SB Nation - Phoenix Suns

3 Minutes 57 Seconds that Lost the Game for the Suns

Phoenix Stan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 06:15:24 -0000

Sports are a funny thing. Sometime it comes down to one play. A game of inches. A buzzer beater. And sometimes you get run out of the gym from the opening tip which is what happened to the Suns Tuesday in New York.

This game had a strange flow to the opening quarter which on the surface looked like it was completely dominated by the Cavaliers. They out-scored the Suns 33 to14. Shot 52% to the Suns 30%. Out-rebounded Phoenix 19 to 7 and scored 18 of their 33 points in the paint.

Watching (and re-watching) the 1st quarter though you get a slightly different sense of how things went down that boils down to these factors:

Suns missed open shots they normally make
Cavs really did move the ball well and got balanced scoring with 8 players putting up points and LeBron James trailing the bunch with only 2 of them
The Suns defense was very much keyed on LeBron and he distributed the ball as well as Steve Nash (7 assists in the qtr)
The Suns played Robin Lopez for the final 3:31 which was an unmitigated disaster even though he did a few things well
The Suns didn't lack energy to start this game. If anything they seemed tight and lacking in confidence but the effort seemed to be there

Here's the blow by blow for the crucial 3 minutes 57 seconds which started with the Cavs "only" up 18-12 and the ball in the Suns hands.

Despite missing some open looks and blowing some defensive assignments the game at this point was far from being lost. By the time this stretch had ended it was curtains.

Suns ball. 3:57. 12-18

This possession really was telling. The Suns found Grant Hill in the corner with a mismatch against JJ Hickson. Hill drives and draws a crowd and skips the ball to the far corner where it rotates another time to a wide open Steve Nash at the top of the arc.

This was beautiful Suns basketball. Classic drive and kick. Unselfish passing that resulted in your best shooter having the ball with a wide open look. Except he passes it up and tries to pump fake and drive and in the process travels and turns the ball over. Perhaps because Nash had missed a few shots or perhaps he just didn't feel that shot at that moment but you do not expect Nash to pass up an open look like this.

Nash said after the game, "Confidence is low right now, and that's why we missed shots." In this case the confidence was so low he didn't even take the shot.

If he takes and makes this look the Suns are only down 3 and you have to think the momentum might have shifted. Maybe not. Maybe he'd have missed it. But I guarantee he will kick himself for passing up this open look.

Cavs ball. 3:50. 18-12

The Suns D here gets a bit confused with the Cavs working a side screen. JRich and Frye both end up on a Cavs guard leaving Varejao to float to the lane. Amare has to help and commits the foul. Here it seemed to be a break down in communication as well as some confusion on the rotations. I wonder how much the Suns adjusted their defensive schemes for this game to account for LeBron. The rotations did not seem sharp at all. Maybe that's mental fatigue from the night before. Maybe that's trying too hard. I don't know.

Varejao hits 1 of 2 free throws.

The Lopez Question

At this point Gentry brings in Lopez for Amare. Big Z and Varejao are in for the Cavs. Perhaps Gentry was trying to shore up the interior D and do a better job on the glass. Amare certainly wasn't do either and at that point was ice cold with his outside shot (1 - 4 shooting). It is an open question why Amundson didn't play in this game. As of right now, I haven't heard anything about an injury or an explanation of his DNP-CD.

While Robin was in the game the Cavs had two offensive rebounds resulting in 2 of their 14 points.His defense was OK. He did his job on that end taking up space and being active.

His impact on the offensive end, however, was horrendous. This was the first time Robin has played with the Suns starters this season and probably the first time since training camp if even then. He's certainly not practiced with the first unit so it was no wonder that the timing was off and his presence hurt the offensive flow.

Suns ball. 3:31. 12-19

His first possession of the game the Suns run a high pick and roll with Nash and Lopez. Nash hits Robin with a bounce pass rolling down the middle of the lane. Perhaps due to his lack of playing time. Perhaps due to lack of confidence. Or perhaps because he just doesn't have the physical ability right now, Robin doesn't launch to the rim from the top of the restricted area for a high overhand dunk attempt. Instead he takes on more big step allowing Varejao to come over and block his shot.

Cavs ball. 3:18. 19-12

The Suns play solid D denying anything in the paint and Parker misses a 3. The ball comes out to Z but Lopez is able to block his put-back attempt and knock the ball off Z giving the Suns possession. If Lopez isn't in the game that's two points for Z as he's able to shoot over any other Suns defender.

Suns ball. 2:56. 12-19

The Suns often run this curl play for Richardson they call a loop. He simply comes from the baseline and the Suns big sets a screen on his man. JRich catches the ball curling (looping) around the screen and often gets an easy look at the rim. This is normally a very effective play for the Suns.

With Lopez in the game setting that screen however the timing is way off between them and Anthony Parker is easily able to fight under the screen and stay in front of Richardson causing a very difficult shot that almost goes in. JRich and Lopez both battle hard for the rebound but Big Z gets it. That guy seems to ALWAYS be in the right place doing the right thing.

Cavs ball. 2:44. 19-12

As you will notice a full minute has gone by and the Cavs still only lead by 7. From this point in they will score every time down the floor going on a 14-2 run to break the game open.

The Cavs run a high pick and roll with LeBron and Verajao. Robin shows and recovers well but as the Suns focus on LeBron and preventing him from driving down the lane they leave Parker open who drains a 3 from the side.

Suns ball. 2:23. 12-22

The Suns now run a little two-man game with Hill and Lopez. I am not sure I understand the thinking behind involving Robin in his first three offensive possessions but there you have it.

Hill draws Big Z away from Robin and dishes to the open Lopez who can't handle the pass. Turnover.

Cavs ball. 2:07. 22-12

LeBron and Varejao again run a high pick and roll and again the Suns suck in. This time Big Z floats out and hits an open 17 foot jump shot. Frye tried to recover but couldn't get there in time.

Suns ball. 1:48. 12-24

The Suns again run a high pick and roll with Nash and Lopez. This time Lopez and Nash are able to draw Varejao in leaving Frye wide open behind the arc. He misses the shot.

