Evil Will Always Triumph Because Good is Dumb

The Suns yet again found a way to lose tonight to the hated Spurs. After playing a rough and tumble, intense 40 or so minutes, the Suns allowed the turnover/stupidity bug to rear it's ugly head and take a bite out of their collective asses.

Missing a whopping 17 free throws won't win a team any playoff games and neither will three consecutive turnovers with under three minutes to go.

All this rumbling about Coach D being without a job is at least for tonight, nonsense. Tonight's game was lost on the court, not the sidelines.

When your starting center can't make a free throw or even a layup to save his life and your two-time MVP point guard isn't able to throw the ball in the ocean or keep it in his hands, it has nothing to do with the coach.

This one is not on Coach D.

It's on Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal.

D'Antoni's Last Stand

You'll have to forgive me, I listened to some talk radio this morning. It was not my intention, I was choosing some music for my listening pleasure on the way to work when I heard Steve Kerr's familiar voice on KTAR 620 discussing the Suns and their showing in the playoffs thus far.

As the subject matter switched to Coach D'Antoni's future I couldn't help but listen intently.

When asked about this report in today's New York Post and if he had a message for Donnie Walsh and the Knicks, Kerr did anything but jump to D'Antoni's defense. Instead, he made it clear that what was important was the "task at hand," the playoff series with the Spurs.

Everything else, players, coaches, philosophy would be evaluated at the end of the season during exit meetings.

This wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement for D'Antoni's future.

Now, Kerr did say that D'Antoni was under contract for the next two years and that he and D'Antoni had discussed the hot seat they were under but again, he made it clear evaluations would be made at the end of the year.

I got the feeling in listening to Kerr that D'Antoni was on a short leash and that if the defensive intensity wasn't there again tonight, there would be hell to pay.

None of this is really breaking news but it was interesting hearing it from the horse's mouth for the first time. For D'Antoni to continue coaching the Suns, it sure as heck seems he'll need to make a philosophical change and actually put some time in coaching defense. Step one is tonight.

Why Yes, I'd Love a Glass of Ice Cold Kool-Aid

What's that you say? Boris Diaw will continue to play like a man possessed and Raja Bell will stay half as hot as he was today? Black Jesus will come back with a vengeance and Nash will look to shoot down the stretch? The defensive intensity will be off the charts in the last three games of the series?

I like what I'm hearing. Pour me another glass. Say, got any vodka?

What's Not to Like?

I woke up Saturday morning on the wrong side of the bed. The Suns pathetic effort in Game 3 put me in such a foul mood Friday night it carried over to Saturday morning.

For now, the dark cloud has been lifted. Thank you Boris Diaw and Raja Bell. Thank you for the newfound defensive intensity, Suns. Thank you for channeling Coach Norman Dale and getting run for motivational reasons, Coach D.

Clearly, the odds are against the Suns coming back and winning this series but at least they avoided the sweep today and in the process showed the Spurs what they're really capable of. It's of course frustrating it took an embarrassing Game 3 loss for this kind of effort to occur but Im happy with the win nonetheless.

Too little too late to be sure, but still a very good Sunday afternoon.

Nothing Left to Play for but Pride

Listen, I'm a realist. The chances of the Suns coming back from a 3-0 deficit are slim to none.

What they can do is win a game (or two) to at least make the Spurs sweat and work a little bit to get out of the first round.

Unfortunately, after watching their first quarter performance and complete and utter lack of urgency during the bulk of this embarrassing game, I wonder if they even have the heart to make Game 4 competitive.

It's late, I'm tired, I'm angry. Time to take the easy way out and rattle off some bullet points:

-thanks for showing up LB. At least someone in a white jersey did.

-Steve Nash looked old, slow and indecisive tonight. Not a good game for him to play so terribly.

-step aside Michael Jordan. There's a new cat at the top of the best player ever list and his name is Tony Parker. At least it seems that way the last couple of games. Phoenix Suns defense...it's fantastic!

-Hack-a-Shaq worked to perfection tonight. Pretty interesting that he was called for lane violations half a dozen times, wonder if a Spurs discussion with the league office had anything to do with it.

-I hate life right now.

The Suns Leadership Vacuum

Michael from Bright Side of the Sun was good enough to participate in a discussion with me today on a number of topics. Here's how I started things off:

"The Suns put together an almost historically brutal 3rd quarter against the Spurs in the second game of their first-round playoff series. If it weren't for Shaq making his free throws and rendering Hack-a-Shaq useless, the Suns are lucky to total double digits in those forgettable 12 minutes.

