards team.

Amare had his fifth 20 and 10 game of the season and his fourth double-double in the last five games. And aside for a few moments, didn't look particularly engaged.

In fact, other than Jason Richardson and Goran Dragic, the Suns didn't seem to have much fire at all. Perhaps this was their new plan to avoid big let downs. Slow and steady wins the race and in this case the race was over by about half way through the third period when the Suns extended their 16 point lead to 25 points and then put the pedal down to pull away for good.

Speaking of Goran, he had another impressive game. His defense on Gilbert in the first half was outstanding and as Gentry said, he ran the team well in the fourth quarter. He finished with 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists and looked really really good.

Steve Nash had this to say about young "Frosty" Dragic as compared to Leandro Barbosa, "Leandro is an explosive scorer where as Goran's more of a point guard."

I asked Steve specifically if he thought that Goran was a point guard and he said that he is but that he can still improve his passing. Nash said it is always easier to play the two guard position for a young player but that he sees Goran as a point guard.

For those interested Nash's take on the "Can Goran be a Point Guard" debate (and you know who I am talking about) you can listen to what Nash had to say. I think his opinion might carry some weight on the matter:

Nash audio edited 121909

Other Game Notes taken in real time as events occurred:

1st Qtr

Suns 1st offensive possession. Hill iso? So much for ball movement
Neither team playing much D to start game. 6-6 after 2 minutes
Wizards offense consists of Gilbert Arenas doing whatever he feels like
Crowd dead. Team flat. Coincidence?
Earl BOYkins is small
Wizards court chemistry looks like a 6th grade science class for the blind
JRich outside shot not falling but still playing hard getting to rim and attacking glass
Wiz put Nick Young on Nash and Boykins on Dragic. Suns didn't go to Dragic once. Shame

2nd Qtr

Dragic playing solid D on Gilbert. Stayed in front of him keeping him from getting shot of and then pressure hard on the perimeter
Suns D more engaged to start 2nd quarter up 38-23 at 9:00 mark. Let down?
Dragic gets whistled for a lot of bogus calls but is looking solid driving to the rim
Dragic forcing D to respect his drive attracting more help so he dishes to Lou for an easy dunk. Goran is a better passer on the move than LB and a far better defender
Suns up 14 with 5:37 to go. Nash hasn't played in the 2nd quarter at all
Nash back in. Lead down to 11. Trade him. Bench him. Whatever...
The Wizards just shoot anything, anytime. I see why Flip is pissed

3rd Qtr

Suns start quarter on 6-0 run. Wizards call time out. Maybe that TO will cool off Gilberts shot attempts. 18 and counting (only 5 makes)
Amare making some lazy plays on defense...and he knows it
JaVale McGee getting minutes with the Wiz down 25
This game is making me sleepy
Amare with 14 points and 5 rebounds in the 3rd
Suns up 31. Tacos early. Wizards playing possum. Playing really good possum. Too good perhaps

4th Qtr

Up 30. Does it really matter?
Suns start 4th with Lopez, Amundson, Dudley, Tucker and Dragic
No Clark?
Lopez fouls people. Hard.
I really have no idea how but Frosty dribbled through two defenders and hit a nice floating layup
Clark in with about 8 min to play. Suns up 30...ish
I like Nick Young
Robin with a SICK up fake on McGee and drove right by him for the slam
and Goran inside lob to Robin for another slam...nice

Game Links:

Game 27 Recap: Portland Trail Blazers--W00T! Phoenix Suns--Dagnabbit!

Dave — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:01:53 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

Little-known NBA etiquette: Free hugs any time you score your age or higher.

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Rejoice, rejoice believers, your Blazers pulled one out against the Phoenix Suns tonight. It was not only an entertaining game, it was an entertaining "W". Gotta love it.

The Blazers leapt out the gate like a ballet dancer on Red Bull, looking for all the world like they were going to beat the Suns at their own game. LaMarcus Aldridge ran like a gazelle, beating Phoenix down the court and converting chip shots. Andre Miller was also zippy. The Suns, meanwhile, seemed content to loft from distance. Even they can't get away with trading layups for 20-footers and they found themselves down 6-0 before Steve Nash caught Grant Hill for a layup of their own. Apparently that kindled something in Hill because he went on a tear and almost singlehandedly wrested control of the game away from Portland. It was like that time your grandpa caught you smoking and took you out behind the woodshed. You knew he was capable, you knew you probably deserved it, but it's still pretty bad getting beaten by an 80-year-old man. Aldridge continued scoring and Jerryd Bayless came in for some late-quarter offense and Portland found themselves down 3 when the buzzer sounded.

The early part of the second quarter went well enough. Aldridge had a dunk. Blake hit his second three-pointer of the evening. Bayless scored again. But then Amare Stoudemire started hitting mid-range jumpers. He spread the floor which opened up opportunities for the Suns' ancillary players, including Channing Frye who hit 3 threes in the period. Brandon Roy responded with a 6-point mini-run and Martell Webster hit a couple of shots, but the Suns bigs had done their damage and Portland walked into the locker room down 7. On the up side they had balanced offense, few turnovers, and plenty of energy. On the down side the Suns had all of these things as well plus marksmanship. The Blazers weren't getting regular offensive rebounds either. You started to wonder if this was going to be one of those games where we played well but just got outclassed.

