Karl will tell you that defense is all they talk about in practice. I've heard him say it the last two seasons, but obviously they suck on defense, it may be personnel or coaching philosophy but it's probably both.

Phx has also claimed that they have wanted to improve on defense. If you look at per possession rate, the suns have been a good defensive team the last season and a half. They lead th league in scoring allowed because of the speed of their games, not because they let everybody score on them at a higher rate. (this is sans shaq) they suck on defense right now. I think that has more to do with the lack of marion than shaq sucking that bad

3/6/2008 3:28:40 PM

Quote :

" I could've sworn Kobe had a 50 point game this week..."

Yeah...but he didn't have 10 and 8.

3/6/2008 3:43:14 PM

and he also needed an overtime period to get some of those points in

but saying 50,10,8 makes you an MVP lock is kind of dumb when somebody else scored 50 less than a week ago

its not like Lebron is leaving everybody in his dust...its still a pretty close race

3/6/2008 3:44:40 PM

It was kind of in response (not necessarily in this thread)...to Kobe scoring 50+ earlier in the week and everyone saying Kobe is the leader.

To me, pro-Kobe-MVP people cite the fact that Kobe is such a dynamic scorer and can drop 50 whenever he wants to as the reason why he's such a better player. Well guess what, Lebron can too. And he can almost hit a triple double at the same time.

3/6/2008 3:49:20 PM

I've seen them both play in person multiple times and Lebron is more of a freak athlete but Kobe is a smarter player and a better shooter and a better defender at this point in time

And when he is on, NOBODY can score with him (except Wilt)

btw Kobe's assist numbers have gone up since they signed Gasol...I recall a couple games recently where Kobe had 5 assists in the first quarter

3/6/2008 3:51:43 PM

I'm going to use Bill Simmons logic here. If you replaced the two MVP candidates we're talking about with an average player of their position, what would happen to the team.

Let's say you replaced Lebron with Antawn Jamison. Where would the Cavs be? Worse then they are now, but out of the playoffs in the East? Tough to say. You've got 3 teams below .500 in the playoffs right now, and a bunch more just below them with almost as many wins. I'd say the Cavs would be right there fighting for one of the last spots with somewhere between 23-27 wins.

Now, replace Kobe with Jerry Stackhouse. In the ultra competitive west this year, would they even be in the conversation? I say no. They'd be way worse than even the Nuggets, who are the last team out at the moment, probably also with wins in the mid 20s to low 30s. Definitely not a playoff team and way off from the #2 seed they hold right now.

Although, to be quite honest, if you applied this same exact logic to the Hornets, and replaced CP3 with someone like Stephon Marbury or Steve Francis, they would be hands down one of the worst teams in the league.

3/6/2008 3:59:48 PM

Shaq should get the LVP award

3/6/2008 4:00:42 PM

i'm just gonna throw this out here...if the rockets do the impossible and continue to play out of this world...it isn't unthinkable that the rockets could be the #3 team in a week...let's get some t-mac consideration...emphasis on consideration

3/6/2008 4:03:19 PM

Rick Adelman certainly has to get some strong COY consideration

3/6/2008 4:11:45 PM

shrike, I couldn't disagree with you anymore. If you replaced Kobe with jerry Stackhouse, you'd still have odom, bynum, gasol and a deep bench. Means they'd probably fight for the bottom playoff spot. They'd probably be a little less successful than the warriors. The only players besides lebron that could keep the cavs in the playoffs if replaced would be tim duncan, kg and kobe.

3/6/2008 4:43:17 PM

Its also a stupid example because Antwan Jamison is a much better player than Jerry Stackhouse right now. Maybe if you replaced Kobe with Michael Redd. I think the Lakers would still be pretty bad ass while the Cavs would be fighting for a playoff spot in the East...or maybe around 6th or 7th.