Cavs ball. 1:34. 24-12

The Cavs swing the ball around and Varejao sets a back pick on Nash freeing Gibson to get an open look behind the arc. 3 points.

Suns ball. 1:20 12-27

Nash and Frye set up the high pick and roll this time. Nash drives down the lane drawing Z to him. Z manages to deflect Nash's pass attempt across the lane. Turnover.

Cavs ball. 1:08. 27-12

The Cavs run a beautiful set play with LeBron driving a bit and finding West cutting baseline who draws the attention of the Suns bigs and hits Varejao curling into the lane. The Suns react well and prevent an easy dunk forcing Andy to hit a tough floater from about 8 ft.

The ball movement from the Cavs and execution on this and the last play were very good.

Suns ball. :51. 12-29

Nash and Amare (in for Frye) run the high pick and roll. Varejao switches on to Nash who hits a hit arcing shot over him.

Cavs ball. :42. 29-14

The Cavs feed Varejao the ball in the mid-post against Amare. Amare forces him baseline and doesn't bite on a pump fake. Verajao hits a tough hook shot over Amare.

Suns ball. :21. 14-31

Robin in-bounds to Nash while his head is turned. The ball bounces off Nash and out of bounds. Turnover

Cavs ball. :21. 31-14

LeBron goes into iso mode holding the ball waiting for clock to wind down. He drives right past Earl Clark and into the lane. Amare comes to help and alters the shot which misses. Big Z tips the ball in over Robin who was caught flat footed on the miss.

Suns ball. :2.5. 14-33

The Suns inbound to Amare who just thinks he will let the clock run out. LeBron rips the ball from him and launches from 30 feet and drains it. The Cavs bench goes nuts. The points were waived off as he clearly didn't get the shot up but that didn't matter. The confidence carried over and the Suns were never able to recover.

During this key stretch the Cavs (Parker and Gibson) hit open three's and Z hit an open 17ft jump shot. All three shots were open due to the Suns paying so much attention to LeBron and trying to deny the middle penetration. Varejao also hit two tough shots from within 10 feet. Both were well contested and Big Z had a tip in behind a LeBron drive that drew everyone's focus.

The Suns turned the ball over four times. Once on a Nash travel. Once on a Nash pass that was deflected. Once when Robin couldn't catch the ball. And once when Robin threw the ball to Nash while he wasn't looking.

Frye missed an open three. Richardson missed a contested layup. Lopez has his layup blocked. Nash scored the only 2 points by hitting a tough high arching 15ft jump shot.

The Switching Conundrum

One theme we are going to hear a lot about in the days to come is how teams are now switching bigs onto Nash.

Toronto was the first team to do this when they played in Phoenix on the 15th over November. It was effective in that game and I remember asking Coach Gentry about it after the game. He said he wasn't concerned and that if teams did that Nash would pick them apart even though it was a bit disruptive in that game.

When the Suns played Toronto again last Sunday they continued the tactic. According to Raptors Coach Triano it was effective and the Suns only scored 13 of 31 times it was used. The Knicks followed suit as did the Cavs and both teams were able to cause the Suns some problems.

Amare said after the Cavs game,

"Both teams [Knicks and Cavs] did a lot of switching. They switched out on Steve (Nash) , put a big guy on Steve and made him dribble and put the ball on the floor. That seems to be what teams are doing now, switch and try to take me out of the game. That’s what I have noticed so far."

And Nash had this to say,

""The switching hasn't limited me, but it's limited our flow," said Nash, who had four turnovers in the first quarter of each loss. "We have not found a place where we can attack with other players. We didn't want it to turn into a one-on-one game for me, because it turns into a lack of chances for teammates."

Obviously, this is something that the Suns will need to work on and game plan for as other teams are going to try this tactic until Nash makes them pay.

Towards the end of the Raptors game they were effective breaking it by using Hill as a second ball handler.

Once Nash would get the big switched on him Amare would bring his "small" to the low post which would draw help to prevent an easy mis-match. Hill was able to float out and get wide open looks.

I expect to see the Suns do more things like this to move the ball and take advantage of the mis-matches without having to rely solely on Nash going iso on the big.

Stay tuned as that story develops.

Recap: And It Wasn't Even That Close; Cavs Roll Over Suns, 107-90

Mike Lisboa — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:44:03 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

Coach Gentry demonstrates the zombie-like play of the Suns in their two most recent games. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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I'm going to start with the good stuff since if I have to re-live that game from start to finish, I'll quit 50 words in and link to an Associated Press article. The game basically ended in the first quarter when, up 18-12 with 4:20 to go in the quarter, the Cavs when on an 11-0 run to go up 29-12 and never looked back, leading by as many as 28 at the half. Oh, but I wanted to talk about the good stuff. Here it is then:

Goran Dragic bounced back nicely from his poor performance in New York to provide some second half spark. He finished with 14 points and 5 assists on 5-6 shooting and was pretty adventurous in the lane. It was nice to see him actually run the offense when he was in the game instead of letting someone else make the plays.
Earl Clark showed some defensive chops and ball-handling skills in his minutes. It's his decision-making that needs some work once he handles the ball that he needs to improve.
Amare Stoudemire grabbed 12 whole rebounds.
The Suns had a lead at one point early in the game.
Down 57-29 at the half, the Suns showed some fight in the 2nd half. Not enough, but some.
Though the Suns never threatened in the second half, they did get close enough that Mike Brown felt compelled to bring LeBron James back in the game with 5 minutes left after the Suns got within 16. That was probably the high point of the game for me.

The Suns defense, or lack thereof, was the story tonight. The Cavaliers simply killed them from wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Of the 12 Cavaliers who took the court, anyone who played more than 48 seconds scored at least 8 points. 7 of those players were in double figures. LeBron James didn't need to score a kajillion points because he was too busy facilitating the rest of the team. He finished with 12 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds and another embarrassing come-from-behind block on Jason Richardson.

