Just one win...please?

OK we beat the Grizz. Ho Hum.

Shaq had a double-double. I guess the Darko + Kwame combo is as bad as advertised.

Amare, Nash, and Hill all had good games. And Boris Diaw actually made the trip to Memphis. Amazing.

In case anyone missed it - the game was close until the fourth quarter (a one point game after three)...and then guess what - Shaquille O'Neal got benched. Just like magic - the Suns outscored Memphis 37-24 in the third and get a 14 point win.

I'd much rather see Shaq like this:

Than like this:

Next up is the Hornets. Yes, the Same Charlotte er... Oklahoma er...New Orleans Hornets that have beaten us three times this year.

Tyson Chandler has killed us.

Chris Paul has killed us.

Even Predrag Stojackitup has killed us. I'm sorry, but nobody that looks like this picture should even be in the NBA - much less hit a game winning shot:

Should be a good game tonight...as long as Shaq is on the bench.

Deeeeetroit Baaasketball

Man is there a more annoying chant than the Pistons' moron PA Announcer screaming DEEEEEEEEETROIT BAAAAAAAAAASKETBALL?


Yes, it's more annoying when annoying Pistons fans somehow get tickets in an opposing arena and start doing that as the home team is getting beat by 30 points.





The amount of opposing fans I've seen in the building the last three games is sickening. How can you be a ticket holder and sell your seats to opposing fans? An fan of an opposing team shouldn't be able to get a ticket to a big game.





Detroit is definately much better than Boston's collection of overrated, overhyped "superstars" They play as a TEAM. Garnett and Paul Pierce are guys that are just there for the stats (and the paychecks). Neither of them has ever been a winner. Just a couple of guys that always put up big numbers on horrible teams. But, Garnett screams a lot, so apparently people think he has heart. The dude's a joke. He's been in the NBA for 14 years, and he is the highest paid player in the NBA - and he's won as many playoff games as Amare has in his four years...what a joke. Celtics fans will see what this dude's all about when he goes ghost in the playoffs.



Now about our team and the debacle that it has become... This game proved every bad thought I had about the Marion trade.





Our shooting got worse - Shaq takes away the open looks that the Suns perimeter guys get in the fast breaking, motion offense. He prevents the pick & roll between Steve and Amare from being successful because he takes up too much space inside. He also makes it impossible for Steve to penetrate and dish. We have shot under 43% in each of the last two games.


Not having Marion for easy dunks & putbacks also hurts the FG%



Our team defense got worse - There's no way in hell you can improve your team defense by trading your best defender. It just can't happen. Despite everything that the Suns management wants you to believe, Shaq makes it more difficult for the Suns to recover on defense. He can't cover quick guys when other teams do a pick & roll. He can't really even cover quick guys when they go in the lane. He's too slow at this point in his career to provide much help defense from the weak side. He also makes Amare a worse defender (if that's possible)...Amare was very good at getting blocks from the weak side, but since Shaq is clogging up the lane he isn't able to get over there to provide the help defense. Losing Marion also forces Nash to have to cover every PG. Matrix could cover guys like Tony Parker and we were able to hide Nash on worse offensive players like Bruce Bowen.



The fast break is gone - With Shaq in the lineup it's impossible to fast break. He can't even get down the court quickly enough to be a finisher. He is horrible at throwing an outlet pass. With Shaq out of the lineup we're missing the most important piece to our fast break offense. Matrix was amazing at getting a key rebound or block, and either sprinting down the court to get an ally oop or easy pass for a bucket. We don't have the finisher now so the fast break goes like this...Steve dribbles down the court, looks for someone to pass to...then dribbles back out to the three point line to get set in a halfcourt offense that we don't have. I wonder what all these people that think that this was a great trade are thinking tonight. We're going to be one-and-done in the playoffs with this team. It's so awful as a fan to see what the brainless tag team of $arver and Kerr has done to a team that was one of the best in the NBA. In case anyone forgot, we had the best record in the West at the time of this trade.

Next up we have the Grizz.

They have apparently given up on the season by trading for the most worthless player in the NBA - Kwame Brown...but they'll probably beat us. After all, even Darko and Kwame are better than Shaquille O'Neal at this point in his career.