3/6/2008 4:49:11 PM

its still the East...would replacing Lebron with Jamison drop them that far? BOS, DET, ORL, TOR would probably be better...but I don't see a Philly or Atlanta or New Jersey necessarily being better

but yeah the Lakers have a better supporting cast...but thats just cause Bynum made a huge improvement since last year, and obviously Gasol is a beast...last year Kobe had nobody

3/6/2008 4:54:04 PM

Basically its like this

If you made a starting lineup from a pool of all Lakers and Cavs players

4 of them would be Lakers

3/6/2008 4:56:39 PM

Well, I was looking more at their overall careers rather than a single season. They have had a couple All-star appearances and are generally pretty consistent performers.

Honestly, have either of you watched a Lakers game this season? Odom completely disappears in the 4th quarter of close games and doesn't even show up to big games. They wouldn't have won a single game against the elite teams in the West without Kobe (except the Suns, who are terrible right now).

3/6/2008 4:57:29 PM

well...neither of them has a great PG...and Bynum wouldnt start over Z in any kind of landslide vote

but yeah like i said kobe has a better supporting cast this season although did we forget the trade that Cleveland made? West, Wallace, Wally, etc aren't exactly scrubs (well maybe Wally is)

3/6/2008 4:58:47 PM

Oh snap he might do it again

Bron with 39 with 8 minutes to play

TNT HD

281 for us QC folk

3/6/2008 9:24:44 PM

He scored all those points and they are gettin spanked.

3/6/2008 9:37:10 PM

yeah even after the trade its still LeBron and the poo poo platter

3/6/2008 9:38:21 PM

so who drops out of the race...phoenix or dallas

josh howard = abused

[Edited on March 6, 2008 at 11:40 PM. Reason : ]

3/6/2008 11:30:22 PM

looks like dallas

the lakers are better not just because of bynum and gasol.....they are better 1-12. Not to mention phil jackson is one of the best coaches ever and I think Mike Brown is probably the worst coach to ever make the finals, shit maybe even the playoffs

3/7/2008 12:40:22 AM

I dont know if this has been posted yet, but espn has their NBA mock draft lottery board up

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/lottery2008/mockdraft

3/7/2008 10:21:59 AM

Quote :

"yeah even after the trade its still LeBron and the poo poo platter"

however getting rid of Larry Hughes is as beneficial as all of their acquisitions

3/7/2008 10:25:07 AM

I'd just like to point something out. I called Marion being the Sun's most important player nearly 2 years ago.

message_topic.aspx?topic=404485&page=1#8674415

Quote :

"In any case, saying Marion was 10x more valuable was just hyperbole on my part, my point was that the Suns would have sucked equally as bad this year if you took either one of them (Nash or Marion) off that team."

(oh and Kobe is still the MVP)

3/7/2008 1:50:27 PM

haha

Quote :

"if marion is soooo good, why did the suns suck so bad before nash came around?"

if nash is so good and marion sucks, how come the suns suck now that they got rid of marion and still have nash

RWOODY PWNT FROM 2 YEARS AGO lol

3/7/2008 1:57:09 PM

I clicked on the mock draft and it had the Grizzlies picking Eric Gordon at #3. WTF?

I mean, are the Grizzlies trying to be the pro version of Villanova?

3/7/2008 2:13:26 PM

Its pretty much:

Beasley #1
Derrick Rose #2
Eric Gordon #3

no matter who lands the top three picks

3/7/2008 3:03:21 PM

i dunno...the Knicks might fuck something up, you know how they do

Isaiah might pick the dude out of UNC-A first to be "the next Ewing"

3/7/2008 3:04:14 PM

I'm not giving up on the Suns yet...they have just seemed completely out of whack since the Shaq trade.

If they can figure out exactly how to use him...then maybe they can become a threat again. Time for D'Antoni to earn his salary.

3/7/2008 3:14:08 PM

Congrats to Josh Powell on a double-double tonight.

12 points and 10 rebounds in 35 minutes

[Edited on March 8, 2008 at 12:52 AM. Reason : double-double]

3/8/2008 12:49:40 AM

Don't look now, but Charlotte has won four in a row, and they are only three games out of the 8th spot in the East. I would love to see them in, even though they would get swept by Boston.