For their part, the Suns starters stunk on ice:

Steve Nash was 5-12 from the field and had more turnovers (6) than assists (5). It's hard to blame him for the low assist number though when the rest of the first line went 20-51 (39.2%) from the field.
Jason Richardson continued to struggle on the 2nd night of back to backs (Where have I read that before?), at one point going 0-9 from the field before sinking 2 consecutive 3 pointers in the second half to finish 2-11. It's worth noting that he never quit on the game and continued battling for rebounds (7) despite not having his shot going.
The same cannot be said for Channing Frye, who was clearly frustrated battling with Shaquille O'Neal in the paint and appeared to quit after a couple of particularly physical encounters with the Big One. After an ineffective 1st half, he found his shooting stroke in the 2nd half to finish 9-17, leading all Suns scorers with 22 points.
Amare Stoudemire seems to keep waiting for the game to come to him. Like the rest of the starters he was largely ineffective in the first half as the Cavs buried the Suns under an insurmountable lead.
Alvin Gentry seemed pretty flummoxed by his team's inability to put it together on the court, bringing Earl Clark and Robin Lopez in early. There didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the rotations. Partly, I think he's still figuring out how Robin Lopez fits into the grand scheme of things.
One line-up note stuck out: He kept Frye and Stoudemire on the floor long after the game had been decided. Phoenix Stan and I have a theory that because they made the mess that was the first half, he wanted them to clean it up in the second. Whether or not that was the message, they both responded by staying with it despite the insurmountability of the lead.
I am not conveying how out of hand this game was. The Cavaliers defense in the first half was giving no quarter and the Suns weren't taking any. The Suns shot less than 30% in the first half and less than 20 from 3-point range.

Really, it was just a massive, massive failure to respond to their own lackluster performance in New York last night. The first halves were nearly identical. There was no offense and even less defense. The Suns have yet to demonstrate they can stay in a game when they are not hitting their shots. The Cavs dictated the tempo throughout and more or less had their way with the Suns.

It's a long season. The Suns have time to go back in the lab and work some of this out. However, if the past two games are any indication, the Suns are in for a long December against the NBA's best teams.

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Bonus (Random) Links

Jeff Clark — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:18:08 -0000

FLCeltsFan does a great job compiling the links that matter. I'm here to add a few that don't.

The real explanation behind Iverson's return to the league.
I don't even know what this list is all about, but CelticsBlog ranks 28th, which is nice.
Dime Magazine Disrespects Rajon Rondo
Sheed's Techs Can Set Perk on Straight and Narrow?
Some Love for The NBA’s Best Shooter: Kendrick Perkins
Ron Artest admits he used to drink Hennessy at halftime
He also wants to fight Big Ben again, maybe he should start with Inflatable Ben first.
Suns, Kings likely to see early success even out over season - Britt Robson

This is what accountability looks like

Phoenix Stan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:52:18 -0000

You learn a lot about people (and organizations) by watching how they deal with failure. Count among the list of impressive Suns accomplishments this season the willingness of the team's leaders to openly criticize the team's failures.

We saw it after the New Orleans game when Steve Nash said the team had got "fat and cozy" with their record and the Suns responded by winning their next four games by an average of 23 points.

After last night's debacle of a game in New York we are hearing more of the same. Emphasis on more and it starts at the top:

Steve Kerr said, ""We were so late on rotations in the first half. That defensive performance was an embarrassment in the first quarter especially and it just set the tone for the whole night."

Coach Gentry said, "We didn’t play real well and I’m disappointed. It’s not a very good feeling."

Nash said, "...it’s all the layups and hustle plays and not getting back on defense that kill you. They just played harder than we did. We’re embarrassed and have to pick ourselves up."

I don't recall this kind of public self flagellation after blow out losses in years past. Instead of blaming "energy" or making excuses about being on the road or missing players due to the injury we get an honest and open assessment.

For the first time in a long time I get the sense that when the Suns fall down, and they will fall down again, they are far more aware and upset about their short-comings then the fans.

That's a good thing and that gives me confidence that the team will bounce back tonight against the Cavs and that the team will continue to improve as the season progresses.

No excuses. Accountability. Honesty.

Those are refreshing changes from the Kerr/Gentry/Nash regime and signs of a champion.

This team is far from being considered a contender for a title this season but if they keep playing as hard as they have and they continue to demonstrate a winning attitude then the results this spring will be much easier to swallow even if that means an early exit from the post-season.

Steve Kerr on Sports 620 KTAR

Game Preview - Phoenix Suns vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Mike Lisboa — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:11:43 -0000

Amar'e Stoudemire must start AND FINISH with his gorilla game for the Suns to have a chance in Cleveland tonight. (Photo by Max Simbron)

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Hopefully the Suns can make like Alando Tucker and wash the icky residue of last night's loss to the Knicks off their hands before mixing it up with the Cavaliers in Cleveland tonight.

The Suns head into Cleveland 2-1 with a chance at salvaging a winning record on this eastern road swing before coming home to face the Kings on Saturday. Last night the Suns came out flat on both ends of the court and despite rallying to get within 6, never recovered offensively or defensively.

So, which Suns team will show up tonight? The 14-3 power rankings darlings or that group of zombies that took the court in New York last night.

The Cavaliers come into tonight's game riding a 4 game winning streak, including a 16-point thumping of the Mavericks on Saturday. That's right: Saturday. In addition to being at home, Lebron and company have 3 days of rest. For their part, after taking most of yesterday's game off, the Suns should be plenty rested as well *rimshot*.

Match-ups

Guards

At the point, we have Steve Nash going up against Mo Williams. On paper, this would seem to be a clear advantage for the Suns, but last season Mo torched the Suns for 30 points in their meeting in Phoenix and 44 in Cleveland (Nash missed this game with an injury). Off the bench, it's Daniel Gibson vs. Goran Dragic. While Boobie is capable of getting hot, in 8 games this year, he's only averaging 6.8 point per game. If Dragic can bounce back from a terrible performance in New York, they should basically cancel each other out.

