Around the League - Freaks Special

You've heard of pregame rituals. Check out Adam Morrison's postgame ritual:
He chews tobacco and says he's been doing it postgame since college.

Arenas' $2.60 fine [via truehoop, courtsidetimes]

James Lang was lounging in his chair on the “east coast” side of the lockeroom, minding his own business when Arenas, Antonio Daniels and DeShawn Stevenson addressed his secret life as a “thief.” Turns out, Lang borrowed someone’s deodarant and was banned from the “west coast” side of the lockeroom, the side occupied by Arenas, Daniels and Stevenson. Arenas evicted Lang last week and Lang is not allowed on that side of the room anymore without permission.

Arenas has instituted a system whereby Lang is fined $2.60 every time he goes over to the west coast without permission. Why $2.60? Stevenson wears 2, Daniels wears 6 and Arenas wears 0.

Rasheed Rips Mr.FrootLoop
Rasheed, you're 0-for-8," the guy yelled. "I don't care if I am 0-for-1,000, at least I'm
not wearing a pink and lime green shirt," said Wallace, who for the rest of the game referred to the heckler as Fruit Loop.
[watch the video here]

The Penis Basketball Chair
'Nuff said

Fly on a rhinoceros' ass
Thats what Sam Mitchell had to say on the idea of T.J.Ford doubling Duncan at the post.
Mike Antoni -- now you know what we thought of Marcus Banks defending Harpring alone.


Digg this!

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Suns lose yet again

First half
The Suns started off well enough and raced to 19-10 lead early in the first quarter. Sure enough, the Suns left their stamp on the game letting the Mavs make 24-7 run to finish the first quarter.
For the brief while Banks was on the floor, he made his presence felt -- by fouling a lot. From what I see of him so far, he can't pass to save his life. He looks pretty lost for the most part.

Marion was trigger happy for most of the first half, jacking up four three pointers, connecting only on one of them. I've never been a huge fan of Antoni's coaching acumen -- he's never showed any. This team basically depends on Nash to run the show.

The least Antoni can do is ask Marion to get his ass in the lane and score in the paint.He continues to flabbergast with his refusal to make in-game adjustments. Is it that hard to stop a poor 3 point shooter from taking less number of shots than the best marksman on the team - Nash?

Second half
Hot shooting from both teams -- more so from the Mavs. Nash continued turning the ball over. Marion continued jacking up 3s and long range shots. Which brings me back to the point of Coach. What the eff did Antoni tell them during the half time break? Plain awful planning.
The defense was simply horrendous.
The 3rd quarter ended 85-93 in favor of the Mavs, with Dirk continuing to torch the Suns. At the end of the quarter, the Suns had accomplished the unthinkable by trailing in spite of shooting 57% from the field, but yeah, the Mavs were shooting 60% by then.

The Suns started the 4th quarter 10-2 to make the game close. Jalen Rose came up with a sweet 10 foot jumper to give the Suns the lead for the first time in the second half at 99-98. The game see-sawed from here on, with the Mavs controlling the game for the most part.

With the Suns down 4 points at 112-116 Stoudemire was called for an offensive foul. The Mavs went on to bury the free throws to take a stranglehold on the game.
Downhill all the way from here on.
Final score 119-112 Mavs.

No excuses -- the Suns played like a bunch of schoolgirls.

M

Players union talks out on techs rule

The new zero tolerance policy against players' complaining against calls has been the second biggest issue this season(after the new, sticky ball). Personally, I do think the refs have been a tad too whistle-happy when it comes to players who have had a history of complaining. Guys like Rasheed Wallace have been penalized just for standing in disbelief, while the likes of Tim Duncan and continue whining all the way up and down the court. I should say I was pretty relieved to see him get T'd up in the game against the Kinks earlier this week, though he got a free pass against the Suns last night.

In any case, the players union prez, Billy Hunter has requested that refs 'back off' and go easy on technical fouls. This is what Hunter had say, in a recent AP story:

"My staff is talking regularly back and forth with his staff. If we think they're not being sensitive at all, it usually requires a session between myself and David. We haven't had it yet, but the way things are going, I'm sure I'll be calling him in the immediate future."