The third period confirmed that impression. It started well enough with Martell Webster showing some aggression on the drive and the Blazers drawing a ton of free throws but for every point Portland scored Phoenix had an answer. Amare continued to hit, Hill made back-to-back layups, Frye hit more threes. Other than a couple bad turnovers you couldn't pinpoint anything obviously wrong with the Blazers' offense. They just didn't have quite enough of it compared to the Suns. Phoenix won their third straight quarter, this time by 4, and took an 11-point lead into the fourth.

The Blazers didn't give up, however. The guards started penetrating and passing, leading to 3 made threes within the first 3:15 of the quarter, 1 each by Webster, Roy, and Blake. This wasn't entirely surprising as those three were playing with Bayless in an ultra-small lineup with Joel at that point. The Blazers climbed instantly within 5 but then Amare reared his ugly head again, pushing the lead back to 7.

Then the entire arena froze as a primal, bloodthirsty shriek echoed through the seats and rafters. Beer vendors dropped their glasses, fans cowered, whistles fell out of refs' mouths, Coach Nate fell backwards into his seat, Monty Williams grew hair, watched it turn grey, and then sobbed as it fell out again all in an instant, and the Suns' blue and orange road uniforms suddenly included a conspicuous amount of yellow. B-Rex had arrived. And he was angry.

Well, maybe it wasn't exactly like that, but it should have been.

Jerryd had been handling the ball in a considerable number of sets up until the fourth quarter, getting a shot at playing the true point guard role even when Blake was on the court with him. He had acquitted himself quite well. But now the Blazers put the ball in Roy's hands more and had Jerryd play as the off-guard more. They'd switch up as opportunity presented itself. Any way the play developed--whether Roy drew attention and flipped the ball to Bayless for a jumper, Roy found Jerryd on the wing for a dribble penetration opportunity, or Jerryd initiated from the top--Mr. Bayless delivered. He turned in a career night, setting the Suns back on their heels with his array of offense. They couldn't stop him driving without fouling him. They wanted to concede the jumper to him but he hit those too. He also showed energy on the defensive end, crossing the lane to make plays from the weak side several times and grabbing rebounds as well. Bayless scored 15 points in the final 7 minutes of the quarter. As the Phoenix defense got divided by the barrage Roy took advantage and poured the ball in as well.

On the other end Amare started missing which put extra pressure on the Phoenix supporting cast. They couldn't deliver. Steve Nash tried to take over late but Bayless hit enough free throws to put the Suns down by 3 on the last possession and LaMarcus Aldridge forced Nash into an awkward shot that clanged off iron. Confetti drops. Everyone on the team, including some players in suits, pats and rubs Bayless' head like it was Buddha's belly, huge grins on their faces. Jerryd and Roy do the post-game interview together, looking for all the world like they're locked at the hip. And there you have it...another memorable Rose Garden victory over the Suns.

Besides the heroic scoring, Portland did a couple of things to cement this win. The disparity in field goal percentage was huge in the first half but the Blazers narrowed it to roughly 3% by the end of the game, Phoenix shooting 48% and Portland 45%. Portland matched Phoenix shot-for-shot at the three-point arc, which probably isn't a repeatable experiment but it worked tonight. The Blazers were 10-20 from distance. Most of all, the Blazers dominated at the foul line. They attempted 35 shots to the Suns' 22, hitting 25 compared to their 16. Combine that with not giving away too many easy shots via turnover and you have the margin. The Suns also helped out a little by not taking advantage of Steve Nash until too late. He obliterated both Miller and Blake at will and the best Bayless could do was try and channel him somewhere. Under no circumstances were the Blazers stopping him until that final shot. Yes, Nash had 13 assists but this looked like one of those classic "I think we're going to win this so I'm going to lay in the weeds until needed, which may be never" games from him. He shot 7-11 from the field. It probably could have been 14-22 without affecting the rest of Phoenix's game too much. It's not like he would have been taking away Frye's threes. Those came from Amare. Nevertheless, I'm perfectly happy with the way things worked out.

Click through for Individual Observations, Links, Jersey Contest Scores, Final Thoughts, and such...

Individual Observations

Brandon Roy had a nice game tonight. He didn't force too much, he drew 11 foul shots, he was 2-5 from the three-point arc, and even though 9-22 overall doesn't look that impressive whenever you can turn 9 made shots into 27 points you're doing something aggressive. Add 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.

LaMarcus had a stellar opening three minutes then faded offensively. Frankly the guards were playing with each other tonight and given the results that's the way it should have been. Aldridge also spent the whole night guarding scorers which may have distracted his attention. The only disappointing thing was that he didn't take full (or really any) advantage of Channing Frye's poor post defense. Had Portland not drained all of those threes we might have a different tone when discussing his contributions. He did go 5-6 from the foul line to ameliorate his 5-15 from the field. 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 15 points.

Jerryd Bayless: 9-15 from the floor, 2-3 from distance, 9-12 from the foul line, 29 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and a 2:1 assist/turnover ratio. It was his best night as a Blazer. I saw three things that gave me hope that he can continue pressing for minutes and a bigger role. The 29 points and the drives weren't among them. Those were great but you also have to figure Phoenix played into that a little as did Sacramento the other night. It's not going to happen like that against every team. However...