Clearly, this was the turning point of the game, as the Spurs were able to once again dig out of a hole, throwing the Suns into a hole of their own in the process.

Who's to blame?

It's been suggested Amare's disappearance is reason #1 the Suns failed to close the deal in Game 2 but I beg to differ. I realize he hit just two shots in the second half (a tip-in and a meaningless 3-pointer in the last minute of the game) but there was quite a bit more going on in this contest than Amare dominating in the first half and being kept in check in the second.

The Suns as a whole came out sloppy and with a lack of focus in the second half, whereas the Spurs regained their focus and made effective adjustments on both ends of the court. Nash had just one assist after the intermission. In the 4th quarter Coach D gave the Spurs a steady diet of an inefficient Boris Diaw on the block (note to Coach D: Boris exploits big men much better than he does small, as he can outquick them. We all know power isn't Boris' game.) And again, Amare couldn't hit water falling out of a boat.

The entire Suns squad stunk it up in that third quarter, not just Amare. As we all know, when the Suns are going good, it's incredibly fun to watch. When they're not firing on all cylinders, it doesn't get much uglier. Every cylinder misfired, not just the Black Jesus model."

Bright Side of the Sun:

Michael's original post
Gimlet (gim•let): 1. A small tool with a screw point, grooved shank, and cross handle for boring holes

Gimlet-eyed: 1. Sharp-sighted; 2. Having a piercing stare

The Phoenix Suns cannot let a 2-0 hole get them down. It is ugly, yes, but they must, in fact, refuse to acknowledge that the is even a hole there. In fact, they should see right through it to the prize on the other side.

We have seen our worst enemy and it is not Tim Duncan or Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili or the myriad easy looks at the hoop they got. It's not Bruce Bowen's occasionally dirty defense or Michael Finley's sudden rejuvenation. The real enemy is the Phoenix Suns themselves. This is true now. It has been true the last 3 years. And it will be true again if they do not face themselves down. It is Leandro Barbosa going 0-7. It is Shaquille O'Neal losing his man on the break for an easy 2. It is Steve Nash insisting on going behind the back in the lane because he is not taking the shots the Spurs give him. It is Boris Diaw, failing to convert 4 straight shots over mismatches in the lane. It's Mike D'Antoni, not drawing up plays to get Nash or Stoudemire the ball when the game is on the line. (Via Hardwood Paroxysm.) It is Amare Stoudemire, not realizing that an MVP does more than score 30 points a night. Hell, 'Nique did that and how many rings did he get?

You know who it's not? Raja Bell going 2-7 and grabbing 5 rebounds. Those stats belie that fact that he plays his guts out every night and takes care of business. Some nights the shots fall and others they don't, but he never forgets who he is and what he is supposed to do once he takes the court. Most importantly, I don't think he forgets why he's out there. He's not there to beat the Spurs. Raja Bell has gimlet eyes. He doesn't see Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker. He sees the ring on the other side of them.

Steve Nash has gimlet eyes but facilitates instead of dominates. Amare Stoudemire confuses gimlet eyes with with thundering, but ultimately meaningless dunks. Shaquille O'Neal has gimlet eyes, but no longer has the skills to carry a team. Barbosa never had them (let's face this: The Suns have a Sixth Man, the Spurs have a Sixth Hombre.) Diaw can't find them and D'Antoni can't coach them.

The Spurs have them in spades. Pop knows what he is doing. His boys got ice in their veins. His boys got discipline. His boys got execution. What his boys don't got is nerves. His boys don't see their opponents and can't be rattled by them. They see the gold and the glory that is past them and keep on marching.

And let me tell you, it does not do the Phoenix Suns a lick of good for Raja Bell to have gimlet eyes when the rest of them do not. Steve Nash will find his, if D'Antoni lets him. I don't worry about him.

Amare Stoudemire, though, I call you out. You want to be MVP? You want to get your foot in that door? Then turn that 25 point first half into a 50 point game. Refuse to lose. Lead. This. Team. Realize that a final score is more important than a box score. Nash might be the quarterback, but it's your turn to be the general. Nash says he is passing the torch to you . And when (or perhaps, if) you claim that torch, you have no choice but to lead your team from darkness of disappointment to the light of a championship or let it burn your hand off trying. Lead. This. Team. Kevin Garnett has them (and we could have had him!). You'll have to pry a ring from his cold dead hand. You want your name mentioned with his? Be like him. Lead. This. Team.