I thought it was the 30-somethings that were supposed to struggle with back-to-backs? Jason Richardson has been a key ingredient to the Suns potent offense this year, averaging 17.4 points per game, good for 2nd on the team behind Amare Stoudemire. However on the 2nd night of back-to-backs, all of J-Rich's offensive numbers have taken a hit: -7.7% on FG%, -4.9% on 3PT%, -32.1% on FT% (yipes!), and -6.1 PPG. There's no reason he shouldn't reverse that trend against Anthony Parker (and you thought the Suns had cornered the market on lesser siblings! He has to play in the shadow of his sister Candace.) and he'll have to if the Suns want to win this one.

Off the bench at the 2, it will be interesting to see who the Suns go with in Barbosa's absence. After pouring it in (14 points on 4-7 shooting), Alando Tucker may have earned some increased minutes. Equally mysterious is who the Cavs will bring off their bench behind Parker. After seeing limited use thus far this season due to personal and health reasons, Delonte West played a season-high 29 minutes against the Mavs, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 boards.

Forwards

Grant Hill will have his hands full with LeBron James. If he and Jared Dudley can combine to keep LBJ around his averages, the Suns will probably consider that a success. I don't think anyone has any illusions of stopping him.

Off the bench, Jamario Moon is something of a Matrix-Lite, so he and Jared Dudley will engage in some kind of sideshow hustle competition.

At power forward, the Suns have what should be their clearest advantage, offensively at least. Amare Stoudemire needs to bring his vaunted Gorilla Game to exploit Cleveland's tandem of Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson. If he can stay out of foul trouble, look for Amare to log heavy minutes and heap piles of offensive abuse on the Cavs while not having to worry too much about being challenged on the other end. Except for rebounds.

Center

Here's where line-up and strategy will come into some serious play. It's entirely possible the Cavs elect to send Varejao and Hickson out on Frye at the perimeter, keeping Shaquille O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the lane to defend Amare on the pick and roll. If that's the case, look for Amare to log heavy minutes and heap piles of offensive abuse on the Cavs. (See what I did there?)

Defensively, Channing Frye doesn't have the bulk to keep up with Shaq in the post and the Cavs will probably go to this mis-match early and often, much like the Lakers did with Andrew Bynum earlier in the season against the Suns.

Robin Lopez will probably get some early minutes on the defensive end to see if he can help stop the bleeding in the paint against the much larger Shaq. Robin vs. Shaq has the potential to be explosive as Robin looks to heap some punishment on the The Big Mentor who rode his Fuzzy-head pretty hard last season.

Of course, that's just wishful thinking. Shaq will destroy Robin given the chance.

Predictions

Offensively, the Suns will look to spread the floor against the Cavs using their dead-eye shooting (which hopefully they bring with them tonight) to exploit the lack of speed of the Cavs big men. If his shot his falling, Channing Frye could have a career night. Similarly, if the Cavaliers lumbering bigs stay at home on Stoudemire, he and Nash should have a field day running the pick and roll till the cows come home.

Defensively, the Suns will have to find a way to limit Cleveland's opportunities in the paint AND contain the speedy Williams AND contain LeBron James. If the Lopez and Frye struggle with Shaq, look for Jarron Collins to come in and provide 6 additional fouls against O'Neal. I'm pretty sure Robin will use his up fairly quickly.

In a perfect world, the Suns draw the Cavaliers into an up-tempo shoot-out, regain their accuracy and out-run the Cavs. For their part, Cleveland and their 8th ranked defense (100.6 points per 100 possessions) will look to keep things slow as molasses (7th slowest pace in the NBA), bogging the Suns down in a half-court game. Look for them to pound it inside and run plenty of isolations for LeBron James. Like, 70 of them.

While I think the Suns will come out more focused than they did last night in New York, I don't see them winning this game. They'll keep it close in the first half, but their porous defense will be their undoing as the game wears on.

Final score 105-93, Cavs.

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K-Mart for Shaq: Would you make this deal?...

Andrew Feinstein — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:58:16 -0000

The Cavaliers need an athletic, quick, tough power forward. The Nuggets need cap relief. Should the Nuggets consider offering Kenyon Martin for Shaquille O'Neal? It deserves some serious consideration...

How many more games do the Cleveland Cavaliers need to play before realizing that the acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal has been an utter failure? As noted in last week's Stiff List, without O'Neal the Cavs are 5-1. With him, 7-4 (including losses to the Raptors, Bulls at home and the Bobcats).

But that record doesn't tell the whole story.

Watch any Cavs game with Shaq on the floor, and it becomes immediately evident that he clogs up the middle, slows the game to a halt and, even worse, contributes next to nothing defensively. Moreover, not only weren't the Cavs hurting at center to begin with, but the center they had/have - Zydrunas Ilgauskas - may have been/may be the perfect center to play alongside LeBron James. After all, the Big Z can hit a long jump shot from anywhere on the floor, forcing opposing defensive big men to play him outside while leaving the lane wide open for an LBJ dunk or drive-and-dish to an open teammate.

(On a side note, I found myself in an elevator once with the Big Z at the historic Boston Harbor Hotel in downtown Boston. At a legitimate 7'3", the poor guy had to completely bend his head and arch his back down to fit into the tiny elevator. Nice guy, though!)

If you watched the Cavs play last season, their biggest problem wasn't at center but rather, power forward. Anderson Varejao is a nice change-of-pace, wreaking havoc, flopping pest for 20 or so backup minutes, but you don't want him as your featured power forward late in games (remember his shot attempts against the Spurs in the 2007 NBA Finals? Ghastly!). The Cavs are in dire need of a power forward who brings Varejao's defensive toughness and peskiness, but can also finish on a fast break and will get out of LBJ's way on the offensive side of the floor. The Nuggets just so happen to have such a player in Kenyon Martin.

Having spent over six seasons learning how to play alongside Carmelo Anthony, K-Mart would be a great fit for Cleveland. With K-Mart on board at the four spot, the Cavs could move the Big Z back to being starting center and fill out their lineup with LBJ at small forward while their backcourt combo of Mo Williams at point guard and Anthony Parker at shooting guard stays in-tact. As another plus, rather than having Big Z eat up meaningful bench minutes the Cavs bench would be comprised entirely of their "energy foursome" of Delonte West (when he's on his meds), Varejao, Daniel Gibson and Jamario Moon. Now that's a team that can contend with Orlando and Boston in a conference final.