1. He functioned well with the ball in his hands, finding people and setting the offense without looking confused or having to take over in order to have an impact. This may be the best he's looked ever in that vein.

2. He hit the catch-and-shoot outlet jumper just as well as he drove. That shot is his key to staying on the floor and he looks like he knows it. He's giving Brandon a look like, "You know I'm going to hit it if you give it to me." Brandon is starting to give him a look back saying he knows that he knows. It's not just the points, it's the opportunity for synergy between those two guards that the made shot creates.

3. Bayless looked good on defense tonight. He was aware of his position and what was going on around him. He helped appropriately and found something to do even when the ball wasn't with his assigned man or in his area. He was active. He moved his feet. Combined with being quicker and bigger than the other two guards that gives him an edge.

Martell Webster mixed up his game tonight and is one of the quiet heroes. Have you noticed how much better the offense functions for everyone, including the players we have just mentioned, when Martell can score a little? He's the straw that breaks the camel's back, making the defense focus in so many directions that they can't contain anymore. He went 6-10 from the floor, scoring on jumpers and at the rim both, for 15 points. Add 7 rebounds, 3 offensive, and 2 steals.

Steve Blake shot only threes tonight, which is normally something I'm not in favor of. But he hit 4-7 of them for 12 points off the bench and provided yet another guy the Suns had to watch. Again, much of the fourth-quarter heroics were enabled by these guys draining those shots and making Phoenix worry about them.

Andre Miller played only 18 minutes tonight but he had 5 assists in that limited time. He didn't get many shots up, scored 4 points, and had 2 turnovers. His defense wasn't up to the task though he did look like he could have scored on Nash more given the opportunity.

Joel Przybilla had 10 rebounds and 2 blocks after his usual fashion.

Final Thoughts

It's not often you lose 3 of 4 quarters and win the game. I wouldn't want to try it again but it sure was exciting tonight. But this is like the point of the movie when the hero has just escaped from peril by the skin of his teeth and stops to celebrate. He's smiling, laughing, maybe bragging a little, then he falls silent as he looks into the distance and sees even a bigger baddie on the horizon. Cue the scary music because the Blazers now go out on the road for 4 games: Orlando, Miami, Dallas, San Antonio. Under normal circumstances you'd hope to come away with 2 of those and call it good. Right now I'm thinking any win would make a good trip and somehow taking two would be fantastic.

Boxscore

See what the Phoenix guys think of Jerryd Bayless at BrightSideofttheSun.

Check out your Jersey Contest results at the scoreboard page and enter the next game here.

Oh, and enjoy the whoopin' and hollerin'!

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Poll

My reaction to Jerryd Bayless' career night is...

Game 27 Preview: Suns vs. Blazers

Dave — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:17:20 -0000

More photos » by Sam Forencich - NBAE/Getty Images

We need this guy tonight. And I'm not talking about Spencer Hawes.

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Game Time: 7:30 P.M. TV: TNT

Hey hey! The new-old look Phoenix Suns are in town.

Unless you've been under a rock for the last couple of years you know the story. The Suns, tired of finishing just short of the Big One despite having one of the most accomplished offenses in the history of the league, decide to change their look by adding Shaquille O'Neal to Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and the gunners. The offense slowed down, the pairing of Nash and Shaq was about as comfortable as watching Al Franken and Sarah Palin team up for a lambada contest, and Phoenix sank like a rock. Figuring that just missing the Big One is far superior to biting the Big One, the Suns have jettisoned the Big Distraction and returned to their old lineup, if not precisely their old ways. The result has been a 17-8 record, good for second place in the division and a solid 4^th in the conference, within spitting distance of 2^nd.

The Suns don't lead the league in pace. They're 4^th, in a large clump with New York, Minnesota, and the L*kers. They do, however, lead the league in offensive efficiency. They're 1^st in effective field goal percentage, first in three-point percentage, 3^rd in overall field goal percentage (.2 points out of 1^st), 10^th in fastbreak points, 12^th in points in the paint...the only aspects of their offense that lie outside the good-to-excellent range are drawing free throws, hitting free throws, and offensive rebounding. They're just average in those three categories. But if they were better than that it wouldn't be fair.

As you might suspect with the Suns the defense does not measure up as strongly. They're 25^th in the league in defensive efficiency...a far cry from their offensive dominance. But don't sleep on them entirely, even in this area. They're average in the percentage shooting defense stats. They allow over 105 points per game because of the style they play, not because they're inherently terrible defenders. They don't have to be great at that end of the court, just passable most nights. And that they are. Defensive rebounding is another story, though. As has been typical they're quite poor on the boards. It's just not their focus. They allow a ton of opponent offensive rebounds as a result.

The main rotation has plenty of guys you'll recognize. Amare Stoudemire, once again the only big man with any claim to the paint, leads them in scoring at 19.6 per game on 55.9% shooting. Steve Nash is right behind with 18 per game, 53% shooting, 45.6% three-point shooting, 94% foul shooting, ran-the-table-again pool shooting, -18 handicap golf shooting, "one trick shot to bag my entire limit" duck shooting, "that guy on the Dos Equis commercials is only the second most interesting man" breeze shooting, oh...and 11.2 assists per game besides. Grant Hill is still around and doing fine playing 31.5 minutes per game, thank you. Jason Richardson plays Gunner of the Week for them, a role which he was born to play. Ex-Blazer Channing Frye has joined him in shooter's heaven, quite happy on a team where they specifically tell him to stay out of the paint on offense. Leandro Barbosa is still around too, but he's injured. Goran Dragic backs up Nash and Louis Amundson is the third big man off the bench. Both of them can shoot too. You just don't get a minute off against this team.

