Anyone else intimidated by Suns?

[Guapo]

It's a safe bet that Phoenix and SA are going to meetin the WC Finals.

Anyone else feeling a bit intimidated watching the Suncs manhandle the Mavs?

[sahoopster]

If we move on and meet them, my answer would be NO. I think they will be tough but I definitly the Spurs can handle these guys. THe Spurs can score with these guys, but more importantly they can get stops when they need them.

[TheLadiesMike]

No. They'll be lucky to win 2 games against us. They have not faced a good defense in the playoffs.

[Mateobv05]

The Suns are a better version of the Nets team the Spurs beat for the championship a few years back. And the Spurs are a better version of the team that beat that nets team. If we are assuming both teams get by their current opponents (a good assumption i think) i see it being almost exactly like that Nets series.

[justbarbour]

Originally Posted by Guapo

It's a safe bet that Phoenix and SA are going to meetin the WC Finals.

Anyone else feeling a bit intimidated watching the Suncs manhandle the Mavs?

**** no. The Suns are a hell of a team, but:
a) Think the Suns were intimidated watching the Spurs shut down the league's second highest scoring offense?
b) Spurs won the season series, and nearly swept it (barely lost the third game with Timmy and Manu injured)
c) The Suns are still playing *allas, regardless of how much lip service AJ and Dirk pay to a renewed focus on defense - two weeks just isn't enough time to construct those defensive schemes.
d) The Mavs are trying to run with the Suns, and the Spurs have the ability to run but can also slow it down into a halfcourt game. If Phoenix loses its transition game their offense stagnates.

Anyway, Suns are a great team, and if we get to WCF will be a worthy opponent, but I don't think anybody is quivering around here.

[Sith Lord]

The Suns are that itch on the roof of your mouth. All you can do is tongue it to death.

Sith

[Spurs Crusader]

The Mavs are NOT the Spurs. I'm not intimidated one bit. BTW - The Suns will sweep the Mavs if Dirk doesn't get his head out of his ass. The Houston series is one thing, but this one is suicide.

[SPURSMANIA300]

no team that makes the conference finals will ever be scared of the other team..to get there you have to be great..it will be one hell of a series no doubt and with suns having homecourt it will be really close.

[marcusabrownus]

Come on.The suns have not played a good defensive team.. I am not worried about The Suns...The only threat is Stoudemire and TD can Handle that... No worries, Spurs in 6...

[SoupIsGood]

The Mavs aren't out of this series yet... I have faith in them.

[phyzik]

Im not a blind follower of the Spurs, I can spot a good challenge when I see one and I believe the Suns will give the Spurs a good run.... but in the playoffs in a 7 game series where DEFENSE wins championships? Spurs take it, hands down.

[japre8]

The Suns did to the Mavs what we did to Seatle. They basically went to the rack at will.
Tony matches up good with Nash and Timmy is too strong for Amare to have free dunks all night. We will do to Phx what we did to Denver, make them play an ugly half court game.

The Pistons worry me the most out of all the teams left.

[bnwhuxley]

Everyone should have a healthy measure of respect for what the Suns can do, but nobody should be intimidated, least of all after this game. The Mavs simply did not show up with any gameplan or any energy.

[grif]

The Suns rise and fall on their ability to outscore opponents. Unless they can hang 150 on the Spurs for 4 out of 7 games, they can't win. They must play 4 perfect games. That's the great thing about having a defensive-minded team. If they go cold on offense, they can stay in the game. If Phoenix can't get the ball to drop, they have no way to win.

Spurs in 6. I think the Suns will put together 2 good games.

[blazinskillz]

can we just wait till be the second round is ova?

[Kiko Martinez]

We are.

chocolate bars, photo paper and Gizmo

[GoKobe]

Well I think the Suns are very underrated.
People assume they can't win with their playing style but something tells me that they would beat Miami and Detroit.
Even though most people consider SA, Detroit and Miami a legit contenders, I'd have to add the Suns there.
They're a great team, IMO the 2nd best team in the league.

However, better than the Spurs they are not. Let's just leave it at that.
They will win 2 games against SA and that's about it. Spurs are too much for them even though they're a fantastic team.

[PhillyDoc]

Recall that Dallas got off to a poor start other series and may be tired. They will bounce back. This one is a long way from over.

If Suns get through they will be exposed and would be the far easier opponent.