Right now, the championship goes through San Antonio, and eventually through Boston. Make it go through you. You are gifted. Freakishly gifted. You've got the potential to be Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp and Charles Barkley rolled into one. And that's great, if you don't mind never winning a ring. But if you want to hold the Larry O'Brien, you've got to channel Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson. Contest everything; concede nothing. This is your series, STAT, your legacy. If averaging 30 a night is your goal, then do us all a favor and hang that "Mission Accomplished" banner already. But if being the best, if truly being Number 1 is your goal, then find your gimlet eyes and see through the highlights and the numbers to your destiny behind them. KG sees it this year. And as I said, you will have to pry that ring from his cold dead hand. My question is do you have it in you to make him or anyone else pry it from yours?

Black Jesus Disciples:

Well hell, Michael, you're preaching to the choir on this one. You're right, Amare needs to grab the proverbial bull by the horns and wrestle it to the ground. He needs to take the next step as a leader and put this team on his back and lead them to victory. Amare has to dig deep and set the tone at both ends of the floor if this team is to climb out of the hole they've put themselves in.

Let's go ahead and swap Amare with KG for a moment then, as he's the gold standard for leadership and certified insanity on the hardwood. Do the Suns score 11 points in the third quarter with KG on the floor? Do Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli continue to get easy buckets at the rim with KG patrolling the paint?

It's fair to say a leader like KG would prevent the situation from becoming so dire but when a team crashes and burns as badly as the Suns did in that pivotal third quarter, General Patton could be running the point and it wouldn't matter.

What would you have Amare do?

Bright Side of the Suns:

It's true, the Suns as a whole melted down. Leandrinho can't be going 0-7 against the Heat in the first game of the season, much less in a Game 2 vs. the Spurs and if the Suns are going to give it to Boris to exploit a mismatch, then he better deliver.

Here's where I think the KG insanity would come into play. KG is constantly, constantly, in the face, ear, or up the ass of his teammates from wire to wire. If he's on the floor, he's congratulating, encouraging, or putting the fear of God into the likes of Rajon Rondo and Leon Powe. From the bench, he's like Mark Madsen, but you know, with the ability to play NBA basketball. It's not simply the focus of his intensity, it's the infectiousness of it and his willingness to spread it like that monkey in "Outbreak." I don't see any of this from Stoudemire.

He's now in his 6th year (5th if you want to write off the microfracture season) as a pro. He may not have the gravitas or experience of a KG, but he would certainly do well to show some of the fire in the belly. Maybe next year he makes The Leap. But these are the times when leaders rise to the occasion.

So to answer your question, would the Suns score 11 points in the 3rd quarter with KG? Maybe, but the difference would be that the Suns would have been inspired to hold the Spurs to less than 27.

So, back at you, if the blame does not rest entirely with STAT, what player or aspect of their game do the Suns need a boost from so the load isn't on Amare?

Black Jesus Disciples:

You're absolutely right, Amare hasn't shown a fraction of the fire KG does on the court. To be honest, I'm not so sure he has the huevos to lead in that fashion. Not many do. Only a select few in the basketball world are as batshit crazy as KG.

If the Leap were to occur in the next four games, the timing would be impeccable. To channel Rage Against the Machine:

"It has to start somewhere, It has to start sometime
What better place than here, what better time than now?"

No one wants to see STAT drop 50 on Duncan and Co. more than I do. He's definitely capable but to do so he needs the ball in his hands. It's no coincidence he put up 25 in the first half when he was the first option on offense. I didn't see that in the second half.

Chalk it up to lockdown defense from the Spurs, place the blame on Coach D for not making adjustments, but when arguably the best player on the court suddenly becomes the third option on offense, it's increasingly difficult for that player to take over a game.

This is probably the point where you're thinking "fine, for whatever reason, things aren't happening on the offensive end, affect the outcome of the game in a different manner. Rebound the damn ball! Make it impossible for your man to put the ball in the basket!"

It's something we're all waiting for from Amare. The Leap we're discussing doesn't just entail leadership qualities, it's becoming the total package and exerting maximum effort in all aspects of the game. On this point we can only continue to wait and hope.

As for who needs to step up or who should carry the load, I'll again point the finger to the team as a whole. Take a look at our opposition. Duncan was his usual steady, consistent, annoying self in Game 1 and the Spurs took the win due to his contributions and the two-headed monster that is Tony Parker/Manu Ginobli. However, what can't be forgotten, is Brent Barry coming off the bench and drilling a three, or Michael Finley suddenly catching fire in the 4th quarter.

These guys don't panic. Think about Game 2 as another example. They come out of the half, suddenly figure it out on defense, get Finley immediately involved and ride that wave of success to victory.