Check out Three Shades of Blue to see what the Grizz fans think of the game tomorrow night.

2008: A New Look

If anyone has been checking in on this blog since the end of the playoffs last year you've noticed that I haven't updated it.

My anger, dismay, and hatred of David $tern haven't subsided, but I have decided to pick it up again.

It's amazing what can happen in just a few months. The Suns have a totally different team.

James Jones and Kurt Thomas were sold off by Robert $arver's greedy ass for some beer money.

We signed Grant Hill, who has turned out to be a great pickup.

And...

Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks were traded for Shaquille O'Neal.

I'm still having a tough time writing this last one. Shaq is now a member of the Phoenix Suns

I have always been a huge Shawn Marion fan. He is a great defender. He guards quick point guards, big centers, and everyone in between. He is one of the NBA's best rebounders, he is one of the best finishers in the league. He has one of the best all-around games in NBA history. Over the past 3+ years he's been just as important to the Suns' success as Steve Nash.

At the time of the trade the Suns had the best record in the West. They had won 70% of their games. They were on pace for a 57 win season. So is that the time to trade one of their best players for a old center with limited mobility and an injured hip? Only time will tell.

The First game after the trade really proved everything I was worried about. The Suns lost to the Fakers and their classless douchebag #24 130-124. A higher scoring game than I expected with Shaq on the floor slowing down the fast paced Suns. The defense was horrible. Pau Gasol, who many people confused with a roll of charmin during his tenure in Memphis, scored 28 points. Shawn Marion would have come in very handy in shutting down the soft Spaniard.

Our best defender of the Grim Raper, Raja Bell, went down after the Grim Raper committed an uncalled offensive foul that threw Raja's head into Shaq's elbow, knocking Bell out cold. Again, this would have been a situation where Shawn Marion would have come in handy - guarding against the Grim Raper's antics with Raja in the locker room saying "mama".

Game Two of the "Shaq Era" featured the Boston Celtics and the overrated, overhyped Kevin Garnett.
The man that earns more money than any player in the NBA, yet has only been out of the first round once in his entire career. Garnett has an annoying habit of screaming during games and crying during TV interviews so people think he has heart. However the stacks of playoff losses are more of an indication of a lack of heart in my book. In Garnett's 14 year NBA career he's won exactly 17 playoff games - or the same number won by Amare Stoudemire in his 4 year career. Heart? I think not. He's nothing but an overpaid career loser.

Anyway, back to the game...

The Suns and Boston played a boring, slow, defensive battle. The Suns came out on top 85-77. In a normal Suns game this is a 3rd quarter score, but not on this night. The Suns committed 24 turnovers, Steve Nash only had five assists.

Normally this would be a game that the Suns would lose - however the Suns outrebounded the Celtics 50-32 and forced Boston into shooting 38%. Shaq did a great defensive job, and Amare played better defense than he has played all season.

Now - what Suns team will we see for the rest of the season? Will Shaq get more comfortbale in the offense and will it flow better?

I'm anxious to see what happens. In the West we will need to win against quality teams night in and night out. There aren't many grind it out defensive teams in the Western Conference. We can't win consistantly with Steve Nash getting just 8 assists.

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't forsee this trade being a positive for the Suns.

This looks strange

The Seven Stages of Grief

Stage One: Shock
It still is hard to believe that the NBA would bend the Suns over and fuck the franchise up the ass like they did. How can a dirty team like the Spurs get away with the shit that happened in this series? How can Robert Horry be rewarded with another ring for trying to take out Steve Nash?
Stage Two: Denial
Really, it couldn't have happened like that, could it have? This was our year. We were supposed to be having a parade in downtown Phoenix. We were supposed to win. David Stern CAN'T be that big of a jackass, can he?
Stage Three: Anger
Fucking piece of shit David Stern and his fucking piece of shit league. Damn dirty Spurs team. I hope Duncan breaks his leg, Ginobili flops off the top of the AT&T Center, and Tony Parker gets deported.
Stage Four: Barganing
OK, maybe if we win a championship next year this all would have been worth it. Maybe nobody would care anymore if we win the whole thing next year. Yeah. Next year.
Stage Five: Guilt
I should have done my part as a fan. I should have cheered louder. I should have screamed more at game 5. I should have gone to San Antonio for game 6 to support my team. I shouldn't have worn an Amare jersey to game 5 because I had worn a Marion jersey during game 4 and we won. I should have found Ginobili at the Ritz Carlton in Phoenix and kicked his ass.
Stage Six: Depression
I can't take it. Another season of dissapointment. I can't watch the NBA anymore. This is garbage. My summer has been ruined.
Stage Seven: Acceptance and Hope
Well, I guess that's it. I guess our season is over. Maybe next year we can win it. Maybe something stupid like an injury or a dumb suspension won't happen.