M

Raja Bell out, Nash doubtful

Raja Bell will be out for the next two games, thanks to Ginobili's elbow into his chest. Paul Coro reports:

Suns guard Raja Bell will miss at least two games — home games tonight against Dallas and Saturday against Memphis — because of a left rib contusion he suffered in the final minute of Phoenix's overtime loss Wednesday at San Antonio.

Manu Ginobili struck Bell — away from the ball — and was called for the offensive foul. Bell then pinballed into Tim Duncan and pitched forward onto the floor.

Nash is doubtful for tonight's game because of a hip strain he suffered last night.

Some news on Diaw too:
Boris Diaw also suffered a mild ankle sprain when he slipped in the first quarter but is expected to play tonight.

A sprained ankle is what happens when you're too heavy for your feet, you croissant-hogging, chcolate milk-chugging pig!

M

Somebody kill this guy!

Manu Flopinobli has clearly lost a step and a patch of hair but he seems to have decided to make up for that with dirtier-than-ever play. Last year he derailed Barbosa's good season by flopping onto his knees and injuring the poor kid. Manu has taken his fake-show further by attacking more crucial players in the opposition this year. He flopped into Nash first and then took it further by digging his flailing arms into Raja Bell's ribs as he flopped. Raja - one of the toughest guys on our team lay motionless on the floor for a brief while before being helped to the bench. He didn't return to play in the game.
The diagnosis: Raja has a rib cartilage injury and is doubtful for the next couple games.

Hope Gino-pussy is happy now. NOT COOL !

Full disclosure
I have to acknowledge the fact that Raja is a flopper too. He's said so himself. But its one thing to flop to the floor but totally different when you flail your skinny arms in traffic and throw elbows. Flopinobli has had a history of not just flopping, but also folding on the opposing player, thereby inflicting injury to the latter.
If it happens once, I'd agree it was an honest mistake. But this freak has been flying around arenas like a projectile, hitting and injuring numerous guys for the past few years.
To think I used to liked this guy's play, even when he killed the Suns in the WCF in 2005. sigh..

I'll pay anyone who breaks that penguin beak he has for a nose.

M

Seven Seconds or Less

I thought I'd distract readers from that shattering loss last night by discussing something that has had me excited for a while now. "Seven Seconds or Less" is a documentation of SI writer Jack McCallum's experiences from one season spent on the Suns bench. Many of you must have read McCallum's teaser which appeared on SI last year. If you missed it, thats a good place to start, if you want to see if this is something you will like.

Jack McCallum was granted an amazing amount of access into the inner workings of the Suns organization and for most of us, reading his book is the closest we will ever get to 'knowing' the Suns. He lets us into the Suns' locker room talk, the jokes, the friendly banter while also talking at length about the team meetings, the issues discussed etc.

This book comes out on Nov 14, 2006 and I can't wait to get my hands on it. The book costs only $24 but I've been broke real bad for a while now, so I might buy the book a little late. I will definitely keep you guys posted about anything I hear about this book though.
Check this link out for more information on the book.
Here are some of the main details you'll need.

Seven Seconds or Less
My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns
By Jack McCallum

This Edition: Hardcover
Publication Date: 11/2006
Our Price: $24.00

Some highlights from last year's SI article (the precursor to this book):

On Rip Hamilton - IMO the best current player at moving without the ball
Typically, Rip Hamilton comes hustling around a double screen set along the lane and can usually catch and get a jump shot inside of 15 feet. "Or Rip comes off and finds Chauncey Billups right here," says Gentry, striding to a position near the 3-point line.

A rib at Suns' assistant coach Phil Webber
"You should listen to Phil," says Gentry. "He has taken many an average shooter and turned him into a below-average shooter."

When Amare's injury was first diagnosed The Suns has just discovered that an Arizona team doctor had examined Amaré Stoudemire's throbbing left knee and determined that he could be out for nine months.

On officiating changes
"You won't be able to hop, then take two steps this year," says Mies. Vince Carter, say a half dozen voices at once.