The Suns on the other hand looked disjointed and well, panicky, because what worked so well in the first half simply wasn't working anymore. TNT cut to Coach D mic'd up and caught him screaming "don't panic guys! Don't panic!" Unfortunately, they did just that, with Coach D ignoring his own advice as well.

Boris Diaw on the block a dozen times in a row? Going away from the 4th quarter bread and butter of the Amare/Nash pick and roll, that's panic. Steadfastly refusing to trap San Antonio's pick and roll or go underneath, that's panicking.

Rather than following Coach D's lead and just believing they're the better team despite being down 0-2, this team needs to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop, get the Spurs out of their kitchen, and just friggin' do it.

So after all that babbling, I've only somewhat answered your question and in the process strengthened your point for the need of a Suns leader. I know it sure as hell isn't Coach D (at least at this point) and Shaq seems to be content to lead only when the team is winning.

So why not our two-time MVP, Steve Nash? Doesn't he set the tone for the team? Shouldn't he lead by example? Doesn't the team catch fire when he looks for his shot?

Bright Side of the Sun:

I couldn't agree with you more on the panic factor. This is probably where a healthy Grant Hill would have helped. Another veteran floor leader and go-to guy would have mitigated a lot of the poor decision making on offense.

Admittedly, I've been pretty easy on Nash. The Sixty Million Dollar Man was absolutely smothered by Bruce Bowen in the second half. Until Amare makes The Leap, he's the guy that needs to get the No-Effing-Way-We're-Losing-This-Game Face. I would have preferred to see him looking for his own shot rather than trying to get Amare going with those 3 behind-the-back-in-traffic passes that resulted in turnovers. Or I would have liked to see him sacrifice some of the flash and subterfuge in order to insure a completion to Amare as a way of saying, "Here's the ball, now show'em what you got." But there is no denying that when Nash finds his shot, it has a way of inspiring the rest of the team (I'm looking at you, Raja Bell.).

But back to my point with Amare. He opened his mouth about being an MVP candidate without having much of a resume beyond STATs to back it up. If he wants a seat at the table, now is the time to earn it. Chris Paul, in his 2nd year, is demonstrating more leadership than Amare, and for that matter, Steve Nash. And, while I'm at it, where's Shaq in all this? I know, he's The Big Role Player now, but isn't championship poise (Oh, man, I can't wait for Bill Walton to start calling games) one of the reasons they brought him in? And, of course, Coach D is great at coaching his system, but is routinely out-adjusted by Popovich

The Suns have a leadership vacuum right now and no one seems to be (visibly) stepping up to fill it. And until they do, I think we can expect to see more stretches in games where they seem to be rudderless and overwhelmed. I'm challenging Amare to make it his team now, and I think the Suns should as well.

Black Jesus Disciples

Michael, thanks again for participating in the discussion. It's abundantly clear the Suns needs a shot in the arm of some sort if they're to do the unthinkable and win this series over the hated Spurs. Someone needs to step up. If Amare can make the Leap and do so, we're in great shape. If not, the onus is on the rest of the squad to shake the monkey off their back.

I Admit It...the Spurs are in My Head

It's true. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of the Spurs. They're up there rearranging furniture and there's nothing I can do about it.

I had a fucking nightmare last night that involved me trying to defend Manu Ginobli. If you guessed it ended with him getting to his left and laying it up over my helpless, outstretched arm, you'd be correct.

That's how bad it is for me.

Last night's third quarter was like the scene of Donny's death in The Big Lebowski. Think of me as the Dude, the Spurs as the nihilists and my brain as the Dude's car. "Well, they finally did it, man. They killed my fucking car."



What I realized is when the Suns play the Spurs, I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the Spurs to kill my car. In the past I was confident the Suns would bounce back and do their thing.

Now I'm not so sure. The Spurs are in my head and right now, I don't see the Suns biting off ears or dishing out a boombox beatdown in the near future.



note: my plan was to write about the Suns believing they're the better team and their off the charts confidence level despite being down 2-0, but the Suns' third quarter performance must have infected my computer and as such, I was not able to. Scott Bordow of the East Valley Trib beat me to it this morning.

Amare and Raja Should Really Rock the 'Fros

Via Fanhouse (via SLAM) comes a fantastic Nike commercial with Steve Nash as the Sixty Million Dollar Man, complete with Amare and Raja as the mad scientists behind his existence.

Enjoy.

The Rare Tim Duncan Face

Basketbawful's word of the day is the Tim Duncan Face.

We all know it. We all hate it (I especially despise #2 on their list.)

The Tim Duncan Face I'd really love to see tonight is the one I featured above. The dejected, defeated, and helpless Tim Duncan. The one where he can't get anything going against Shaq. The one where Amare drops dunk after dunk on his head. The one where the Suns win by 50 and the Spurs are back to square one.