The good news for the Blazers is that you always have a chance to beat a team that doesn't defend that well, doesn't rebound, and has no shot-blockers. There are points to be had here. The bad news for the Blazers is that outside of an "Oops!" or two against the Knicks and Hornets, the teams the Suns have lost to read like a list of the league's elite: Los Angeles, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Cleveland. The Blazers aren't one of those teams. No hope for the automatic road win either, as the Suns are 8-8 away from the desert. (They're an impressive 9-0 at home, by the way.)

Any way you slice it this should be an entertaining game but a significant challenge for the Blazers. We're all yearning for these kind of matchups with Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez healthy. As usual, the odds get much longer in their absence.

Keys to the Game

1. One of the first things you talk about when plotting against the Suns is tempo. You can't stop them but you can't let them dictate wholly. You have to involve them with the shot clock. Fast breaks, secondary fast breaks, and open shots after one pass are your enemy. You want them figuring out what to do with 4 seconds remaining on the clock. That means getting back in transition and moving your feet on defense for the entire possession. You also have to commit to sticking with your man. You cannot run out late to wave at their shooters and expect to find success.

2. The second thing you talk about is pick and roll. Steve Nash runs it as well as anybody and he can hit a shot or make a pass with daylight only a cat could see in. They will involve you in screens. Whatever strategy you employ to foil them--switching, jumping, fighting through--you better be committed and you better move fast. All of the defenders away from the screen also have to be aware what's going on. Nash will find teammates in a blink.

3. Amare Stoudemire scoring one-on-one is bad but not fatal. Amare Stoudemire also scoring off of feeds is much worse.

4. The Blazers need extra points tonight. The easiest way to get them is on the offensive glass. This is the night to dominate in this area. LaMarcus and Joel should both have several. (Which, by the way, implies that shooting guards and small forwards are GETTING BACK when the shot goes up!)

5. The other method of getting those extra points is penetrating and getting fouled. The Suns aren't horrible defensively as a group but several of them can be had individually. The next guy Jason Richardson defends will be his first. We've seen Channing Frye defend the post. Even Nash isn't great at staying in front of people. Portland managed to find the lane at critical moments against the Kings. Do it again. Do it more.

6. Even all of that may not be enough, but realize that when the Suns get ahead of you they will let you back in it. They tend to blow out awful teams. Mediocre or better and it's a close game. They'll go on streaks. Don't get discouraged. By the same token many a team has had a successful first quarter against Phoenix only to find them lapping the field by the fourth. If you get a lead, keep pushing. It's like the Terminator is after you. Stay on your toes or you're dead.

Final Thoughts

This isn't a game where I'd expect a win but it's one the Blazers have a chance to win. If nothing else I hope it's a good show.

Check out our colleagues at BrightSideoftheSun.

Enter tonight's Jersey Contest form here.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

25 Games In: Who are the Phoenix Suns?

Phoenix Stan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:34:56 -0000

Alvin Gentry and the Suns coaching staff have reason to be happy with their team's performance after 25 games. (Photo by Max Simbron)

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When the Suns jumped out to a hot start coach Alvin Gentry preached patience saying that he will 'know what he's got' when the team has 20 or 25 games under their belt.

Tuesday's win over the Spurs was the 25th game of the Suns' season and the team is now 17 and 8 with a .680 winning percentage. That projects out to a 56 win season.

Asked in his post-game press conference to asses the Suns after 25 games, Gentry joked that he was still not ready to say, "I'm going with 40 now. I'm changing it to 40, alright."

He went on to talk about every aspect of the team's performance, "I think we're pretty solid defensively in what we're doing. I think we're a good offensive team but we have to have an open floor game. We can't get into half court situations where we're walking it up. And I think we still struggle a little bit rebounding-wise but on some nights like tonight we're able to athletically compete with them if not size-wise."

In that statement Coach Gentry talked about the three major aspects of the game: offense, defense and rebounding. Let's see how the numbers break out.

Offense

Lead once again by a motivated, happy and obviously healthy Steve Nash, the Suns offense is setting the standard.

Phoenix leads the league in eFG% at .552 and coming off a stretch of sub-par offensive games is only .6 behind Atlanta for the best ORtg at 114 points per 100 possessions.

The Suns offense is based on quick pick and rolls that Nash likes to run with either Stoudemire or Frye early in the shot clock. With shooters like Frye and Richardson spacing the floor, Nash and Stoudemire have found plenty of room to work in the lane forcing teams to being help from the wings which leaves wide open shooters. As a result, the Suns are 1st in the league at .433 3P%. The Suns are 4th in the league in 3PA at 22.3 per game which is well behind the Magic who lead the league at 28.5 /gm which demonstrates that the Suns aren't overly dependent on outside shooting.

The Suns second option offensively typically is a simple curl play designed for either Richardson or Hill to loop baseline and use a screen set by Amare to free up curling to the basket. This basic play almost always nets an open pull-up jump shot or a good look at the rim.

The Suns rarely post up but they do often isolate Amare at the elbow and when the clock is running down either Hill or Richardson can find the ball in their hands with the opportunity to create.