[SPURSMANIA300]

exposed to what exactly? suns have been underrated on this board all year..people still think of them as a joke but the fact is they play defense when it matters and they can get stops. We have no answer for Amare..none at all. Just like they have no answer for duncan...it will be a back and forth series. They will stll average likely 100-108 PPG against the spurs in a series. it's one thing to say spurs should win and will it's something completely different to be so arrogant that the suns have no real shot..they have homecourt so they will have a much better chance if they meet

[SPURSMANIA300]

Quit making crap up seriously. I never said the Spurs should fear the Suns. Same with the Suns with the Spurs. Yes I do like the Suns as everyone in america should. They are the most exciting team since the showtime Lakers..why wouldn't I enjoy watching them play? oh and what is wrong with making the arguement for nash for MVP? apart from shaq no one else deserved it and nash played in a much tougher conference

Any team that would allow the Spurs to drop 40 on them in the 4th quarter when the Suns were up by 17...well, it can't be said that they play defense when it counts. The Suns D was a sieve that game.

Suns also had no bodies in that game, they had just traded 3 guys for Jimmy Jackson so they just wore down in the 4th. Barbosa their back-up PG was also out so all their starters had to play even more minutes than they normally do. Which can take it's tole on your body when facing a team as good as the Spurs. Fact is the suns are better defensively and not only deeper but better as a team since then. I don't factor in regular season match-ups just like I don't factor in the sonics beating us twice and us not beating them healthly in the regular season.

[DizzG]

Fear the suns or intimidated? Uh No

The Spurs actually play defense

I still think Dallas will play well enough to win 2 games in this series

the Spurs know they can win at America West. The Suns dont know if they can win in the SBC center. regular season games dont predict playoff games but just as a reference..With Tim Duncan in the lineup...SA knows they have been able to handle the Suns. The Suns could only beat SA by just a few points and that was WITHOUT Duncan

It would be a good series if they meet...but I dont fear playing them and there is no way the Spurs would either

Yes I do like the Suns as everyone in america should

everyone in America should be a suns fan?

[SPURSMANIA300]

Surely an admin shouldn't have trouble reading? Just because I enjoy watching them play it makes me a Suns fan? it's also funny you think they play zero defense. Stats would suggest otherwise. They don't play great defense but they aren't terrible at it either.

suns have the best road record in the NBA...I think they feel they can win anywhere. They are young, I hihgly doubt they lack confidence in that area.

[knownalien]

the suns live by the 3 and they will die by it because we defend it well. Dallas has no clue how to defend the 3 point shot in transition or in the half court. take away 3 point shots, and you basically have the Denver Nuggets. since we know amare in not to tim was Hakeem was to Dave, we can assure ourselves that Amare will get his . . but not school Tim. In fact, one of those two is likely to be in massive foul trouble because you simply cannot swat at anything and EVERYTHING and not foul on occasion.
Not only can we play different kinds of offense, but the defensive specialist (Pop) can draw up schemes on the fly better than other coaches.

As I have said before, other that our team previously wiping our asses with the Suns in playoffs of yesteryear, they should fear US. A team that will not roll over.

Originally Posted by SPURSMANIA300

Surely an admin shouldn't have trouble reading? Just because I enjoy watching them play it makes me a Suns fan? it's also funny you think they play zero defense. Stats would suggest otherwise. They don't play great defense but they aren't terrible at it either.

suns have the best road record in the NBA...I think they feel they can win anywhere. They are young, I hihgly doubt they lack confidence in that area.

their defense is three-fold: 1) clog the paint anyway they can; 2) swat at anything that get's close to a big guy; 3) have the rest of the guys just kinda run around trying to discombobulate the other team.

they have little concept of position defense because, in their coaches eyes, they are always thinking about what they are about to do once they get the ball back. That's why you will see a Mav jack up a shot and Joe Johnson is already down the court waiting for a lob at the 3 point line. Even if the mav makes that shot the next inbound pass will be to Johnson on the 3 point line with still no Mav around. this is what they do.

Infact Spursmania, their OWN coach is on record saying the don't really play defense. Their defense is crap, but their athelticism hides that. We will expose it.

[SPURSMANIA300]

Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and Jim Jackson are actually very good position defenders. Marion is a top notch defender and certainly for his size...Suns pressure the ball far more in the 4th quarter which creats steals and fastbreaks. Thats a big reason why they win games.

thew suns coach has gone on record as saying they don't play great defense but they do enough defensively to get key stops. You don't have a great record in games winning by less than 3 points if you can't play defense. That is the bottom line.

The Suns also don't live and die by the three-pointer if they did you would at least see games where they shoot badly but they shot like 49% from the field...the suns have guys who can attack the rim and score. They aren't Italy..they don't just shoot threes...they attack and pass out. The Spurs are good at rotating out but the Suns will still get good looks. When the three is dropping no defense has much effect on It and the suns will have alot of games like that.