And while K-Mart's salary (more on that momentarily) might be tough to swallow for Cleveland, it will feel a lot better if K-Mart helps get LBJ back to the NBA Finals meaning LBJ will be more apt to stay in Cleveland. (And yes, I know I predicted that LBJ might go to the Nets to be coach by George Karl just a few days ago. While I believe LBJ will stay in Cleveland - and why would those Chinese investors pony up to own the Cavs if LBJ is walking? - I also believe if he goes anywhere, it's to the Nets.)

By now you're probably thinking: you haven't said one good thing about Shaq, so why the @#$% would the Nuggets do this deal?

For the Nuggets, it's all about economics. Shaq's $20 million salary comes off the books at the end of this season, whereas K-Mart's is still owed $16.5 million next season. (It should be noted that the money due to K-Mart next season is a "player's option," but I have a sneaky suspicion he'll be exercising it. Thank you, Kiki Vandeweghe. K-Mart's contract is the gift that keeps on giving.) Also, K-Mart's $15.4 million salary this season is close enough to Shaq's $20 million that the Nuggets would only have to use a little trade exception money to make the numbers work.

Before you accuse me of asking the Nuggets to throw away this season just to get K-Mart's salary off the books, consider this: next season, Melo, Chauncey Billups, K-Mart, Nene and J.R. Smith's salaries combined will be $64.2 million - expected to be near the luxury tax line in 2010. Throw in Chris Andersen's $4 million due for next season and the Nuggets are guaranteed to be at or over the tax line paying the salaries of just six players. Last I checked, that's less than half of a 13-man NBA roster.

If this deal actually happened (and remember, I've suggested crazier deals before...like the time I proposed trading Allen Iverson to Detroit for Billups and Antonio McDyess way before it actually went down), what would it mean for this season? How would it affect the Nuggets on the floor?

In theory Shaq would give us the center we desperately desire, enabling Nene to dominate at power forward (Nene's more natual position). In theory Shaq would give the Nuggets much needed size to go up against the bigger Western Conference teams. And in theory Shaq would be so amped up to get revenge against his former team, the Lakers, that he'd give the Nuggets a much needed ally in their war with L.A. with one more burst of energy for the remainder of the season and into the playoffs before riding off into the sunset. And lest we forget, good Shaq or bad Shaq, he puts asses in the seats (admit it, you'd watch every game with Shaq in a Nuggets powder blue and gold jersey).

But these are the same arguments that recently duped Phoenix and Cleveland into acquiring Shaq. And watching the 37-year-old center "play" these last few weeks, I can't with a straight face say that he'd be good for the Nuggets on the floor. Shaq would undoubtedly clog up the lane for Melo and Nene and slow down the Nuggets overall pace, which is what makes the Nuggets so deadly in the first place...especially at Pepsi Center. It shouldn't be a surprise that a Suns team sans Shaq is back to running teams off the floor en route to a top two record in the Western Conference right now.

Furthermore, in spite of the inexcusably unacceptable loss to the Timberwolves on Sunday night and another bad loss to the Clippers a few weeks ago, at 13-5 the Nuggets have tied their best start in franchise history and have a good thing going. The players seem to genuinely like each other, seem to listen to head coach George Karl (at least a majority of the time) and it feels like they haven't even played that well yet. (They also haven't played that many good teams yet...it has to be said.) As-is, we're looking at back-to-back-to-back 50-win seasons and another shot at the conference finals, if not more if the Nuggets catch a few breaks.

That said, if we - and/or Nuggets management - truly believe that this incarnation of the Nuggets, constructed as-is, can beat the Lakers and march into the NBA Finals then I say fine; let's see how the season plays out and hope for the best. Maybe Kobe Bryant or Pau Gasol will get injured. Maybe the Lakers will get shorter. Who knows.

But if we - and/or Nuggets management - think that another Western Conference Finals appearance is the best this team can do, why not bring in Shaq and unburden ourselves of K-Mart's contract? At the very least, the Nuggets would remain a top five team in the West, would be fascinating to watch, would make any Nuggets/Lakers games and a possible playoff series an instant ESPN Classic and, most importantly, would free the Nuggets up financially to be a player in the 2010 free agent sweepstakes. As of today, the only free agents the Nuggets will be able to afford next summer will be from the D-League.

K-Mart for Shaq? Would you make this deal?

Like I said at the top of this column, it deserves some serious consideration.

Shaquille O'Neal photo courtesy of Getty Images: Isaac Baldizon

Kenyon Martin photo courtesy of AP Photos: David Zalubowski

Daily Links 12/2

FLCeltsFan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:05:18 -0000

Herald Ray Allen-led Celtics shoot straight
Tech issues for Rasheed Wallace
Doc Rivers has big workload in clock management
Allen Iverson signs with 76ers
Shaq conveys concern for Tiger Woods, rips rumors
Look at that man who used to be Allen Iverson
Larry Brown says 76ers should offer Allen Iverson a guaranteed contract
Globe Larry Brown unhappy with proposed Iverson deal
Greetings from Charlotte
Updates from Celtics-Bobcats
Analysis of Celtics-Bobcats
Celtics 108, Bobcats 90
Celtics’ Wallace still having technical difficulties
Allen on target as Celtics thump lethargic Bobcats