3/8/2008 2:56:41 AM

charlotte has played boston well this season

[Edited on March 8, 2008 at 4:40 AM. Reason : ]

3/8/2008 4:39:03 AM

Nate Robinson has put up 40 points so far against Portland.

3/8/2008 10:07:18 PM

I fell in love with lil' Nate his freshmen yar when he had that SICK putback dunk on us in the RBC. Ever since then I vowed to follow his career. Just ridiculous athleticism. Gives hope to us little guys.

3/9/2008 12:06:04 AM

~

3/9/2008 12:10:20 AM

Quote :

"i'm just gonna throw this out here...if the rockets do the impossible and continue to play out of this world...it isn't unthinkable that the rockets could be the #3 team in a week...let's get some t-mac consideration...emphasis on consideration"

the time has come...mcgrady with 41,9, and 6...nj/atlanta/charlotte this week before a very tough stretch

3/9/2008 1:33:01 PM

damn, shaq is superman

3/9/2008 4:06:58 PM

why do the Suns' and Spurs' unis say "Los Suns" or "Los Spurs"

this is fucking America.....put english on your damn unis

[Edited on March 9, 2008 at 4:15 PM. Reason : ///]

3/9/2008 4:12:06 PM

even though I hate the spurs, they got reffed in the end of this game.

3/9/2008 5:04:15 PM

i thought it was a good game...the shaq flying into the crowd was cool...guy jumped to avoid those kids...gg shaq

3/9/2008 5:09:56 PM

Great win for the Suns. Still remains to be seen whether they can keep that effort up and move up in the standings.

It's a good sign for their potential in the playoffs, though.

[Edited on March 9, 2008 at 5:25 PM. Reason : ]

3/9/2008 5:24:39 PM

Quote :

"even though I hate the spurs, they got reffed in the end of this game."

The refs weren't great...but the Spurs failed to score in the final minutes against the worst defensive team in the NBA. Combination of the Spurs losing the game and the Suns playing well enough to win it (how about that 27-foot dagger from Nash...what a big three).

Although the Spurs are playing well, their offense is struggling right now. They are going to have to pick it up on that end if they are going to make it back to the finals.

And Suns looked they best they have since the trade. They needed this game.

3/9/2008 5:24:53 PM

Dwayne Wade out for the rest of the season.

Quote :

"Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade will undergo a procedure on his left knee and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season, according to published reports. Dwyane Wade Wade "I think it's time. We've been walking around on eggshells with this thing," Heat coach Pat Riley told reporters. "This treatment will help him." Wade will undergo a stimulation treatment on Tuesday, according to the Miami Herald. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel said the procedure would keep Wade off the court for 30 days. Miami's season ends April 16. Wade missed Friday's game against the Golden State Warriors after publicly discussing his sore knee. Wade managed to play against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, but asked Riley to limit his minutes, according to the Herald. Heading into Monday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Heat are an NBA-worst 11-51 this season."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3286076

3/10/2008 11:07:19 AM

The

ing

is now full steam ahead


Beasley or bust

3/10/2008 11:12:08 AM

19 straight.

Looks like the Lakers are the only team standing between the Rockets and history.

3/11/2008 12:36:07 AM

next week will be very telling for the rockets

3/11/2008 12:44:28 AM

will somebody explain to me why richard sefferson gets a technical for waving a finger at Dikembe but dikembe literally waves a finger after every single block even if it leaves his man for a wide open lay up after the block.

3/11/2008 1:22:33 AM

^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stjzC8pG15A

3/11/2008 1:33:09 AM

^5 LOL

I hope they lose out and then get stuck with say the #10 pick and get stuck taking DJ White or someone instead of Beasley. That would be sweet because they are obviously tanking on purpose.

3/11/2008 2:01:20 AM

^I agree. it's bullshit to blatently tank. fans pay too much to season teams try to lose

3/11/2008 2:29:51 AM

I wish for once, the bobcats would suck it up and tank so they could get a decent pick.

3/11/2008 8:02:45 AM