Tipoff can't come soon enough.

Ignoring Coach Dale

The Suns blew the game last night. They blew it on multiple occasions. I could list every instance but frankly, I don't have the energy or desire to relive all of it right now. It would be an exercise in unnecessarily raising my blood pressure.

Upon my return from a night out on the town Saturday, I sat down on the couch and tried to think of anything but the Suns game.

I failed miserably.

What bothered me most about the loss was not the decisions to put the ball in the hands of LB and then Boris to win the game. Or the miraculous 3-pointer that Duncan absolutely buried after the Suns inexplicably chose not to put the Spurs on the line to get the ball back with the lead still intact.

It's what looked to be a complete lack of a plan on the defensive end after Nash buried his 3-pointer while falling into the corner.

Instead of Coach D channeling Coach Norman Dale and saying "when Steve makes his shot...and you WILL make your shot, Steve...we will force Manu anywhere but his left and double him when he crosses the 3-point line," we ended up with Raja on an island and Manu hitting a game-winning layup going to his gasp! left.

One guy on the court is going to have the ball in his hands for that moment and he needs to be forced to pass it away. That obviously simplifies things and it's hardly that easy but the game-winning layup from Manu was barely even challenged.

Unfortunately, it was a fitting end to a game full of Suns errors from both the players and especially the head coach.

Friday Links/Predictions Galore

In less than 24 hours the Suns will be tipping off against the Spurs in Game One of the Playoffs. Everyone has on an opinion on who will take the series, and I do mean everyone:

-Brett Edwards of FanHouse sees the Suns triumphing in seven games.

-John Hollinger of ESPN, he of the fancy numbers, has the Suns as the 6th best team in the playoffs with the Spurs a surprising 8th. As such, he predicts the Suns will dispatch Duncan and Co. in six games. Now those are some numbers I can get behind.

-ESPN's main page for this series features picks from JA Adande, Chris Broussard, Chad Ford, the aformentioned John Hollinger, Marc Stein, and David Thorpe.

All but Thorpe are taking the Suns to finish the Spurs off in six.

One other quick note, 64% of ESPN's SportsNation thinks the Spurs will win the series. This makes me happy, because in my experience, I've found at least 64% of the population to be missing what seems to be their frontal lobe.

-not much a fan of Chris Mannix right now. Apparently, Popovich can win the series all by himself, forget the players on the court.

-Marty Burns of SI sees the Spurs homecourt advantage as too much for the Suns to overcome. While this is a valid point, I say PPPFFFFFFTTTT!

-Kenny Smith thinks one Tim Duncan is as good as Amare AND Shaq. Inside the NBA is the best pregame/postgame/halftime show going but let's face it, we don't tune in to hear Kenny's analysis.

-FreeDarko still hasn't accepted the Suns as non-revolutionary and for revenge picks the least revolutionary team in the league to win the series.

-Stan from Bright Side of the Sun lends a hand to Ball Don't Lie and gives half their playoff preview.

I have a feeling if I spent more than twenty minutes searching the web I could find another 100 playoff predictions. I also have a feeling that if I add all these predictions up they'd be split fairly evenly...and wouldn't amount to squat.

I actually think the Suns will win the series in six games but my concern is if a championship isn't won, the disappointment will somehow be less because hey, at least we prevented the stinkin' Spurs from winning another.

This would be unacceptable to me. Here's the dream:

-beat the Spurs
-beat the Mavs
-beat the Lakers
-beat the Celtics
-die and go to heaven

Is It Saturday Yet?

The playoffs cannot get here soon enough. While it was fun watching Sean Marks torch a Trail Blazers team with not much to play for and seeing Jarrett Jack ball his fists in anticipation of fighting Brian Skinner (that would have been fun to watch,) I need the playoffs and I need them now.

82 games of cheering, screaming, hooting, hollering, cursing, hand-wringing, not sleeping, throwing inanimate objects, hating, and loving has all led to this, a 7-game first-round series with the hated San Antonio Spurs.









I'd give a prediction on what I think will occur but I honestly have no idea. While the Suns looked great in taking 3 of 4 from the Spurs this season, the playoffs are whole different story, especially when the matchup is with a 4-time champion.

All I know is this: the Suns have as good a chance as winning the whole thing as anyone. Beating the Spurs in the first round would be a huge step in the right direction.

My Brain Hurts...

I know I'm not the only one. Take a look at all the playoff possibilities for the Suns.