CelticsBlog     What Can I Say? (5 In A Row)
Aggressive Play Key to Putting Down Cats
Loy's Place    Comments from the Other Side - Bobcats 12/1
Random Thoughts on a Celtics Beatdown
WEEI     Ray Allen Postgame Guest on WEEI
The Three-Pointer: Is Perkins An All-Star?
Doc Rivers on WEEI
Charlotte Observer    Bobcats frustrates Brown in loss
ESPN    Danilo Gallinari leads New York Knicks past Phoenix Suns with six 3-pointers
C's up to sixth in power rankings
Rondo off to the races?
Postgame thoughts: Celtics vs. Bobcats - Celtics Blog
MetroWest Daily      Celtics 108, Bobcats 90: Allen, C's clobber Bobcats
NBA.com     Ford Keys to the Game: Celtics at Bobcats
Celtics 17     Boston Celts-Charlotte ‘Cats Live Chat (Hosted by Gino’s Jungle)
Red's Army      Your KG Face of the Day
Iverson... back to where it all started
There's a Beast running wild in Charlotte
Your Morning Dump... featuring Sheed's technical difficulties
Celtics Hub     Some food for thought…
A Clinic: C’s 108, Bobcats 90
North Station Sports     Celtics Trounce Bobcats, Rest Up For Spurs
Today's Headlines-- 12/3/09
Celtics Town    Stephen Jackson is one unpredictable hombre
Celtics beat Bobcats in laugher, 108-90
Stephen Jackson is one unpredictable hombre
The Morning Walkthrough: Celtics put on clinic at both ends
Kendrick Perkins dominates Charlotte front line in easy 108-90 victory
Hardwood Houdini     Rajon Rondo Faster Than Your Average NFL Running Back?
Celtics Stay Clear of the Bobcats Bite- Win 5th Straight
Where’s All That "Celtics Look Old" Talk Now?
Lex Nihil Novi     Bird's Triple-Double Leads C's over Spurs 83-84
Clyde "The Glide" Riding the Pine in Portland 83-84
14-4: Celtics 108, Cats 90
Would You Trade Kobe Bryant?
CelticsLife     The Golden Child- Why must the NBA have two sets of rules?
Celts dominate Bobcats from start, improve to 14-4
Celtics/Bobcats Post Game Videos
Celtics 108, Bobcats 90 Highlights
Gino's Jungle     The Return of Celtics Basketball
Welcome to the Jungle - Matt Rury
The Luckiest Season Ticket Holder Ever
Team Green's Truth Rankings
Inside Hoops   Sixers, Allen Iverson agree to deal
My San Antonio    Showing holiday cheer to some Spurs foes
4 Sport Boston    Busy Little C’s
Depressed Fan    Going Nowhere, Fast
Hoopsworld     Perkins: Outside The Big Three
Examiner    NBA recap Thanksgiving edition: Celtics, Rockets thankful for UK's Rondo and Hayes
Paul Pierce makes his case for MVP
Green Street    Fast break: Celtics-Bobcats
NY Daily News    Ex-New Jersey Net Jason Kidd rips former club, can send them to infamy with Dallas Mavericks
Hardwood Paroxysm    Lion Face/Lemon Face: 12.2.09
Chronicle     ‘Z’ expected to break games-played record tonight
Romey 1989    Five Difficulties In Orlando Magic’s Championship
CSNNE     Celtics easily tame Bobcats
Live from Charlotte!
17 Banners     Top-10: Best of the Decade
NBA.com    Some early returns on offseason moves
Bleacher Report    Twitter: J.R. Giddens Tarnishing a Reputation That's Already Smeared
Rajon Rondo Faster Than Your Average NFL Running Back?
Waiting for Next Year    Are The Cavaliers Really Struggling?
Front Office Fans    Chris Johnson vs. Rajon Rondo: Where and When?
News Observer    Observations: Garnett irks Mohammed
Hoop Angle    Before & After: Coming Up Big Test -
NESN    Celtics Forging New Identity as NBA's Road Warriors
Live Blog: Celtics at Bobcats
Celtics Guard Rajon Rondo Wants a Crack at Titans Speedster Chris Johnson
Former Celtic Antoine Walker to Begin Paying Off Gambling Debts
Celtics Slam Bobcats 108-90 on Road For Fifth Straight Win
Press Herald    Red Claws preview: The name doesn't hurt, but talent will make him
Gear Live NBA All-Stars thus far in the 09-10 NBA season
Dimemag    Blazers get the Bease-ness
CT News     Ray Allen leads Celtic Rout of Bobcats: 108-90
NY Post      Tinsley signing magnificent for Memphis
Hobby How To   Which team is likely to end the Lakers and Celtics dominance
Bleachers Brew    Thoughts on some NBA teams at this stage
NBA Wire     How Good a Shooter Did Glen Davis Really Become?

Knicks 126, Suns 99

Seth — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:06:33 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

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Wow. In a season full of miscues and misery, that was just what the doctor ordered. The Knicks invited the Suns into the Garden, spanked them mercilessly, then sent the league's best team packing. Shots fell and the defense clicked as the Knicks built a lead and never really looked back. A number of different players stepped up and filled their roles with aplomb. Phoenix, meanwhile, played the part of the home team, flubbing easy plays and exerting very little effort en route to their first sub-100-point output of the season. The Knicks' best stuff and the Suns' worst just happened to coincide, and I must say it was positively exquisite.

Notes, after the jump...

I mentioned that each Knick played his role brilliantly. I wasn't kidding. Check it:

- Wilson Chandler got things started by driving to the basket on offense, getting fouled early and connecting at the line. Later, he canned a couple open threes (2-3) and otherwise let the offense come to him. On the other end, D'Antoni chose to match Wil with Steve Nash, which worked nicely, as Chandler was quick enough to stay near (not in front of. Nobody does that.) Nash, and big enough to disrupt his passes and switch onto Amare' Stoudemire when picks were set.

- Chris Duhon (2-8) didn't shoot as well as he did in the previous game, but hit a pretty big three, dished out 5 assists, and spent 23 minutes on the bench. Perfect.

- Al Harrington (8-14) took a reasonable number of shots and hit most of them. He also pulled down 8 rebounds.

- David Lee registered 24 points and 8 boards, actually made an effort to defend Stoudemire, and didn't get embarrassed on help defense because the Suns hardly attacked the rim. Lee's hands were up, too, as indicated by his 4 steals.