On Amare's best dunk
"I'm not sure his best dunk wasn't against Adonal Foyle in the Golden State game," says Gentry. "The one against [the Minnesota Timberwolves' Michael] Olowokandi was better," counters Weber. "Olowokandi's 7'1" and his wingspan must be 9'6"." "That doesn't count," says Gentry. "Olowokandi's a pussy."

I'll keep 'em coming in the next couple of days.

M

How to lose when your opponent wants to as well

Last night, the Suns demonstrated how to suck misery out of prosperity. It was one more of their horrible games this season, squandering a 6 pt lead late in the game.

The defensive effort was patchy at best, with Fabricio Oberto setting a Spurs franchise record shooting a perfect 11-11 from the field. Huh? Oberto!?!? That guy whose top score last season was 10? The same guy whose career high score is 12? The same frikkin' guy who Popovich called the 'most productive ugly player' ever?

Suns-the Kingmakers
-The Suns made it look like Oberto was unguardable -- only they did so by not guarding him at all. Give me a freaking break now. A career scrub makes 5-5 and still Mike Antoni couldn't make an adjustment to shut him down for the rest of the game? Antoni has never displayed an ability to make in-game adjustments and Oberto's career numbers last night bear that out.

-And then there was this guy called Nazr Mohamed who Poppovich didn't give a rat's ass about when he left the Spurs to sign with the Pistons. Nazr has averaged 9.6/7 in his uneventful 8 year career and has done nothing to merit attention as a legit post threat. Enter the Suns in the 2005 playoffs. They had to make him look good at any expense. Who can stop the Suns when they make up their mind?
Result : Nazr had a career night scoring 30/16 in one of the Western Conference Finals games.

You're a high octane offense and all that but for God's sake why don't you guys get a few defensive stops when you have a frikkin 9 point lead against the Spurs? Is it that hard to play decent defense? Gaaawd!!

Save for Tony Parker, the Spurs played pretty badly for most of the game. When Raja missed a free throw that could've potentially won the game, Ithinkisoiledmyself.
*drops head in shame*
To their credit, the Spurs played like champions in OT to send the Suns packing.

I've got to say the Suns earned the defeat though.

M

Suns update

Diaw drops 7 lbs
D’Antoni said Diaw had his best practice of the season on Monday and was pleased that he dropped about seven pounds in the last two weeks and was looking quicker on the floor.

Jalen Rose's number woes
When Rose became a Sun on Friday, he expected to be able to wear No. 5, which he has worn since his high school days. But Ring of Honor member Dick Van Arsdale, the original Sun, wore that number, and it has been retired for nearly 30 years.
Rose understood, and asked for No. 42. Sorry Jalen, that number belongs to NBA Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins. Finally, a team manager suggested No. 8 — the only single-digit number that isn’t either retired or currently being used — and Rose agreed.

When will Jalen actually play?
But with only one day of practice, Rose may not play in the next two games — the Suns have five days off after playing Memphis Saturday to immerse him in the system.

FWIW, some encouraging words from Coach Antoni
“We don’t have the right combinations or the right substitution patterns right now, and we have to find them,” D’Antoni said.
“When we do, this team is going to take off.”

Amare update
Amare Stoudemire will start Wednesday night against Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.

Is it all mental?
"(But) it has nothing to do with mental; it's all physical," said Stoudemire, who turns 24 on Nov. 16. "When you feel pain, that's not mental. I don't see where people can get that. I can agree with playing through pain. But there's got to be some point in time when it gets better. Pain is pretty much telling your body that you need to stop doing what you're doing."

Experts' Opinion
- Leif Smith, a licensed clinical sports psychologist based in Ohio, put it this way: "Basically, what an injured athlete learns is that he's not invincible anymore. When you lose that invincibility, then hesitancy comes into the equation, and you can't have hesitancy as a professional athlete, especially in a fast-paced game like basketball."

- "It's not enough to believe your way through this," said Smith, the sports psychologist. "You get your confidence back by playing. There's a window, kind of like a mental probation that you have to break through. He has to go out and get so into the game that he's not aware of the pain. It takes patience."