When the offense isn't firing it has less to do with missing threes than the tempo and passing. Nash calls this an issue with 'mentality' where the team will become hesitant and indecisive. It is pretty easy to see when the offense is on and when it's not. When it's not the Suns end up with a lot of contested isolation plays at the end of the clock which follow quite a bit of standing around.

The big plus for the Suns offense is the development of the bench. When Nash is on the floor the Suns are a +77 in net points but are still a net +2 when he's off. In other words, the bench is holding serve while Nash is resting where as in years past we saw leads given up or deficits worsened.

The Nash-centric offense is obviously a concern for two reasons. If Nash were to be injured the team would clearly suffer but the same could be said for the loss any great player. The bigger worry is that Nash will either wear down as the season progresses or teams will find ways in the playoffs to neutralize him like the Spurs have done in the past.

Defense

Defensively, the Suns are a confusing team. They rank in the middle of the pack as far as opponents' eFG% right at .500 but are down to 27th in DRtg giving up 110.7 points per 100 possessions.

I am beginning to question the effectiveness of that statistic for a team like the Suns. We saw the same defensive profile with the Mercury this season where they were average in opponents FG% but last in DRtg. What you see with both teams is the ability to play defense and especially late in games. Neither team looks as bad on defense as that number seems to indicate and yet I can't (yet) argue with the statistic.

Regardless, the Suns are improved defensively on the pick and roll and most nights have benefited from their simplified schemes and rotations. Big post players will still have their way with the Suns but fortunately, there just aren't that many of those around these days so Frye and Amare have been able to do an adequate job in the paint.

On the wings, Hill is still solid and both Nash and Richardson look improved. The pick and roll defense has become very predictable which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Players are not confused about their assignments and the accountability has been an added plus but at the same time the better teams have been able to exploit the hard shows by the Suns big men.

The Spurs Parker and Duncan ran a side pick and roll with the other three players spaced way out including Bonner, Ginobili and another shooter. When Amare showed on the screen to stop Parker's penetration Duncan was able to roll uncontested to the rim forcing a guard to come over and provide help. This play lead to many of Duncan's 34 points.

At some point the Suns defense is going to have to learn how to adjust to in game situations and mix up their coverages. Especially come playoff time. In the meantime the effort is there and the Suns have yet to blow a fourth quarter lead which is a great sign of a team that is getting stops when it needs them.

Rebounding

The Suns rebounding has not been a big factor this season. The games where the Suns have gotten killed on the glass generally have been games they were going to lose anyway. In the hard-fought, well rested competitive contests the Suns have done pretty good.

Overall, the Suns have a -1.6 rebounding differential which is 25th in the league but that ranking is somewhat skewed since there are 15 teams within 2 rebounds of Phoenix. Meaning if the Suns were a +1.6 they would be 10th in the league. Going the other way however, there is a huge drop off between the Suns and the five worst rebounding teams.

Even more encouraging is the defensive rebounding ranking where the Suns are 12th overall. They are always going to struggle on the offensive glass based on the way the floor is spread but if they are keeping teams from getting too many second chance opportunities the Suns will continue to do well.

Amare is at 8 rebounds per game on the season which is .9 below his career average. He has been more consistently active and as his physical condition is improving we are not only seeing more classic Amare dunks but his rebounding numbers have increased as well.

After averaging 7.1 rpg in November, Amare is now up to 10.4 per game in December. Certainly a positive sign.

Intangibles

Since pre-season I've been impressed with this team's toughness and winning attitude. Coming off last season's miserable collective mood it has been quite the improvement and probably the single biggest factor to the good start.

Coach Gentry is impressed as well, "I think we're a gritty team. I think we'll compete and play hard. It doesn't always work out for us but the thing about this team is that we've had some tough losses but these guys, I think they have resolve and they'll bounce back and play hard in practice the next day and in games the next day. I think that's all you can ask for. As a coach that's all I ask for."

We agree Alvin. As fans that's all we can ask for as well and to me this is the biggest reason the Suns are the Most Watchable Team this season so far.

Overall, Gentry refused to say if the Suns were at the top of the 2nd tier of Western Conference teams but he did say this, "I just think we compete and we feel like we can play against the majority of the teams in the league."

Audio: Gentry talking about where the Suns are

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is Anti-tweet

Phoenix Stan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:56:40 -0000

More photos » by Darren Abate - AP

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich hates twitter and other technology as well.

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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is an interesting guy. His resume reads like a fiction character where a young kid from Gary, Indiana graduates from the Air Force Academy with a degree in Soviet Studies, was trained as an intelligence officer, considered a career in the CIA and ends up playing and coaching basketball for a living.

On second thought, that's a bit too far-fetched for fiction.

Popovich's coaching roots are closely intertwined with Suns head coach Alvin Gentry. Both served time with Larry Brown at the University of Kansas in the mid-80's and Gentry has nothing but praise for his long-time friend calling him the one of the best coaches at managing the game, making in-game adjustments and dealing with his players.

Pops outside the game activities range from his dabbling in wine business to traveling in the Amazon rain forests (as told by Gentry). His wikipedia profile says this about his sometimes temperamental personality:

Popovich over the years has gained a reputation as a surly interviewee and a testy dealer with the media... In various in-game interviews, Popovich has been known for giving extremely short and sarcastic answers, as well as simplistic responses to reporters' questions.