Is This the End?

I was waiting to post my postgame comments on game five until my anger and frustration had subsided so I could make an objective analysis of this game...but I'm even more angry after a full day.

What David Stern and Stu Jackson did to the Suns was obviously sickening - but the game was in reach for the Suns.

Phoenix had a lead for the entire game until the final three minutes. Shawn Marion was doing everything in the first half...he had 20 points and 11 rebounds at halftime and was playing excellent defense. Marion, however, was guarding the talentless Oberto and didn't have to use much energy on defense...so his offense was able to excel in the first half.

Unfortunately, in the second half I feel that Mike D'Antoni made a terrible decision by switching Marion to guard Tony Parker. Marion is a good, no, great defender. He is able to guard anyone from power forwards to point guards. Sometimes his versatility is a detriment to him however, as it was the case in game five. When D'Antoni switched The Matrix onto Parker he effectively took away the offensive game of Shawn Marion. By guarding Parker and following around a quicker smaller guard, Matrix had little energy left for the offensive end of the court - he scored only four points in the second half. Also, by sticking on Parker, Marion is away from the basket on defense. If anyone watches the Suns on a regular basis you'd know that The Matrix is best around the basket where he can rebound and block shots.

In my opinion, however, this was not the biggest blunder of the night by Mike D'Antoni. Taking Kurt Thomas out of the game for offensive purposes in the last two minutes of the game absolutely KILLED the Suns. Thomas had 14 points and 12 rebounds and did an excellent job of guarding the dangerous whiner Tim Duncan. KT is the only Sun capable of guarding Duncan one on one over the course of an entire game. Duncan will get his points regardless of who guards him...he's that good...however, with Kurt Thomas on him Duncan's points didn't come so easily. So what happened late in the fourth quarter? Thomas was on the bench.

Marion was stuck with the defensive assignment on Duncan, and other Suns like Nash and Bell had to help and double - leaving their men alone for wide open threes.

When you don't guard guys like Bruce Bowen, Rat Ginobili, and Mike Finley they will knock down their jumpers. Why D'Antoni decided on this strategy is beyond me - but it didn't work. Even without Amare and Diaw the Suns had a chance for this win.

Could the Suns season come to an end tomorrow night? What happens next? We go back to San Antonio down 3-2 and the Spurs have a chance to close us out in their own building. We need to come out with the same passion and fire that we had in game four. I have cautious optimism that the Suns will win...however, I wouldn't be surprised if we don't. We shall see on Friday night.

The NBA - It's SHAM-tastic

OK, I am convinced that the NBA is a fucking sham. It's as scripted as the WWE.
The unoffical (at this point) report is that Robert Horry was suspended for two games while the Suns Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw are out for one game each.
If I'm a Spurs fan, I'm dancing in the streets. The NBA just handed my team a championship on a fucking silver platter.
My solution: Put Pat Burke in the starting lineup for game 5 and have him take out Tim Duncan's knees. Sounds drastic? Well that's what the league has decided is the right thing to do. If you are a dirty team and your players cheap shot people you get the advantage in the NBA playoffs. So what if we lose Pat Burke for a game or two? If he injures Duncan it would be worth the loss, right? After all...that's basically what the Spurs did by trying to take out Steve Nash.
Amare and Boris stepped onto the court to check out what was happening to their teammate who had just been laid out by a classless thug. For this they get suspended? Where's the justice? Where's the fairness?
And what happens to Duncan and Bowen who did the EXACT same thing earlier in the game when Francisco Elson went down due to some incidental contact by James Jones? Oh yeah, that's right...nothing happes to them...they play for the fucking Spurs.