M

Jalen Rose might play Wednesday

AP news release
As expected, Jalen Rose signed with the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday and will be in uniform for the team's game at San Antonio on Wednesday.

Other Rose related info
Rose won the NBA's most-improved player award for Indiana in 2000 and averaged at least 20 points a game for three consecutive seasons, ending in 2003. He has more career points (13,112) than anyone else on the Phoenix roster and is 22nd among active NBA players in scoring.

M

Around the League - Tuesday

Steve Kerr looks at a bewildering first week in the NBA [yahoo]
-T.J. Ford is trying to become the Steve Nash of Canada. Is that blasphemous?
-Kevin Martin will get plenty of Most Improved Player votes at the end of the season.

NBA's stealth contenders [SI]
Five teams that rarely find themselves atop the list of preseason favorites to win the title.
But why not the Nets, Rockets, Clippers, Wizards or Pacers?

Why I hate the Mavs more with every passing day [usatoday]
Don Nelson started the revival of the Dallas Mavericks that culminated in the franchise's first trip to the NBA finals this past summer. So when the club unveiled a banner Monday night honoring its Western Conference championship, it was only fitting that Nellie was there to watch — even if it was from the opposing team's bench.

The Mavs started their season on Nov 1st, but decided to unveil the banner yesterday, when the GSW visited. I'm glad Nellie answered in a classier way, with the win.

What's with Dallas and their timeout problems? [contracostatimes]
A game marked by two ejections, a flagrant foul against Warriors guard Monta Ellis and other assorted chippiness came down to a wild sequence in which the Mavericks missed one 3-pointer, then failed to get another one off while acting coach Del Harris frantically gestured at midcourt for a timeout that never came.

Korver lighting it up [usatoday]
•He's shooting 57.6% from the field (19-for-33).
•He's a perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line.
•He's making three three-pointers a game and converting 81.8% of his attempts (9-for-11).

Brad Miller out for 4 weeks [usatoday]
The 7-foot Miller, a three-time All-Star, played for the U.S. national team at the world championships in Japan this summer. He was diagnosed with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot Monday after the injury limited his playing time on the Kings' road trip last week.

15 years since Magic Johnson was diagnosed with HIV [foxsports]

M

Hollinger looks at early season trends

John Hollinger, the father of the Player Efficiency Rating (PER) has analyzed early trends this season in his article in the nysun. He does a good job of putting the early season statistics in perspective.

The highlights:

- Phoenix's Boris Diaw, for instance, is obviously not in basketball shape (in the spirit of seeing the glass half-full, let's just say he's "bulked up").That's going to be an issue for the Suns all season, not just in their 1–3 start.

- Rockets fans are bothered byTracy McGrady's early-season struggles, but check out his career stats and you'll notice a pattern here. The guy struggles every November, so seeing him get out of the gate so slowly this year shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

- Similarly, the strong starts by Portland's Zach Randolph and Seattle's Ray Allen shouldn't come as a big shock to those in the know — we've seen this movie before.

- I use a measure called "Pace Factor" to track how many possessions each team uses in a 48-minute game. Last year, the average was 92.94; this year it's all the way up to 95.83.

M

Toronto wanted Marcus Williams

The topic of the Suns passing on both their picks in the 2006 draft has been done to death. But nothing is too dead to bring up for a revaluation. The most pressing need for the Suns this season was a backup PG for Nash. Coach Antoni had stubbornly persisted with Leandro Barbosa till last season, with very poor results.

The guys in this year's draft I was hoping the Suns would use their No. 21 and 27 picks were Marcus Williams, Jordan Farmar, Sergio Rodriguez, Sefolosha and to a lesser extent Rajon Rondo. For some reason, the Suns were not too keen on Marcus, Farmar and Rondo. The rap on Marcus and Rondo was their lack of athleticism and shooting ability respectively. Having gone to a Big East school I had seen Marcus play felt this kid really had it in him to be a future Suns PG. Almost the entire NBA went with body fat % and other such stupid numbers as indicators of Marcus' lack of potential and he slid all the way to 22nd in the draft where the Nets lapped him up.