Those Knicks did their jobs. These Knicks went above and beyond:

- Larry Hughes up and stole the point guard reins from Chris Duhon in early going, dropping 8 dimes in the first quarter and finishing with 12 on the night. He demanded the ball, directed traffic in the halfcourt set, and hit cutters with pinpoint passes. It was beautiful. Hughes's 11 points and 4 steals were just gravy. That little display of competent point guard play was tremendous. Not to continue to dump on Duhon after a win, but Larry's leadership made a massive difference. Evidence: The Knicks started the second quarter with Hughes on the floor and won the first 4 minutes 12-10. Duhon then checked in for Hughes, and the Suns promptly went on an 8-3 run. Hughes then re-entered, and the Knicks won the next four and half minutes 17-12. I'm not just saying...I'm just saying...

- I can't say enough about Jared Jeffries's play. He was mostly a garbagebro on offense (4-6, 10 points), and I mean that in the best way possible. The rest of his line, though, is what stands out. 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, and a steal are marks of a job well done by Jeffries, and he did that in just 25 minutes. Jared's quiet contributions helped keep the Knicks afloat when it looked like the Suns were poised to strike. Superb game.

- Finally, a big ol' Rooster Salute for Danilo Gallinari. Gallo asserted himself just like we hoped he would, finishing with 27 points, 10 boards, and 2 monstrous Cock-blocks. Gallo was potent from downtown (6-12, and it would've been more with a kinder rim), but didn't just settle for threes. He looked much more confident and made his way into the center of the court to participate more in the offensive flow. There were backdoor cuts, frontdoor cuts, and even a stop-and-pop banker from about 12 feet out.If you're on Twitter, hit up @gallinari8888 and tell him to keep up the great work. Gallo's shot at stardom is tied to the kind of confidence and aggression we saw him from him tonight.

The rest of the notes:

- Billie Jean King was interviewed by Al Trautwig at courtside, and finished her conversation by calling Trautwig "Babes". The following dialogue ensued:

Breen: "Did she just call Al 'Babes?'"

Clyde: "She's from the 70s."

Breen: "Don't you go call Al that now."

- King also took the opportunity to smack some tennis balls into the crowd during a timeout. One of them whizzed perilously close to Channing Frye's head, and Frye reacted with that memorable look of puzzlement we first witnessed in his "sometimes, dinner was just crackers" Garden of Dreams commercial. If you remember that MSG ad, you're officially a pimp by P&T standards (and a moron by everyone else's standards, but forget those guys.)

- Nate Robinson got very little burn in this one. The way Hughes was playing, I guess he wasn't really needed. Robinson didn't show any blatant displeasure, and actually did a nice job pushing the tempo in his 10 minutes.

- Amare' Stoudemire, who I'd typically consider to be a pretty good shot-blocker, didn't even bother to contest a lot of the Knicks' drives into the paint. Either Stoudemire's defense has fallen off or David Lee is contagious.

- Apparently some sort of rodeo is coming to MSG, and I feel obligated to pass along the information that the Garden will be "filled with the world's toughest cowboys and rankest bulls". I know P&T folks like their bulls rank, so I figured I'd share for those of you who missed the ad.

- P&T hero Frederic Weis coined the term "Knickslexia" to describe the phenomenon of reading a winning Knicks score backwards, because your tendency to assume they're losing overrides what you actually perceive. If you checked out the 71-58 score at halftime, odds are you got all kinds of Knickslexic.

- Robin Lopez is something else. No, really. He's something else.

- Clyde always mocks Mike Breen for being a ballhog on the basketball court. Do we have any evidence that these two have actually played ball together? If so, is it on video? If so, can I have it?

- Goran Dragic probably doesn't wear a diaper on the court, but he might.

- With the season's first real blowout came the season's first real garbage time. It was magical. Toney Douglas DWTDD for a sec, burying two threes and handing out a couple assists. Jordan Hill shot and missed a bunch (2-7) but looked active (to use the adjective that's gradually becoming his middle name) and showed off some of his typically fluid moves, with a jump shot to boot. Jordan Hill is pretty good at basketball. Mark my words. Marcus Landry got to spin as well, and hit a three just to ice the cake.

- Darko Milicic, despite chants from the crowd, was a DNP-BHWCSIYMHPGT. See if you can crack that one.

Tonight was marvelous. Thanks go to everybody who commented, and also to the Knicks for putting together a masterpiece of a performance in beating the league's best team. I got a little choked up for a bit there.

I'm sure we'll have video and some more excitement in the morning, but there isn't much time to bask. The Knicks head straight to Orlando for another meeting with the Magic tomorrow night. Could they possibly keep the dream alive?

TUCKER SCORES 14, suns lose to 3-14 knicks.....

Wil Cantrell — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:02:19 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

New York Knicks' Danilo Gallinari (8), of Italy, destroys the Suns. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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The best thing about this game was that we get to play tomorrow night and erase this mess. Of course the Phoenix Suns play the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James. That won't be too easy, but the victory will be all the sweeter.

There are a lot of different reasons for this loss. I'm not going to go through it all, but I'll tell you, when you give up 71 first half points, you aren't playing good basketball.

The Knicks seemed to make nearly everything they hoisted up tonight. The trio of Al Harrington, David Lee, and Danilo Gallinari went a combined 28-46 (73 points). Even more disheartening was Jared Jeffries, who finished with a +30.

UGH

The Suns were never in this game, giving up 39 points in the first period. It was if they were playing, like, the Suns or something. I t was enough for Danil Gallinari to gush: "I think we are a great team with many offensive weapons."

Well, let's not overdo it, Danilo. The Suns helped out by shooting 23% from three point range (4-17), getting out rebounded 40-50, and turning the ball over 17 times.

Another bad sign for your team is when you allow Larry Hughes 11 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals.

The Bright Side:

Alando Tucker showed some life in garbage time, scoring 14 points and looking pretty aggressive. He must want to stay in the NBA
Earl Clark got some quality time and made a few shots
ROLO went 7 and 5 in garbage time as well.
Nash went for 20 and 8

Ah, who am kidding? There wasn't much bright about this. Losing to a 3-14 squad, losing to your former coach, not really playing inspired basketball, not making many shots, etc. I could start pointing fingers or pushing panic buttons, but I won't. Every now and again Amare Stoudemire will have as many turnovers as rebounds, Dragic will go 0 for everything, the defense will allow a team to make 14 three pointers, and collectively, simply not show up. Let's breathe here, let's accept the fact the Suns will get "Fat and happy" from time to time.