Here's my advice when thinking about this stuff: don't bother. Worry about the Suns getting a victory tonight and increasing their chances for home-court in the first round and nothing else.

That's all the team can control and that's all we Suns fans should be worried about at this point. Whether the Jazz, Rockets or Spurs are in line doesn't matter. Every one of those teams will be an immense challenge to defeat in seven games, popular opinion of the Rockets be damned.

The important thing is ending the season headed in the right direction with a healthy Steve Nash leading the way and a recuperated Grant Hill in the starting five.

Now roll over and play dead, Portland.

The Calm Before the Storm

The Suns got the win last night despite rolling over and playing dead in the 3rd quarter. It's a good thing Baron Davis had too much cake and ice cream last night, otherwise our squad could have been in serious trouble.

Before turning the game on last night, I told myself I wouldn't get upset or too worked up no matter how they played. Much like my goal of becoming a Senator, this was a pipe dream.

When Steven Jackson drilled his second three without so much as a hand in his face, my television surely had visions of my foot crashing through it. Fortunately, the serenity now trick worked (insanity later, I know,) and the Suns did as well.

The defensive effort was turned back on in the fourth quarter and Coach D realized he had the two biggest guys on the court. Sayanora, Nellie.

What worries me about last night's game isn't the Suns defensive lapses, Grant Hill's tender groin, or the fact that Nash doesn't look right at the moment. It's that I was going nuts over what pretty much amounts to be a meaningless regular season game.

With the meltdown against the Mavs and the beatdown at the hands of the Rockets, the Suns were almost assured of NOT gaining home-court for the first round. And since there isn't a good matchup for anyone in the playoffs, a loss last night wouldn't have been the end of the world.

Yet there I was, fuming nonetheless.

If it's like this for an end of the regular season game that doesn't matter much, I should probably just apologize in advance to my wife for future ornery behavior and the broken remote and cordless phone that will be left in my wake.

I wonder if it's too late to get a prescription for Diovan.

Friday Links

The above is from my weekly post at AZ Sports Hub. Read or die!

-Shaq gets ripped by the Miami Herald. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Shaq should have zipped his lips. There's no reason for that stuff and I dread a messy divorce with the Suns in a couple of years.

-via the Sports Guy's links comes the intro to Game 6 of the '93 Finals. I encourage you to watch at least the first couple of minutes and note a few things: 1) the NBA on NBC was the real deal. No one did it better and no one has done it as well since. Best intro music ever. 2) Bob Costas. Smug. 3) instead of thinking of Paxson draining his jumper, focus on how great that Suns team was.

-highly recommended series from Tom Ziller at Fanhouse. Here's the Gorilla explaining why the Suns will win the whole f'ing thing.

-Coro dives in to Nash's season and reminds us just how lucky we are to have him running the point for this squad.

Can you imagine playing H-O-R-S-E with Nash? You could put together the greatest shooting display of your life and he'd still end up with just an H. And that's if you're lucky.

-I haven't seen this t-shirt anywhere, but if I did, I'm guessing the person wearing it would be of the dorky variety.

-Boris gets interviewed by a reporter from Serbia. Nothing really groundbreaking here but I can just see Boris sighing between his nonchalant and indecisive answers.

-more Coro, this time pouring gasoline on the already burning fire of hatred the Valley has for Bruce Bowen.

I loathe him. I despise him. I'm not so sure I'd be upset if his leg snapped in two the next time he played. Via TrueHoop, watch Bowen knee/trip/drill Nash on the last play of this highlight. I hate his f'ing guts.

Great Game, Great Game, Great Game...LAUGHER

The Suns played an almost perfect 24 minutes in the second half, showing the Spurs and the rest of the league what they're truly capable of. I tried not to even speak during their total dismantling of the Spurs, as it seemed almost too good to be true.

What if it isn't? What if they can put together games like that throughout the playoffs?

Quick thoughts:

-Manu - 3-12. Can we officially anoint Raja a Manu stopper?

-Tony Parker had 16 in the first half but ended up scoring just 4 more points. I'm not so sure I'm ready for a basketball reality where Coach D makes defensive adjustments.

-I'm not defending Bruce Bowen's elbow to Amare's chest in the least bit (he's a coward, notice Popovich didn't let him back on the court) but the Suns for the most part made him pay for his physical defense on Nash. Three or four solid picks were set on him, Shaq with a couple and Amare getting in on the action as well. Bowen needs to understand his physical brand of basketball comes with a price.

-Boris dunked this evening. I couldn't be more surprised than if I woke up with my head sewn to the floor.