Ultimately we did pick Rondo and Rodriguez, only to trade one of them to Boston and sell the other to Portland.

I saw a link to this very interesting war room video in basketballjones [via truehoop]. Apparently Bryan Colangelo was bullish on Marcus Williams and tried very hard to acquire him. Check this video out to watch Bryan Colangelo grapple to get Marcus.



M

Million dollar buttocks

OK, Suns faithful -- we've lost two in a row now and our record stands at 1-3. So what? Now, how often have the Suns had a strong start to a season? That's right. The Clippers are a premier team in the West and they literally molested us in Staples Center. The Suns are still trying to figure out a number of things - substitutions, lineups to use, the new Amare, the fat Diaw and so on.
That's it! I'm done trying to sound all reassured about this team.

By now, everyone must have noticed the marked Steatopygia in Diaw. Who stuffed his 45 million dollars in his derriere? Or is it 45M worth of croissants and donuts? Somebody needs to get on his ass and stop him before his badonkadonk becomes a distraction.

Memo to Donut Diaw
In light of your newly enlarged gluteus maximus, we would like to bring to your notice the fact that the spot of 'fat ass' in the frontcourt has already been taken by Kurt Thomas. Further, considering that our hitherto dominant Amare is playing like a pussy (thanks to a few holes drilled in his knees), we request that you work your posterior back into shape or Coach D'Antoni will have to resort to scare-tactics like starting three 6 footers, further disgracing this ball club.

Memo to Kurt Thomas
In light of Diaw's enlarged rear quarter, we would like to warn you that there is renewed interest and hence competition for the starting 'fat ass' position. We would also like to remind you that though you stand 6'9" tall, you are required to get your leaden feet off the ground to collect rebounds as opposed to standing at the post and lapping up uncontested rebounds all the time. Also, please practice what is called in basketball parlance as dunking. Its a disgrace to have your shot blocked in the dying minutes of two games in a row.

Memo to Coach D'Antoni
Until we see any signs of an attempt by your team to play DEFENSE, you will be referred to as Antoni.
Please, PLEASE start running the pick and roll with Nash and Amare.

Memo to Amare
Quit playing like a wuss. If your current playing style continues, we will be forced to replace your 'Black Jesus' tattoo with the words 'Black Burke'.

M

Jalen signs with the Suns

Alright! The self proclaimed "Rose that grew from the concrete" has agreed to play with the Phoenix Suns this season. Got to say this is great news. Granted, I had my doubts about this signing a few days back but if D'Antoni thinks Rose is going to be good on this team, he must be right. My main concern was Jalen's defense and whether he'd jell with this team but the more I think about it, those doubts fade further away.

If you're not so sure about the Jalen signing, read on:
1. Jalen's main reason for joining the Suns is to revive his career a 'la Tim Thomas and I'm sure he will do what is needed to improve his stock. If that means he will have to be a good locker room presence and play some decent D, he's going to make sure he gets the job done.

2. Jalen's played 12 years in the league and hasn't won a championship ring. He will defer gladly to the younger guys if that means he can get a ring finally. Hey, Gary Payton himself played a limited role without begrudging the young guns like D Wade.

3. Its been several years since Jalen played on a winning team. He will definitely lap up the winning culture in Phoenix.

Welcome on board, Jalen!

M

Raja's basketball diaries

Highlights from Raja Bell's latest journal on ESPN.

His best buddies - Nash, LB, Sen. Burke :
the guys I took with me are the ones that I click with pretty well and roll to dinner with, so when I was able to get four tickets, those are the guys I invited.

On Andrew Bynum:
He's a great young player who, like most big men, shoots a very high percentage, but I was most impressed with his passing out of the triangle offense. Young guys, and especially 7-foot-plus young guys, aren't usually able to pass with such a deft touch, but he's got that down.

Suns are Piranhas:
I think Elton Brand used the word "Piranhas" when he talked about our pace offensively, and he's right.