I have always thought you need to have heartbreak before you can win a championship which is why I think the Heat will lose to the Pistons and I expect the same to happen here when the suns and spurs meet..but that doesn't mean it won't be a dogfight. The Spurs aren't going to roll through the playoffs like everyone likes to think.

[DizzG]

it's also funny you think they play zero defense

I didnt say none...but they dont play it very well and as KA mentioned...their own coach even admits that

SA is the best defensive team in the League. The Suns will face a much different problem than playing against the Grizz or Dallas

Im sorry....the Suns dont make me shake in my boots about facing them and I think SA is one team that can win a series without homecourt advantage. Hell...they would prob just steal it in game one.

We will see what happens if they meet

[SpursRock50]

spursmania300 seems to claim he isnt a Suns fan

but damn dude you dont have to defend each and EVERY Suns post on this entire board as you have done all year. Its like anytime someone dares question the suns you pop out of the woodwork like someone just attacked your sister

[knownalien]

The Suns also don't live and die by the three-pointer

they shot 22 lastnight and made over half of them. that's above 50%. What are they gonna do to a team that defends the 3 point line??

do you know what sitting on the 3 point line does to your energy? nothing. it is conserved. We will make sure they are so tired that their legs feel like jelly. The will get no easy victories from us and if the games are close it favors us. they have only one player that can score inside . . . the rest, including caveman, score mainly from the outside.

[SPURSMANIA300]

Last time I checked message boards are here to debate different points of view. I don't agree with many comments here reguarding the Suns. They have been seen as a joke here all year. There needs to be someone to sort you lot out.

If I was a Suns fan would I predict the Spurs to beat them? would I say they need to lose a series first before they can go for the championship? the Suns are a great team who have gotten underrated on here all year and many havn't taken them seriously.

You people can think what you like, as thats what message boards are for but I know I'm a true Spurs fan that loves to watch other great teams play. Certainly the up tempo onces. Phoenix, Dallas, Seattle and Golden State....It's not a crime to love running teams....I post on other boards and defend many teams since as Dallas just as strongly. Doesn't mean I'm not a Spurs fan but If you want to think otherwise..be my guess.

I'm here to talk basketball, not to convince other people that I support another team. I could care less what other people on the internet think about him. Bottom line is I'm here to talk basketball and I feel I do a decent enough job of doing so.

Originally Posted by knownalien

they shot 22 lastnight and made over half of them. that's above 50%. What are they gonna do to a team that defends the 3 point line??

do you know what sitting on the 3 point line does to your energy? nothing. it is conserved. We will make sure they are so tired that their legs feel like jelly. The will get no easy victories from us and if the games are close it favors us. they have only one player that can score inside . . . the rest, including caveman, score mainly from the outside.

When the outside shot is working, they will continue to take It. They can play inside and when you try and double Amare they will just kick It outside. The Suns set great picks to get guys open for three. Nash is too good of a passer not to get the suns players open looks. Spurs defense is great but they will not simply stop the suns from knocking down threes and if they do the Suns will look to attack more. As I said they play a good enough inside outside game..Amare is obviously the main guy but Quentin Richardson is a very good post player for his size as is Jim Jackson. They have found ways to score in the halfcourt set and I don't see that changing. Most of the games will be close in this series yes and really it doesn't favour anyone...the suns are great at winning close games and the spurs aren't too bad either.

[SAScrub]

Originally Posted by SPURSMANIA300

Last time I checked message boards are here to debate different points of view. I don't agree with many comments here reguarding the Suns. They have been seen as a joke here all year. There needs to be someone to sort you lot out.

If I was a Suns fan would I predict the Spurs to beat them? would I say they need to lose a series first before they can go for the championship? the Suns are a great team who have gotten underrated on here all year and many havn't taken them seriously.

You people can think what you like, as thats what message boards are for but I know I'm a true Spurs fan that loves to watch other great teams play. Certainly the up tempo onces. Phoenix, Dallas, Seattle and Golden State....It's not a crime to love running teams....I post on other boards and defend many teams since as Dallas just as strongly. Doesn't mean I'm not a Spurs fan but If you want to think otherwise..be my guess.

I'm here to talk basketball, not to convince other people that I support another team. I could care less what other people on the internet think about him. Bottom line is I'm here to talk basketball and I feel I do a decent enough job of doing so.

So, what does that have to do with the Suns inability to defend?