-I don't know exactly how to record and upload videos to youtube but I'm working on it. If I actually knew what I was doing, the first clip I'd post would be the 3-point play Amare finished by somehow dunking through Tim Duncan's hand.

Duncan met him at the top, blocked it/fouled him, and Amare still slammed it home. No one finishes like Amare. He's unbelievable.

-just 26 free throws in the game tonight. Looks like the officials are gearing up for the playoffs and letting teams play. Last year this would unnerve me but with Shaq now on the squad, Amare playing at power forward and Raja and Giricek staying physical, I'm ready to embrace it.

Not Sleeping, Hating the Spurs

Oh how I despise the San Antonio Spurs. Let me count the ways:

-Bruce Bowen's right foot
-Bruce Bowen's left foot
-Bruce Bowen's right knee
-Tony Parker's music career
-Tony Parker's head/beard/face
-Tim Duncan's matching head/beard/face
-this smug look from Popovich...and that he's somehow uglier without the flat-top
-I'm Manu Ginobli...and I'm not injured in the least bit.
-I'm Manu Ginobli...and I'm a big sissy
-Robert Horry, old, fat, and pathetic
-FOUR fucking titles

Honestly, I could go on all night. There's so much to hate. SO.MUCH.HATE. If the Suns can't pull off a victory tomorrow night, expect the hate to flow freely, the reins to be loosened and the shackles to be removed. For now:

-go F yourselves, San Antonio (it's all we have)

Raja Bell is All That is Man

18 points tonight, with the bulk coming in the 3rd quarter when the Suns were able to pull away a bit from the scrappy Grizzlies.

I'm nuts about Raja. He's an important cog in the Suns machine and they'd be lost without him. I'm so crazy about the guy I look the other way when he gets nicked in the neck by one of the Collins twins and goes down like a sniper just took his head off.

However, my wife takes the cake with the Raja Bell fandom. You could say she has a bit of a thing for the guy. For whatever reason, he's cute and I'm not (maybe has something to do with sucking down High Lifes and cursing at the tv...and money.)

I do have to admit though, if Raja can light the fuse and get hot in the playoffs like he did tonight, I may have to just ditch the wife and kids and shave his head for him every night. Hot, hot stuff. Keep up the good work, Raja. Good work indeed.

Friday Links

Maybe using the word dump in the title of my weekly link post wasn't such a good idea. Any suggestions for something clever and not related to #2?

-there's been a lot of talk lately about Aaron Nelson and his Miyagi-esque ability to heal the Suns veterans. Here's some interesting thoughts on the lack of healing ability the Lakers' training staff has. Pretty damning stuff, couldn't happen to a better team.

-Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated discusses Shaq's health and how he can guide the Suns to a championship. Once again, Aaron Nelson is mentioned a couple of times.

-more Aaron Nelson/Shaq goodness. The video is so good I'll just go ahead and embed it. Can't decide if my favorite part is LB giggling or Shaq getting fresh.



-Basketbawful comes through yet again with the news of a creepy Steve Nash bobblehead/lollipop/demon.



I am speechless. I am without speech.

-Marion has been shut down for the rest of the year by Miami. I'd say "get well" but we all know he isn't actually hurt. More time for Daffy Duck.

-26 technical fouls in the 23 games since Shaq joined the squad. Just play basketball, fellas. I love this team unconditionally but no one likes a bunch of crybabies. The last thing I ever want to see is the Suns rival the Lakers and Spurs in bitching and moaning.

-Shaq running the point. Never leave your feet when passing the ball, big man!

-vote for anyone BUT the Suns bench.

-The Basketball Jones thinks "the Nash" needs to be more assertive on offense and look to shoot more often. I couldn't agree more. It's hard to argue with 51% shooting from the field and 48% from downtown.

Nash has the ability to take over a game (see Nuggets, Denver for the most recent example) and he'll need to do so at least a couple of times this postseason if the Suns are to bring it on home.

-Bright Side of the Sun saw Amare give a lackluster defensive effort in the second Denver game. I'd have to agree, it wasn't his best night on that end of the court.

Thanks again for the link, fellas.

Say it With Me, Joey: "Dan Dan"

Joey Crawford is apparently unfamiliar with Dan D'Antoni:

"When Suns assistant Dan D'Antoni got his first technical foul in three NBA seasons Monday, official Joey Crawford told the scorer, "Technical foul on (Mike) D'Antoni's brother, whatever his name is." He already has more than assistant Phil Weber, who has yet to get one in nine years on the bench."

How hard is it to remember Dan D'Antoni? Dan squared + Tony = Dan D'Antoni. Piece of cake, easier than fighting Tim Duncan.

