2006 - 2007 NBA Season Discussion Thread

[ThaSaltCracka]

Sergio is an excellent ball handler. He runs the pick and roll very well. A pass first PG for sure. He is also not as flashy as J-Will and doesn't turn the ball over as much. He is very active on offense. He doesn't shoot enough though. He's hesitant to take open layups or attack the basket when he has great opportunities. His D is not there yet either. But he looks composed and confident out there. Seems to be adjusting to the league rather easily.

[MoreWineII]

Since I'm convinced Portland gives up the most easy buckets in the league simply by not getting back in transition, I don't expect Portland to beat Pho in a million years. Phoenix is one of those teams that knows this and exploits the hell of out of it - watch and I think you'll see what I'm talking about.

I agree Sergio looks way more polished than I expected. Defense will probably always be an issue for him, but eventually he might be okay there. Mostly I like the way the team is *constantly* moving when he's in the game. I think he's a legit NBA player, not sure how good yet. Might be awesome.

As far as JJ, I don't know wtf he was doing and apparently he doesn't either.

http://behindblazersbeat.blogs.oregonlive.com/

[ QUOTE ]
Blazers' guard Jarrett Jack says he doesn't remember how he got into a car accident on Friday morning in front of the Trail Blazers practice facility, which is the main reason doctors want to hold him out of action.

On his way to the team's shootaround on Friday, Jack ran the car he was driving into the side of a parked semi truck, slamming his forehead into the windshield. After being taken to the hospital in an ambulance, Jack was diagnosed with a mild concussion.

The car Jack was driving, a green BMW of video coordinator Kaleb Canales, was damaged. Jack said he was driving Canales' car because his Mercedes was having it's original wheels put back on to better equip the car for winter driving.

Jack says he has no recollection of the accident, and that is why the team is holding him out of action. He said he was confident he wasn't speeding, pointing out that Childs Road is so short that it would be hard to reach an unsafe speed.

[/ QUOTE ]

[tuq]

Something from last night's game I meant to mention that is annoying: PA guys who have to absolutely YELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL the name of the home player every time they score. Here is an excerpt from last night in Houston after a made bucket by Rafer Alston:

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFERRRRRRRRR ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLSTON

That bucket made the score 2-2 with about 11 minutes to go in the first quarter. I kept expecting the Suns to score on a quick outlet pass before he was even done saying their name, but I don't remember it happening.

If I was a home fan, this would get old, quick. I mean I could totally see that in a close game or an amped-up situation but it's ridiculous to do for every made basket.

Best example I can think of is the Memphis PA guy. The Suns were seconds away from sweeping them out of the playoffs a couple of years ago. A meaningless garbage basket, arena almost empty, the PA guys says:

PAUUUUUUUUU GASSSSSSOLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Seriously, WTF?

[ClassicBob]

All,

Interesting stat: Phoenix is 2-2 against teams from the Western Conference with winning records, including last nights win against a Yao-less, T-mac-less Rockets team.

Dallas, I believe, is 10-2 against winning Western Conference teams.

The Suns are good. Very good, and are legitimately frightening to me as a Mavs fan, even with our 2-0 record against them. However, their schedule has been amazingly easy.

Not writing the Suns off, but are they really an "all-time great team?" Just something to think about.

[hmohnphd]

[ QUOTE ]
Dallas, I believe, is 10-2 against winning Western Conference teams.

[/ QUOTE ]

This stat is pretty misleading. If I understand it, it considers losses in the first two games to San Antonio and Houston as losses to a 0-0 team and a 0-1 team, respectively.

[tuq]

Bob,

"2-2" is impossible since they've lost twice to Dallas, once to SA, twice to Utah, and once to the Lakers. And those are just off the top of my head. Wait, they've only lost two other games the entire rest of the season! Hmmm...Washington and the Clippers. It's nice when you're nearly to the All-Star break and can easily remember your team's losses.

Yeah, their schedule has been easy after a BRUTAL start when the NBA loaded them up with tough opponents for nationally televised games, so it was bound to even out. Also, the record thing is disingenuous - as I've mentioned before in one of my rants their worst loss all season has been by eight points, and they completely blew a bunch of games they should have closed out. A leak they seem to have fixed, BTW.

BTW Houston's transition D seemed solid last night and their interior defense even better than that - they'd throw 2-3 guys at Stoudemire, he had six turnovers, I think - and dare the Suns to make the three. Strange thing to dare the Suns to do as they hit a season-high 17 of them, but could work against a lot of other teams. Anyway, the fact that they got over 50% of their points from behind the arc speaks to Houston's job in transition and in the paint.

Also, the Suns did the announcer switch last night - we got Clyde Drexler for half a quarter. Seems like a sharp enough cat. His analysis didn't seem too deep but he came off as articulate enough.

[kidcolin]

I love the Glide

[ClassicBob]

Wow, did i really type 2-2. I meant 1-7 (now 2-7 with houston win). I'm editing now.

Whoops: too late to edit. No idea where 2-2 came from. The actual stat cements my point.

[Artdogg]

class bob,

to add to what tup said, most of those games were in the suns 1-5 start when they werent playing well at all, also according to this link the suns SOS hasnt been much easier than the mavs

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/powerranking

[tdarko]

Another stat:

Pho is 4-7 against top 10 teams.
Dallas is 10-5 against top 10 teams.

As for the differences in schedule's, there really isn't much of a difference, both had it extremely tough and too bad they were playing their worst b-ball and not the way they are BOTH playing right now when they had to go through these first few games. Both schedules sucked.

Dallas:

SA
Hou
GS
LAC
Pho
Por
Chi

Pho:

LAL
LAC
UTAH
SA
DAL
MEM
Week off
Philly