I experienced that myself on Tuesday night before the Spurs played the Suns when I asked him an in-artfully worded question about his plans for covering Channing Frye at the three-point line.

"If I had a specific strategy that I think would stop him do you think I would tell you," he asked while looking deep into my eyes. "You think you are that special that I would tell you."

The answer was obviously - no. I am not that special. He did not tell me. And he didn't have a strategy for stopping Frye who went 3 of 4 from behind the line.

I didn't take it personally though. I've seen enough Popovich interviews to know what happens if you ask a dumb question and frankly I am surprised more coaches don't respond this way. He doesn't tolerate imperfection from his players and he expects nothing less from those questioning him about the game.

Of course, we also know about Pops famous sense of humor which was on display later in the discussion when I rebounded from my slap down to ask about Steve Nash's tweet from earlier in the day in which Nash said:

"Anyone know coach Popovich was an American spy in Russia before he began coaching? No wonder his teams are hard to beat!"

Brett Pollakoff from AOL Fanhouse was on-hand and documented the exchange:

"Does Steve tweet? I've lost all respect," Popovich joked. "Steve Nash should not be a tweeter. He's a competitor, not a tweeter."

As for Nash's assertion that the coach's time in the military helped him become a basketball mastermind, Popovich wholeheartedly agreed.

"He's absolutely correct," Popovich deadpanned. "I spent all my military time in Russian basketball courts in different cities collecting as many out of bounds plays as I possibly could. And now, I've had a chance to employ them."

Popovich then continued his anti-Twitter remarks, effectively saying that in his eyes, loose lips sink ships.

"If you're a tweeter, you talk too much. You want to keep things closer to the vest, so you can't tweet."

When it was pointed out that the Spurs have some tweeters in their locker room, Popovich's response was pretty much what you'd expect.

"I know," Popovich said. "I hate 'em all."

Popovich went on with his Luddite ways boosting that he was the only member of the Spurs staff not to own a laptop and then even took a jab at Brett's iPhone that he was using to record the conversation.

Oh, Gregg. Won't you join us in the 21st Century? There's room for your sharp wit and no-nonsense prickly style even in this technology infested digital world we live in.

Here's an edited version of the exchange with the full audio available here:

Phoenix Suns Remain Undefeated at Home with Win over Spurs

Phoenix Stan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:53:57 -0000

The Phoenix Suns celebrate a big win over the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns are undefeated at home this season. (Photo by Max Simbron)

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How about that home cooking!

That Suns are now 9-0 on the season and have won their last 18(!) home games going back to March 12, 2009. That's pretty impressive right there and you can't exactly call wins over the Spurs and Magic cupcake walks. Or brownie strolls. Or pie wanderings. Or whatever. They were good wins and Coach Gentry said as much, "That was a good win."

Amare had another thought on the matter, "Definitely a big win for us." And Dragic added, "It's great."

So, I think we can call that a consensus. Good win. Big win. Great.

End of story.

Sure, the Suns turned a 20 point lead into a 5 point lead during an 8 minute stretch of the third quarter but hey, that's going to happen. Right, Steve?

"You know, I think this is the type of team we are. We're going to go on big runs and we're going to let teams back in the game sometimes with the way we play but I think that's how we win games. The alternative is going to be a 35 or 40 win team. If we play this way we have to live with the ebb and flow and we got a chance to win 50," explained the Suns leader, two-time MVP and 25 point, 13 assist magician.

Coach Gentry agreed, "I didn't think it was going to be a 25-point win against those guys, that just doesn't happen."

HEY! LOOK OVER THERE!! DID YOU SEE THAT AWESOME AMARE DUNK AND THAT GREAT NASH PASS!!!!

Amare was incredible tonight. Early in the game his jump shot was straight money giving him 18 first half points on 8/11 shooting. He wasn't getting to the line obviously - since he was taking wide open jump shots - but he made his presence felt in the paint with 8 early boards.

~~Stat Sun Tzu~~ ~~Gorilla Gamer~~ MAX CONTRACT finished with a monster night matching Duncan with 14 total rebounds and tearing down the rim with a couple of massive jams with take-off points somewhere near Gilbert.

"You guys probably got a better view than I did. I was focused on the rim. I was just trying to make it," said Max about one of his more impressive retro-jams.

The star of this game - Not named Nash or Max - was Slovenian Frosty Dragic who was pretty pleased with all the media attention he received in the locker room. Actually, that's not fair. He was pleased with career high 18 points and his great defense. Nope. That's not fair either. He's just pretty much always pleased. He's kind of Barbosa-like that way. Just a happy guy who struggles to grow much in the way of facial hair but is maturing as a basketball player before our eyes.

Needless to say, Goran gave credit where credit is due, "For a few games I've played with Steve Nash, so it's a little bit different for me, but Steve is a great player. He finds all the players all the time. It's much easier for me when I just catch the ball and shoot it."

Before you get all - Dragic is a Shooting Guard - let's not forget that he's a very good passer and has solid point guard potential. Of course, it is easier for him to play off the ball with Nash but that doesn't mean he can't play on the ball behind Nash.

Whatever ball he's playing on he took a big step forward tonight in the eyes of the league and national observers who were quick to write him off last season. And he knows it too, "Definitely, I think so."