Remember, it's an 82 game season.

Oh, and, let's give a little credit to the Knicks, they did what they had to do to win.

On to Cleveland, people.....

Highlights er, lowlights:

Links

Recap
Posting and Toasting
Suns vs Knicks boxscore
SUNS: Postgame Quotes: Suns vs Knicks, December 1, 2009
We didn’t play hard tonight, we got out-played, out-hustled – [we] didn’t deserve to win. Maybe we took them [Knicks] a little lightly, but you still have to play hard. They got all the loose balls, offensive rebounds. Obviously they made some shots and you take your hats off when shots are made but it’s all the layups and hustle plays and not getting back on defense that kill you. They just played harder than we did. We’re embarrassed and have to pick ourselves up. Not a whole lot to say tonight. - Nash
I feel just like Bill Belichick felt last night. I think we were out-coached, we were out-played and we were out-hustled. It’s one of those games where I just didn’t think we played real well. I don’t want to take away anything from the Knicks because I think they played hard. I think they had a good game plan and they made shots. You can see what they’re capable of doing when they’re making shots and their offense flows well. They out-played us but it’s one game. We didn’t play real well and I’m disappointed. It’s not a very good feeling. - Gentry
Surprising Knicks dismantle Suns- AZ Central.com
It was D'Antoni, the coach criticized so often for a lack of devotion to defense, who helped the 3-14 Knicks, who ranked 28th in the NBA in defense, become the first team to hold the Suns below 100 points this season. The Knicks demolished the Suns 126-99 at Madison Square Garden, ending Phoenix's four-game win streak.
Knicks 126, Suns 99 - Posting and Toasting
Phoenix, meanwhile, played the part of the home team, flubbing easy plays and exerting very little effort en route to their first sub-100-point output of the season. The Knicks' best stuff and the Suns' worst just happened to coincide, and I must say it was positively exquisite.

Suns-Raps Rewind 2: Open vs. Contested Looks for the Raptors

Mike Lisboa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:35:45 -0000

More photos » by Aaron J. Latham - AP

17 days ago: Toronto Raptors' Chris Bosh (4) is under pressure from Phoenix Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire, left, and Channing Frye, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Phoenix Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Aaron J. Latham)

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At the end of the Suns-Raptors game on Sunday, I had two burning questions:

1) How did Amar'e Stoudemire end up with 7 whole rebounds after taking what appeared to be most of the game off? (Answer: He didn't.)

2) How did the Suns hold Toronto to 39.1% shooting despite not playing apparently lockdown defense?

The short answer is that the Suns truly, madly, deeply believed they would out-shoot the Raptors and did.

My methodology was pretty simple. I watched every Toronto possession to see how many open shots the Suns "gave" them versus how many shots the Suns contested. In order to qualify as "contested" a defender had to be close enough and have his hands up to apparently affect the shot. Admittedly, it's a little subjective, but I don't claim to be a basketbologist, so take it for what it's worth. Also, despite comparing my shot list to the official play-by-play, the numbers don't quite match-up, but they're close enough for comparison purposes.

The Raw Numbers

I tracked 89 total shots for Toronto. They made 37 for a shooting percentage of 42%.
Of those 89, 38 were contested by a defender, 51 were not.
On contested shots, Toronto made 9 of 38 field goals for a contested FG% of 23.6%. (Go Suns Defense!)

On uncontested shots, Toronto made 28 of 51, for an uncontested FG% of 54.9%.

I broke the shots up into 3 categories: inside 15 feet, from 15 feet to the 3-point line, and 3 pointers.

Of the 89 shots, 48 were inside 15 feet. 24 were contested, of which Toronto made 7 (29.1%). 24 were open, of which Toronto made 16 (66.7%). The Raps were 23/48 overall in this range (47.9%).

Of the 89 shots, 22 were between 15' and the 3-point line. 9 were contested and 13 were open. The Raps were 2-9 (22.2%) on contested shots and 7-13 (53.8%) on open ones. Overall in this range, they were 9-22 (40.9%).

Of the 89 shots I tracked for Toronto, 19 of them were 3 pointers. Toronto made 1.

Of the 19 3-pointers, the Suns contested 5 of them (2 were technically open but rushed as the shot clock expired so I counted those as "contested." You're welcome, DeMar DeRozan and your uncontested airball.).

14 of their 19 3-point attempts were WIDE OPEN.

The Story Behind the Numbers

As you can see, the Suns were pretty content to give up open shots outside of the paint (contesting only 27.2% of those shots versus 50% inside 15'). Some of those open jumpers were the result of screens, but most of them were as a result of a Suns defender sagging off their man (usually a guard, but occasionally it was a big giving Bosh some space) to help in the paint. It's hardly rocket science, but it makes sense for the Suns, particularly with their lack of size, to cheat towards preventing higher percentage shots at the expense of allowing lower percentage ones.

However, blame for a lot of the Raptors poor offense lies with the Raptors. The Toronto Raptors, 38.1% 3-point shooters on the year, shot 7.1% on wide open opportunities from behind the arc. That's some awful, awful shooting on undefended shots. If Toronto shoots their season average from distance, this is a much different ball game.

To be fair, I am not an X's and O's guy and I don't know how far this kind of analysis goes toward quantifying a defense (in one game, no less) as good, bad or otherwise. However, I think it's not inaccurate to say that allowing 14 open 3-pointers to a good 3-point shooting club (6th in the NBA) is probably pretty sub-par.

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

In terms of offense, the Suns are in a class all by themselves so far this season. Their defense can afford to be below average because their offense, thus far, has been so much better than anyone else's. The Suns dare opponents to out-shoot them because thus far, no one has been able to come even close. As the Suns head into a difficult stretch of schedule against high quality opponents, it bears watching to see if the team can maintain this level of offensive dominance or if they'll have to improve their defense to remain competitive with the NBA's upper echelon.