[pjjrfan]

They have great spacing, and they all know where they have to be. It is a scary team, they are running on all cylinders. They put pressure on the basket by having Nash penetrate and absorb the defense inside the paint, then their guys get open for 3's because they know they will get the ball by staying around the perimeter. Stoudamire has pretty much adapted his game to Nash's skills and he finds lanes and spots where he can get easy scores. Doesn't anyone think that the Mavs and Grizz didn't scout these guys and study their tendencies, but knowing what they are going to do and stopping them are two entirely different things, it's easier said than done.

Still, in the course of the year, the Suns were never able to break the Spurs defense, and when they did, the Spurs found a way to beat them at their own game. I think they are a scary team, but I feel that the Spurs are one of the few teams that don't fear the Suns at all, and in the end that's all that really matters, how confident the Spurs are against the Suns.

[SPURSMANIA300]

Originally Posted by SAScrub

So, what does that have to do with the Suns inability to defend?

I was replying to Spursrock's post.

[SAScrub]

Originally Posted by SPURSMANIA300

I was replying to Spursrock's post.

I guess I shouldn't meddle....

Defense wins championships...Spurs have it, Suns don't.

[knownalien]

They can play inside and when you try and double Amare they will just kick It outside.

what makes you think we will double Amare?? If it comes to it, we will gladly NOT double him if it means containing the 3's. Pop perfectly expects him to get his. But we will NOT let the others get theirs. Look here:

http://www.nba.com/games/20050509/DALPHO/boxscore.html

Let amare get his 40. He'll need 80 to beat us.

The Suns set great picks to get guys open for three. Nash is too good of a passer not to get the suns players open looks

Nash's passing lanes are predefined. Like ours. Defenders can play those lanes. The Suns did to the Mavs' but the Mavs were to shell shocked to do anything lastnight.

[SlamDunc21]

If you listen to what all the analysts say you have to do to beat the Suns (be able to control the boards, get back in transition defense, play solid perimeter and PnR defense, be very patient on offense, make the Suns play 20 seconds of defense each possession in the half court), the Spurs do all of them, and generally do them well.

We are the only team, and possibly the Pistons that can truly matchup with the Suns, take them out of what they like to do, and impose what we like to do upon them. We play the best overall defense, have excellent interior defenders, and pressure the perimeter players. On offense, we have the the exact 3 players you need to make life difficult for the Suns - a PF who can slow the game down and dominate in the low post, a wingman who can read defenses better than almost anyone and act well based on whatever is given to him, and a lightning fast PG to take advantage of the Suns biggest defensive liability, the so-called MVP.

We also have been preparing for the Suns since game 1 of the playoffs. Each team is like a warmup to the Suns, with each round tougher. First a team that can run, but can't shoot. Then a team that can run, creates matchup problems, and can shoot, then the best offense in the league. But we'll be ready for them.

And finally, we have the most Finals experienced coaching staff in the West. And those coaches are very, very good at putting a team in position to win.

Will it be a tough series? Yes. Will it be a fun series? Yes. Will it be a Spurs series? Yes.

Spurs in 6.

[SPURSMANIA300]

Originally Posted by knownalien

what makes you think we will double Amare?? If it comes to it, we will gladly NOT double him if it means containing the 3's. Pop perfectly expects him to get his. But we will NOT let the others get theirs. Look here:

http://www.nba.com/games/20050509/DALPHO/boxscore.html

Let amare get his 40. He'll need 80 to beat us.

Not at least doubling him 5 or 6 teams a game is not that wise. Amare can score at will...why would you want him to completly dominate? amare will get his but the attention Amare will draw will give the rest of their players good looks. You seem to be expecting to shut down the Suns offense..no one has proved they can do It. It all depends what the Suns contend the Spurs to. Suns will need guys like richardson and johnson to play well...those are the key guys to stop. Richardson will shoot no matter what..his range is unlimited. No matter if someone is on him or not..he can knock it down. It's easier said than done to shut down everyone else...it's not like this is the lakers. They have like 6 main scoring threats. They will be alot harder to shut down

[ATotalBIATCH]

there is that old saying... i'm not old so i cant recall it word for word but basically... you shouldn't worry about the suns/whoever until we close out the sonics.

[Crusian]

Don't count out the Mavericks yet. They simply couldn't keep up their intensity from that Game 7 against Houston. Going from that to the Phoenix track meet is tough.

That said, I must mention that Erick Dampier essentially is worthless. Mentally, that guy went Ray Allen last night once it was clear Amare was taking him to school.