Other Game Notes Taken During the Game:

RJ aggressive early - Spurs trying to get him going (didn't work - he finished with 4 points)
Suns start w/ decent ball movement and energy. Amare looks sharp on both ends
Spurs staying home leaves Nash wide open lane of high pick and roll
Suns killing it on the glass (11 to 4) helped by Spurs who are getting back to stop the transition break
Lou Amundson's first job was mowing his neighbors lawns in the hot sun for $20 (fyi)
Spurs bench better D than starters
Manu hits well contested fade away runner...so Manu
Suns bench (w.o Nash) moving the ball very well
Clark!!!
Spurs side pick and pop gets Bonner wide open as Amare shows on the screen and no one rotates over
and Clark goes out after blowing a defensive assignment. RoLo in
Nash getting more rest than normal in the 2nd qtr. Suns hanging on to 11 to 13 point lead
Roger Mason Jr hitting three's to keep Spurs in the game
Suns D on Parker not working. He blows by the hard show and turns the corner before Dragic and get to him
Nash back in at 5:28 mark. Suns lead 46-36
Frye now on Duncan. Suns have been playing him straight up. No double teams
Lou came up lame favoring left leg (mild left ankle sprain)
J-Rich didn't go back in game after playing 10 minutes w/ zero points in 1st (finished with 3 points in 22 minutes)
Nash passes to Robin through Duncan's legs! Robin gets to the line
Spurs start 3rd playing better D but Suns moving the ball getting open shots and pushing the pace and playing active D
Suns time out at 6:34 in the 3rd after little run by Spurs behind a couple open looks from Duncan on the side pick and roll
Out of time out Nash hits two shots and gets tempo rolling
Whoa...classic Amare jam over Duncan
Spurs hitting shots cut lead to 10
Suns fans chanting "D-Fence" with no prompting
Spurs up to 50% shooting
Suns letting refs frustrate them. Lead down to 5 points
Dragic with GREAT hustle play to dive on the floor and tap ball back to Nash
George Hill refuses to get screened (His defense really is good. I love that kid)
Frye making horrible passes (he was credited with 3 turnovers but really...not the smartest game from Frye)
Dragic with the great help side D to get in front of Duncan rolling to the lane. Forced Duncan to pull up and miss shot
Both teams playing HARD. Diving for balls. Suns getting the majority of the loose balls
Suns crowd = great
Amare with another monster JAM following an OReb. Suns up 100-93!
Dragic hits HUGE 3! Suns up 103-93
Added bonus. Spurs have to play tomorrow in Golden State. Your welcome Warriors fans!
The Suns bigs show hard on the screen and roll every time. Spurs picking it apart. Suns might want to mix up the coverages
Amare with the steal on Duncan. Dragic drives length of court for touch lay up over Bonner
Coming out party for Dragic - getting national attention with this game
Amare gambles on D with his reach in's
Spurs missing shots late. Tired legs
Suns missing a ton for FT's (a ton is a bit of an overstatement since they only took 13 and missed 6)

Game Audio:

Gentry post game 121509

Dragic post game 121509

Game Pictures from Max (Simbron not Contract):

and a bonus picture of John Hollinger inventing a new way to calculate the value of the off-handed dribble in the mid-court on odd Tuesday's

Game Links

Game Preview: Suns vs Spurs

PanamaSun — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:01:26 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Alvin Gentry will go against one of the best coaches in the league and a colleague he's known for 30 plus years.

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The Phoenix Suns will play hosts of the San Antonio Spurs tonight as they seek to remain perfect at home. Playing the Spurs is always fun and painful at the same time. Whenever I see their uniforms I can't help but to remember all the times they have broken my heart.

I've been bitter for days because of them. I've punched the wall, yelled at my friends, fought with my significant other, fought with my Mother In Law for fighting with my significant other, screwed up reports at work, I've forgotten important appointments and I've even kicked my dog... and I love my dog.

Interesting enough, I don't have any bad feelings towards them. I've tried to hate them, I've tried to channel my anger and convince myself that they are the bad guys. Nothing. All I feel is respect and admiration. They are disciplined and deadly accurate when running plays on both ends of the floor and all you can do is just shake your head and wish your team would execute in crunch time just like they do.

But this year the Spurs are struggling. They have been playing better as of late but their season has not started the way everyone predicted. Their off season moves looked very good on paper but they have had a hard time adjusting to Pop's system.

I wanted to ask a few questions to the enemy so I contacted Austechspur, fellow blogger from our brother SBN Blog Pounding the Rock, and he was kind enough to answer my inquiries.

His responses after the jump!

P-Sun: The Spurs are 12-9 as of today. You guys are used to a slow start and then picking it up in the middle of the season. Do you feel confident it will happen this year or do you have reasons to be concerned?

AustechSpur: I feel that we have a very good team and that we will get better, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was a little concerned as well. We all thought we would be better at the start of the season and then turn into a juggernaut, which is what you have to be in order to have a chance to win it this year. We have a rather pedestrian 12-9 record with a pretty easy schedule. I think we will pick it up during the season, but we have LOT of picking up to do to get to the top.

P-Sun: It's early in the season but do you feel the off seasonn moves (Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, Keith Bogans) have improved your team?