Are there other nicknames for Dan Dan out there? They don't have the same ring as Dan Dan but Big Brother and Mock Turtle are pretty good as well.

47 Freakin' Free Throws?!!!!

That's right, folks. The Nuggets attempted 47 freebies last night. The Suns? Just 26.

Denver made it a point throughout the game to penetrate and get shots from the paint so a high free throw count isn't all that surprising, but a difference of 21 is pretty staggering.

Look no further than Iverson and Carmelo. Iverson threw himself into defenders all night and was rewarded with 6 trips to the line. Carmelo is bigger, stronger, faster, etc and used it to his advantage, taking 19 total free throws.

Again, part of the discrepancy in attempts was Denver's plan of getting into the lane and not settling for the outside jumper, but it had at least a little to do with the officials losing control of this game at times.

The ridiculous number of technical fouls called is exhibit A. Anytime players get T'd up 6 different times, you know the officials have let things get away from them.

Yes, it was a physical game but for the most part Denver was the team exerting themselves and instigating physical contact both necessary and over the line. Instead of Carmelo Anthony getting a technical for elbowing, pushing, shoving and bumping every Suns player assigned to guard him at one point or another, Raja and Giricek were both slapped with technicals.

Now, having said all that, the Suns have to do a better job of keeping their heads on straight and just playing the game. It was clear home-cooking was adding to the challenge of beating the Nuggets, but showing up the refs, no matter how poor of a job they're doing, does nothing to help the cause of getting the victory.

Furthermore, to quote Vincent Vega, Raja Bell should've fuckin' known fuckin' better. If you're going to elbow someone to send a message, do it when fighting for a rebound so you can really stick it to him. If you're dumb enough to do it right in front of an official who seemingly already has it out for you, don't stare at him and laugh maniacally. That's just plain stupid and hurts your team.

Enough whining for one day. When it comes down to it, the Suns missed a couple of big shots down the stretch, missed a ton of the free throws they actually attempted, and Marcus Camby nailed an 18-footer.

Other thoughts on the game:

-I would have liked to see DJ get a shot at Iverson, even for just a couple of minutes. You know the kid would make him work for every (carried) dribble.

The strange thing is, and I'm probably nuts for saying this, Nash does a halfway decent job of staying in front of Iverson.

-Boris ended up just 4-14 but it's good to see him shoot without hesitation. Keep chucking, Boris. And for God's sake, dunk those putbacks.

-Najera hit two wide-open threes last night. Say, is that paint thinner in your garage? Mind if I take a pull or two?

-LB logged a whopping 40 minutes last night and looked good throughout. His turnovers when Nash was on the bench were kept to a minimum and he was once again a scoring machine. Last night, the LB we all know and love was on display. There aren't many players in the league more fun to watch when he's on.

Good Guys vs Bad Guys

When I was 11 years old, a live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hit theaters. My two brothers and I, immediately after seeing it the first weekend it was released, convened to the backyard and proceeded to beat the holy hell out of each other with various objects, including but not limited to, whiffle ball bats.

It's been 17 years since this happened but I'm pretty sure we took turns being Shredder's foot soldiers (bad guys) and the Turtles (good guys.) Big surprise, but whoever played the role of foot soldier absorbed a sizable beating.

note: we did the same with G.I. Joe. No word on if we'll duplicate the backyard brawls after seeing the upcoming movie.

That is until sides were switched and he who did the beating now became the beatee.

Skipping over violence in society and the strange, homosexual undertones (get your head out of the gutter, sicky) of the last sentence, I can't help but apply the same dynamic to the Suns game last night.

The first half saw the Nuggets as Leonardo and his band of merry mutant turtles, beating the crap out of the mindless foot soldiers (I guess that puts George Karl in the role of Splinter...not sure who is uglier) at every opportunity. The Suns were helpless to defend against the Nuggets and their arsenal.

But a funny thing happened at halftime, almost as though the teams decided to switch roles and make it the Suns turn to dominate. This is about as silly an analogy as I've ever made but how else to explain the Suns' offensive explosion and the Nuggets seemingly rolling over dead?

Whatever the reason, it was incredibly exciting to see Steve Nash and LB soften the Nuggets up so Amare and Shaq could hit them low over and over again at will.

Matt McHale of Deadspin and most notably Basketbawful makes a great point about tonight's game...Coach D played only seven guys last night and with the second of this back to back in Denver, the Suns will surely be gassed. I'm not sure what will happen tonight and I highly, highly doubt it will be nearly as fun to watch as last night's game but you never know, the Nuggets might be down for another game of good guys vs bad guys.