[DizzG]

i dont count out Dallas

I still think this series goes at least 6 games

[Martin R]

all I can think of when I think of the SUNS is Manu driving to hoop dunking on Amare and "The Matrix".

[SpursFanatic21]

They will stll average likely 100-108 PPG against the spurs in a series.

[SPURSMANIA300]

You actually expect the Spurs to hold the Suns under 100PPG for the series? wow..spurs are a great defensive team but you will not hold the suns under 100 points in a series. Their offense is like no other this league has seen since the 80's. Spurs will play their style of ball and score likely more but the suns will score over 100 as well

[duncanstein]

Everyone thinks suns are goin to win the spurs if they do meet, and all these amare fans wants him to posterise duncan, who cares anyway spurs are goin to come out on top anyway.

[Martin R]

if the Spurs expect to win a series against the SUNS, the NEED to keep them under 100ppg.

[SpurInDallas]

Doesnt anyone here not remember how the high flyin', scoring Nuggets were favored to win after we gave them Game 1? The Nuggets scored in the 100's what, once? Dont discount our defense. I think we could hold Phoenix under 100 points. We did it once and could have done it twice.

@SA SA--115 Ph--94
@PHX SA--128 Ph--123 OT
@PHX SA--101 Ph--107 *Duncan and Manu did not play

If anything, it looks like WE know how to turn it on and off. Obviously, we can run our halfcourt set almost to perfection, BUT, we can also run with these guys and get stops at the same time too!! Remember 2 years ago when we played Dallas in the WFC, they also had a high powered offense until they met us in the playoffs. Its sad that I even have to explain it like this. Our great defense will stop their high powered offense.

[SPURSMANIA300]

the nuggets don't compare to the suns offense and the suns offense is better than the mavs team that the spurs beat in the conference finals...spurs will not stop the suns offense but the spurs have enough offense to be able to score with the suns..not run with them but they can score with them.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by DizzG

i dont count out Dallas

I still think this series goes at least 6 games

I don't count Dallas out either. I say this series goes at least 4 games.......
wait a minute.....I guess I do count out Dallas. Like I said before, they have no way to stop Amare.

Should we be intimated by the Suns? Sheez, this already sounds like the fans that were worried that the Thuggets would give us problems.

I think there will be some nailbiter games in the nextround, but I am confident the Spurs will come out on top. If Sunsmania knew anything about NBA trends and Spurs b-ball, he would be confident too that the Spurs will come out on top.

Maybe you should ask your pals at SunsReport if they are intimated by the Spurs after the way they beeyotch slapped the Sonics.

[SpurInDallas]

I think Spursmania is really Steve Nash!

[SPURSMANIA300]

Originally Posted by //mh//

Why is everyone so scared of the Suns? Did you not watch the games this year when the Spurs and Suns were at full strength? The Suns are doing so well because they are playing against teams that leave them wide open for jump shots - teams that put ZERO pressure on them -- and frankly teams that aren't scoring.

Enter the Spurs : We won't leave them wide open for jump shots, Nash is going to have a hell of a time keeping up with Parker -- Joe Johnson CANNOT guard Manu Ginobili -- Tim Duncan, Nazr, and Rasho can all bang on Amare.

What are people so afraid of? You don't go from one season as a lottery team to the next winning the NBA Finals -- It just doesn't happen.

Spurs in 6.

Don't count Dallas out yet either -- The Suns cannot continue to shoot three pointers like they do all the way through the playoffs -- It's just not rational to believe they will shot 50% every game.

I agree with your prediction but the spurs and suns havn't played each other at full strength or with the roster they have now.

[Martin R]

ditto.

besides, I want to know the name of the player who is going to stop Manu ??? Joe BURNED Johnson????

I think Manu will be double teamed from time to time. Specially when he goes into his very famous UNCONCIUOS mode.

[SPURSMANIA300]

Originally Posted by Blake

I don't count Dallas out either. I say this series goes at least 4 games.......
wait a minute.....I guess I do count out Dallas. Like I said before, they have no way to stop Amare.

Should we be intimated by the Suns? Sheez, this already sounds like the fans that were worried that the Thuggets would give us problems.

I think there will be some nailbiter games in the nextround, but I am confident the Spurs will come out on top. If Sunsmania knew anything about NBA trends and Spurs b-ball, he would be confident too that the Spurs will come out on top.

Maybe you should ask your pals at SunsReport if they are intimated by the Spurs after the way they beeyotch slapped the Sonics.

Did someone hit you with a stupidstick? I'm picking the Spurs over the Suns..i just think it will be a very close series.