I really thought this was it...I really thought that winning game 4 put the Suns over the hump...but I guess the ol' fix is in.
Good job Spurs. Good job NBA. Good job David Stern. Fuck all of you.

I encourage ALL Suns fans to call the NBA office and voice your concerns: 212-407-8000. I called and spoke with Stu Jackson's secretary. I'm sure she didn't care but I felt better.

SUNS Fight Back!

The Suns took every shot the Dirty Spurs had to offer in game four and were able to even the series with a 104-98 victory.

Despite outrebounding the Spurs 39-32 and getting to the free throw line ten more times, the Suns trailed by 8 going into the third...that's when the Suns took over.

The Suns were able to draw a fifth foul on Tim Duncan, and Steve Nash went to work. Nash finished with 24 points and 15 assists. Shawn Marion also played a huge role in the fourth quarter with 12 of his 9 points coming in the final period.

The game was marred by an ugly incident. The Spurs proved their critics right by showing what a dirty, classless bunch of thugs their team is. With the Suns up three with 32 seconds left, Robert Horry body checked Steve Nash into the scorer's table. Horry was ejected and will most likely be suspended for game 5, however the most important thing that happened in the altercation was the fact that Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw may have left the bench in the chaos.

Nash jumped up and Raja Bell got into Horry's face, but Stoudemire and Diaw were not in the game at the time. NBA rules dictate that a player leaving the bench during a fight is suspended for the next game. If the NBA sticks to the letter of the law, we won't see Amare or Boris in game 5 back at the US Airways Center on Wednesday night. As Charles Barkley said, that would be quite unfair for the Suns to let a dirty play by a Spurs player dictate the outcome of this series. The Spurs have already won one game in Phoenix, and if the Suns don't have Amare or Boris, chances are that the Suns won't win. The Spurs must be ecstatic at the prospect of trading a talentless bum like Horry for and all NBA First Teamer like Amare Stoudemire plus Boris Diaw. We'll see what the league hands down on Tuesday. All of Phoenix is hoping for the best.

16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

MORE WINS

Duncan Domination

Two words sum up game three of the Suns-Spurs series: Tim Duncan. The Spurs big man proved to be too much for the Suns to handle, scoring 33 points on 9-14 shooting and grabbing 19 boards.
The Suns couldn't stop Duncan from hitting his patented turn around jumper off the glass. Kurt Thomas wasn't as effective as he was in game two, and Amare Stoudemire was saddled with foul trouble for the entire game. Amare scored 21 points on 7-11 shooting, but was only to play 20 minutes after picking up four fouls early in the third quarter. He played just 19 seconds in the fourth before picking up his fifth foul, and didn't return to the game until very late in the contest.
The Suns were able to get out to an early lead - they ended the first quarter up 30-25, despite a poor half from Steve Nash. Nash was scoreless in the first half.
With Nash not shooting the ball, and Amare in foul trouble the Suns looked to the trio of Shawn Marion, Raja Bell, and Boris Diaw to keep them in the game. Bell had 12 first half points and was a perfect 4-4 from three point range. Diaw looked like the Diaw of last year with aggressive moves to the basket. Marion was back to his normal self - scoring on a variety of jumpers and dunks.
In the second half, the Suns defense failed them as did their offense. Diaw and Bell were nowhere to be found. Nash's shooting woes continued. He ended 6-17 from the field.
The Spurs were able to do anything they wanted on offense. Weather it was Duncan scoring in close, or Bruce Bowen - the NBA's dirtiest player - hitting threes in the corner.
The Rat Bastard Ginobili also got into the act. The Suns left him relatively unguarded and he scored 24 points on 8-19 shooting including a number of his patented out of control drives through the lane.
Overall, the Suns shouldn't be too dissapointed. Their two first team All-NBA players - Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire were relatively taken out of the game and they only fell by 7 points. I can't imagine Nash will hae such a bad game - and Amare can't commit stupid fouls like he did tonight.

Game four on Monday is a must win for the Suns - I'm confident that they'll come out with the same fire they did in game two. After all - we just need one win in San Antonio.