Thoughts from the Valley of the Suns
Adam Maynes – Site Editor
Suns win 113-111 in overtime!
Seriously! Which team is the real Suns?
The team that can bust open a 15 point lead on just about anybody not from Oakland or Cleveland? Or are they the team that cannot hold a lead and no matter how hot they are in the third quarter, the fourth quarter scares them like a creaky noise in the dark?
I love winning and I love seeing the Suns pull off gritty wins, but my goodness, wouldn’t it be nice to play a team who the Suns are either better than or equal to and pull out a win without nearly as much drama and intrigue?
I don’t know what turning the corner would look like with the Suns because they are still far away from being a complete team. But these past four games have been a lot of fun to watch because they finally look like they are developing an identity, something that they have fundamentally been lacking thus far.
Maybe their identity is let the stars do what they do well, and get out of their way.
Eric Bledsoe, who had never scored 30+ points in back-to-back games until the past two games, scored 31. (Maybe HE is turning the corner?)
Bledsoe also dished out 8 assists – the third straight game he has reached that as a minimum. His season high is only 10, which he recorded against Minnesota on November 25. This isn’t entirely his fault as the offense does get a little stagnant in the half court and he isn’t always in control as the facilitator – especially when the team needs him to score. But I still believe that if the Suns had a low-post scoring presence, and a player like Devin Booker could be counted on regularly to nail 3-5 three’s, then his assist numbers would easily reach 10 on a regular basis.
Tyson Chandler had a huge game tallying his second straight double-double scoring 13 points and grabbing 23 rebounds. Tonight was the second straight game where he recorded 20+ rebounds, after 21 against New Orleans on Sunday. Tyson is the only player in Suns history to accomplish that feat, and he has done it twice. (On January 21 against San Antonio and then on January 23 against Atlanta, Chandler grabbed 20 and 27 rebounds.)
If Chandler played between 33-37 minutes every night, he would probably record 20+ rebounds very regularly and may even be able to lead the league in the statistic. Tonight though was only the sixth game of the season that he has played over 30 minutes (Alex Len was absent) and in each of those he reached double figure rebounding including an 18 rebound night, 15, 21, and now tonight’s 23.
Devin Booker was a no show again on offense, scoring 12 points on only 3 of 16 shooting. His 18.8% shooting from the field was the second worst of his career as a starter, behind only a 1-8, 12.5% game against Oklahoma City last season on February 8.
P.J. Tucker’s 13 points and 7 rebounds pale in comparison to the defense that he put on Carmelo Anthony who finished with only 13 points on 3-15 shooting. Granted Kristaps Porzingis was nearly unstoppable with 34 points and Kyle O’Quinn fought off a sprained ankle to score 22 points and nab 14 rebounds off the bench, had Carmelo had a ‘Carmelo’ kind of night, the Suns would have never been able to stay in it, let alone win.
Finally, rookie Marquese Chriss had the best game of his young career recording his first double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. He even threw in one block and one steal for good measure.
This was only one game for a player who averages only 6.4 points and 3.0 rebounds a night so I do not want to get too high on it, but it was very nice to see one of the rookies step up the way he did against New York. Granted, Bender has been relegated to standing in the corner on offense (I dare any Suns fan to show that that has not become his designated role: run down to the corner in transition and stand there and wait for the ball if it ever comes) so his offensive capabilities are very limited by his positioning. Plus Tyler Ulis is stuck playing behind Brandon Knight who, while he is nothing more than a decent roll playing scorer off the bench for the Suns, he must play as much as possible for trade considerations in the near future.
Next up is San Antonio on Thursday. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Spurs only bring their bench and an air pump for the balls that he Suns supply, but it will be a tough – and fun – match-up regardless.
There was a brief skirmish in the third quarter between Marquese Chriss and Kristaps Porzingis ending in technicals for each, a flagrant one for Chriss (let us all be honest, this was entirely his doing) as well technicals as for Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Jennings (why the guards got techs, I honestly do not know). There was some jawing at one another, pushing and shoving, and nobody left the bench. Just your regular old NBA ‘fight.’
However, I couldn’t help but recall and reminisce about the great Suns v Knicks fight of 1993, a game I happened to be at and remember vividly.
Since it is always nice to bring this video up at least once a year, here it is, for your viewing pleasure.
Suns Head Coaching Trivia Question
Tonight was Jeff Hornacek’s first game as a Head Coach against the Phoenix Suns. He is the 8th former head coach in Suns history to have coached against the Suns following the end of their tenure in Phoenix.
What is the overall record of the other seven head coaches (including games played this season, though not including tonight’s matchup between the Suns and Knicks) in games against the Phoenix Suns AFTER they left the franchise?
*For additional clarification, this does not include head coaching experience prior to coaching the Suns, and does include all of Cotton Fitzsimmons head-to-head matchups after 1972 and before 1988.
Next: Suns Head Coaching Trivia Answer
Nov 30, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek looks on during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Knicks defeated the Timberwolves 106-104. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Suns Head Coaching Trivia Answer
The Answer is: 52-83
Cotton Fitzsimmons (25-35)ATLANTA HAWKS – 1972-76 – 8-8BUFFALO BRAVES – 1977-78 – 0-4KANSAS CITY KINGS – 1978-84 – 11-19SAN ANTONIO SPURS – 1984-86 – 6-4
Bill van Brenda Kolff (5-7)NEW ORLEANS JAZZ – 1974-77 – 5-7
John MacLeod (6-5)DALLAS MAVERICKS – 1987-89 + 11 games in 1989-90 – 6-3NEW YORK KNICKS – 1990-91 beginning with game 16 – 0-2
Paul Westphal (5-9)SEATTLE SUPERSONICS 1998-00 + 15 games in 2000-01 – 2-4SACRAMENTO KINGS 2009-11 + 7 games in 2011-12 – 3-5
Scott Skiles (2-15)CHICAGO BULLS – 2003-07 + 25 games in 2007-08 – 1-6MILWAUKEE BUCKS – 2008-12 + 32 games in 2012-13 – 1-7ORLANDO MAGIC – 2015-16 – 0-2
Mike D’Antoni (6-9)NEW YORK KNICKS – 2008-11 + 42 games in 2011-12 – 3-4LOS ANGELES LAKERS 2012-14 – 3-5
Alvin Gentry – 2013 (3-3)NEW ORLEANS PELICANS – 2015- Present – 3-3
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