Back to School:
Something else I've been hitting hard is the books. Yup, I've decided to go back to school. I just got the results back on my midterm from my Religious Analysis class, and I did pretty well, scoring an 87.

On how he met his wife:
..they told me she had a man.
It's kind of corny, but at that point, I was like, "Yeah, right! We'll see about that." Sure enough, she broke up with that guy and we've been together ever since, 10 years now, and got married in August '04.
Sorry, pal, wherever you are.

M

Suns close to signing Rose

The EVT is reporting that the Suns are close to signing Jalen Rose, who was waived by the New York Knicks earlier this week. [full story]

Apparently piqued by the opportunity to play in the Suns' up-tempo system, veteran Jalen Rose was on the verge of signing a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns Thursday night.NBA sources said the deal would likely be completed by the end of the night.

Is he a good pickup? What better validation for a player than Isiah Thomas not wanting a player (Tim Thomas, 2006 No.2 pick.....)? I see the positives of this potential signing but how can we be sure that Rose will not impact the chemistry negatively?

Will he develop the willingness to pass the ball around when he doesn't have a good look?
Will D'Antoni be able to get him to buy into the team philosophy?
He's always had the reputation of being a malcontent -- that's a well known fact.

On the flip side, Jalen is signing with the Suns for just one year and is in effect playing for a contract. Tim Thomas - one of the biggest underachievers in the NBA, came out of his slothful shell to play like a dream last season. There is a chance that Jalen would do the same. There's just one difference though, and it bothers me - Jalen will be 34 in Jan. TT will be just 30 around the same time.

If Jalen works out well in Phoenix, we'll have Isiah to thank. As part of the Eddy Curry trade late in 2005 he sent TT to Chicago where Timmy was quickly released. TT then made his way to PHX earlier this year and had that great playoff run.

The fact that D'Antoni likes him enough to bring him in, is comforting though, and so long as he can rein in Rose I'm happy.

GO SUNS!

M

Nash gone nuts

yoo hoo! Here is the video of Nash getting super goofy while arguing an out of bounds call. This clip has only half of his performance but its good enough.



M

Suns vs Clippers - Nice Comeback

Finally a win. I was tired of the string of preseason losses followed by the LA fiasco. It was time to play Suns basketball and the entire team showed up. Two-time MVP Steve Nash had a solid game, finishing with 20 pts, 11 assts.

The Clippers started the game off real quick, surging to a 10-3 lead. The Suns responded well to make a 6-0 run. It was nice to see some hustle after that slow-as-molasses showing against the Lakers. Amare checked in at 7:30 and proved to be the difference (who would have thought!). He got some early touches and converted on each of his first four shots in the Q. He started with two reverse layups, followed up with a banked jumper and closed the quarter with a turnaround jumper. The two reverse layups would've been monster slams two yrs back but who the hell cares, so long as he's scoring! I should add it was nice to see some soft touch from Black Jesus.

The Suns packed the paint making it tough for the Clippers to score inside and finished the quarter with a 24-20 lead. Kurt Thomas did a fairly decent job on Brand early on but IIRC, he did not jump once during the game (OK I was exaggerating, but show me some hops - you're a freakin' NBA baller!).

Super-Small Ball
D'Antoni had ridiculously some lineups in the game at times. At one point in the first quarter, he played a 3 guard lineup - Banks, Nash, Barbosa - along with Amare and Marion. Yes - Banks and Nash played together. I'd imagine it was to get Banks some time alongside Nash to let him see first-hand how the maestro runs the show. Banks had a pretty ordinary outing as a PG last night but scored efficiently finishing with 13 points on 4-6 shooting. Not bad, considering how he struggled in the preseason. Banks had only 1 assist in 15 mins on the floor but Barbosa made up for that with 4 assists. I guess, Barbosa just needs to be told he isn't the backup PG and he'll do a good job of dishing!