AustechSpur: It's really hard to say. We are different this year and we are different in two ways. We are different in that we have new faces for a change. It's been several years since we have had to new players in the top of the rotation. We are different in that the team is a little more athletic with less defined roles. I'm not really sure how the three new guys fit into the offense and I'm not sure they know how they fit into the offense. Athletically, we should be much better than the last few years. But, until that translates into guys knowing where they need to be and shutting down opponents and making shots, I'm reserving judgment.

P-Sun: DeJuan Blair is playing really well for you guys. How important is this kid to the Spurs franchise and what are the areas you feel he needs to improve?

AustechSpur: DeJuan Blair is an absolute beast. He brought tremendous skills with him and he's getting better very quickly. He's learning to use his giant body on defense. I have no doubt that he will be a very good player. If he can learn to hit the mid-range jumper, he will be a border line all-star in the league for the next 10 years. If you watch one thing with him, check out his feel for the game around the rim. He has TREMENDOUS touch.

P-Sun: Have you had the chance to watch the Suns play this season? What are your thoughts about our team?

AustechSpur: No, I haven't seen them at all.

P-Sun: It seems that no one can stop Steve Nash this season. Now that Bruce Bowen is no longer a Spur, what do you think Pop will do to try to slow him down? Who's the "stopper" on the team now?

AustechSpur: Do you remember this joke? Q: Who is the only person that could keep Michael Jordan under 20 points per game? A: Dean Smith. Replace Jordan with Nash and Smith with Porter. Steve Nash is just fantastic in space. It's his game. We don't' really have a replacement for Bowen who is the one-stop shop for all defense from Steve Nash to Dirk Nowitzki. I expect Steve will see a whole lot of George Hill. George has the perfect attributes to deal with Steve. He's quick enough to stay with him and he has ridiculously long arms to harass passes. That's all you can do with Steve anyway.

P-Sun: What is it about the Spurs system that it takes so long for new players to learn it?

AustechSpur: I'll refer you to this article by DK Wilson for FoxSports.com http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/10471634/Spurs-not-yet-jelled,-but-could-still-turn-into-force and this quote from Antonio McDyess "Everything here is so exact; every play there's so much detail." Apparently, the Spurs are VERY particular about every little detail and where you should be. I think this causes players to think instead of play for a while. I get the sense that Pop rarely says, "Just go out and play your game."

Let's take a look at the key match-ups for tonight's game

Guards

Everyone that plays the Suns try to do different things to slow Nash down. They try guarding him with a small but pesky player, they try switching to a big man, they try double teaming him. Nothing works. Truth is that Steve Nash is playing amazing basketball and I don't even remember if he has had a bad game all season. Pop is smart and he might try different things to keep Nash under control. Like Austechspur said, we might see a George Hill on him. He might bother Steve with his quickness and length. Good luck George, you are going to need it.

On the other hand we have Tony Parker. In the last two games he has had assists in the double digits but has also been a turnover prone. The Suns need to keep him under control and limit his baskets in the paint. We can afford him scoring but the Suns can't let him get his teammates involved. Depending on how he's playing, I expect to see different defenders on him.

Manu Ginobili is still dangerous. He has had very good games this season and when he plays up to his talent the Spurs are almost unbeatable. He has been slowed down by injuries and this has taken a toll on his defense. Once a feared and hated defender, Ginobili has noticeably lost a step. The Suns should take advantage of this and drive to the hole on him.

Forwards

Amar'e has been playing really well. He continues to be very efficient from the field but everyone has noticed that he's not as explosive as he once was. That's what recovering from an eye surgery will do to you. I expect him to continue making those jump shots to keep the Spurs defense guessing. This is a big game for him.

Timmy Duncan has been playing out of his mind. Just like with Nash, everyone doubted he would have an excellent season. He's knees are holding up quite well but that doesn't mean that Spurs fans don't cringe whenever he goes down on the hardwood. Channing Frye will get a chance to defend him and if he get's in foul trouble Robin Lopez will have his hands full with him.

Richard Jefferson is averaging 13.7 point per game. He has struggled offensively and I expect Hill to be on his grill. We need to keep him under control. We already have our hands full with Duncan and Parker.

Predictions

The fact that the Suns are at home, where they have played really well, gives them an advantage over a Spurs team who's still working on their on-court chemistry. The Suns are always fired up to play against them and they'll come out firing. They just need to be consistent throughout 48 minutes of basketball and not throw away any early leads. I feel confident that the Suns will win this one.

Game Links:

Spurs vs Suns coverage
Spurs vs Suns preview
azcentral.com blogs - Coro's Suns dish - PaulCoro - The Imperial March
The magic number is 100 for most teams. For Phoenix, it's fittingly higher at 104. When the Suns score less than that this season, they are 2-8. When they score at least that, they are 14-0.
Will Hill and Billups Receive Hall Passes? -- NBA FanHouse
Hill looked to have a sure-fire Hall pass when he came out of Duke in 1994 and starred for six seasons for Detroit. But Hill, after signing with Orlando in 2000, had numerous ankle problems that nearly wrecked his career. Between 2000-04, he played in just 47 of 264 possible games.
Game Preview #22: San Antonio Spurs @ Phoenix Suns - Pounding The Rock
Preview for Spurs-Suns, complete with Nash-photoshopping link.

[Note by Phoenix Stan, 12/15/09 3:31 PM MST ]

Video's via Suns.com from today