Kurt's night out
Kurt Thomas had a horrible night after the refs started to go after him for so much as breathing Brand's air. He got called for laying in a shot even as Brand almost fouled him. Just a few secs later, he got called again for grabbing a loose ball ahead of Brand. This time KT totally lost it and slammed the ball to the floor, getting called for a T. Can't blame him for that! He fouled out of the game in the 4th Q, having played just 12 mins in the game.
The bright side : We got out-rebounded just by eight, 44-52 in a game w/o much help from KT.

Nash's huge and goofy second half
Stevie had a monster second half, as he decided to take over the game. He had 17 pts and 8 assts in just the second half. Sometime in the 4th Q, the refs made an incorrect call as the ball went out of bounds through Brand's legs (brushing them on the way), as Marion and Brand battled for possession. In trying to remonstrate with the officials Nash did possibly the weirdest, goofiest of his career. The following account doesn't do justice to how outrageously funny his performance was:
Nash had this look like he was saying 'ooohhhhhhhhhhh' and pointing his hands in one direction, squatting like he's defending moving sideways all the while -- only he was doing this after the ball went out and was facing the sideline as he did this.
Even the commentators couldn't hold back their laughter as they played the clip over and over.

Marion goes berserk with his blocks
Marion played the second half like a mad man. He was excellent on defense and scored like he always does, finishing with 27/10. At the 10:30 mark in the 3rd Q, he blocked Kaveman Kaman (couldn't resist that, sorry) two times successively as Kaman tried in vain to make his shot. The defensive work from Marion was easily the second biggest highlight of the night, coming a close second to Nash's theatrics.

Brand contained (so to speak)
EB had scored 30+ points against the Suns in the past 9 games. Last night he was "contained" to to 28 points, thanks to some decent defense.

Positives from the game

• Banks had a decent shooting night
• James Jones finally connected on a 3 pointer
• We shot 52% from the field
• We held the Clips to 42% shooting
• We outscored the Clips in the paint (!) 48-30
• Won despite horrendous 3 pt shooting : 27%

M

Suns vs Lakers highlight video

Amare's monster dunk against the Lakers



If you missed the Suns game against the Lakers, you might want to check this out.

Suns vs Lakers - sluggish start

Blast! That was a pretty lousy game to start the season. Nash led the Suns out of the gate to play a killer first quarter when they scored 41 points on 17/22 (77%) shooting. The ball movement was great, the defense (esp at the low post) was impressive - it was Suns' basketball at its best. Steve Nash had 7 assists in the first quarter alone. Amare showed a few flashes of his old self with a monster slam. This was the last we'd see of the Suns for the rest of the game.

The following picture sums up the rest of the game better than anything else. The Lakers had the Suns by the balls.



Lakers take over
To the Lakers' credit, they took over the game starting the second period. They pounded the ball in for easy layups, grappled for rebounds and played like their lives depended on every possession. Lamar Odom seems to reserve himself for the Suns. I don't know if its his rivalry with Marion, who was drafted the same year as him or just plain hatred for the Suns. He turns into a monster at the boards, unleashes his arsenal in the low post and puts the icing on the top with a flurry of three pointers every time he plays the Suns.

Bynum
But Andrew Bynum? This 19 yr old kid was starting for the first time in his career and the Suns let him run all over them. He spent the whole of last season getting tutored by Kareem Abdul Jabbar and boy, has he picked up fast. He showed poise at the basket, never gave up and completely dominated the defensive boards. He finished with impressive numbers - 18/9.

Asleep at the boards
Rebounding was completely absent from the Suns. There was zero interior presence on both ends and they finished the game getting out-rebounded 35-51. I wonder if the Suns had any second chance points as they stayed out of the paint like it was a snake pit or something. Nothing says 'the Suns are losing' better than watch Marion jack up his ugly jumpers from three point land. He was content camping out, waiting for the ball instead of crashing the boards for offensive rebounds.

The biggest disappointment was Boris Diaw who looked listless throughout the 29 minutes he played. He was slow-as-molasses and looked uninterested in what was going on around him. He has a reputation of being an easy going guy but its time he started playing with a fire befitting the $9M paycheck he takes home.

The Clippers visit the Suns tonight. Hope the Suns put up a better showing.

M