Depth

[RobinsontoDuncan]

Every non-Suns fan I have talked to keeps telling me that the Suns are going to break down, you can't play 40 minutes a game and still have fresh legs after 100 games. They all think we will beat them with our depth.

Well after watching the game last night I think I'm going to have to check that first premise, but I am still optomisitc about the second one.

The problem is, I want to know if Devin Brown is healthy, if Brent Barry can step his game up, if Beno can play like he played the Suns in the regular season and how he played Denver last series, if Rasho has anything at all to give us (I haven't seen him on the floor for any meaningful stretch of time since the first few games in round 1), if Glenn Robinson has finally got back into solid basketball form after his huge lay-off, if Robert Horry can keep this up (the one player I am most sure of on our bench), and if Tony Massenberg can come be the enforcer we might need against a team that has withered at physical play before.

What do you all think? I really hope that Devin Brown, Brent Barry, and Tim Duncan are all ready to play and will be dominant in this series. Two players for injury and one for a lack of testicular development.

[Manu20]

I think Barry will play really good in this series. I don't no why is just a feeling.

[GrandeDavid]

You are right on about Devin, Rasho and the supporting cast, particularly Devin. We will need him badly to help drop the hammer on the Spurs, exploiting their so-called lack of depth. I also do not necessarily buy into this fatigue thing. The Suns seem to really love playing a fast-paced game and they certainly love playing together. I don't think fatigue in itself will be an issue. The key, in addition to quality depth, is in the Spurs defense. If the Spurs can get back on defense by hitting a few shots, they can stymie Phoenix at times. Take them out of their game. I think that the Spurs' ability to defend as a team will define the series. Stay out of foul trouble, get back, use your depth. Find a way to get Devin Brown on the floor.

[ducks]

barry or big dog will go off atleast 2 games in this series

[cherylsteele]

Every non-Suns fan I have talked to keeps telling me that the Suns are going to break down, you can't play 40 minutes a game and still have fresh legs after 100 games. They all think we will beat them with our depth.

Well after watching the game last night I think I'm going to have to check that first premise, but I am still optomisitc about the second one.

The problem is, I want to know if Devin Brown is healthy, if Brent Barry can step his game up, if Beno can play like he played the Suns in the regular season and how he played Denver last series, if Rasho has anything at all to give us (I haven't seen him on the floor for any meaningful stretch of time since the first few games in round 1), if Glenn Robinson has finally got back into solid basketball form after his huge lay-off, if Robert Horry can keep this up (the one player I am most sure of on our bench), and if Tony Massenberg can come be the enforcer we might need against a team that has withered at physical play before.

What do you all think? I really hope that Devin Brown, Brent Barry, and Tim Duncan are all ready to play and will be dominant in this series. Two players for injury and one for a lack of testicular development.

I seem to recall you losing faith in team not too long ago.

[GrandeDavid]

On other factor is the Spurs' ability to withstand physical play and tough road environments. The Spurs faced altitude and crying against Denver, then classless fans and more bitching against Seattle. the Spurs have won three huge road games this playoff series, and should've won four. They have proven they can win on the road. This has to concern Phoenix as well.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

I said that Duncan was playing like C-Webb and that wouldn't be enough to win a championship, but against Sean Marion or Amare I'm not as worried about Duncan's play this series as I am in the next. Besides I am hoping against hope for a return to 2003 form by the big fundamental.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

You also have to think about the flip side to that Grande, the Suns had the best road record this season and have be no sloutches on the road in the playoffs either, we ought to remember to come out guns-a-blazin' at home every game this series.

The big three I am most concerned about off the bench are Beno, Brown, and Barry. All three have shown they can be back breakers at times for opposing teams, and all three have been either hurt or lackluster for most of the playoffs, we will probably give the Suns hell without great play from them, but with great play from those guys I am more than confident we will destroy them. Hell with great play from those guys we would be 8-0 in the playoffs right now.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I think Barry will play really good in this series. I don't no why is just a feeling.

Probably because the Phoenix creed on defense is "hurry up and score so we can get the ball back."

[Im Here Huckleberry]

.

[wildbill2u]

The problem is, I want to know if Devin Brown is healthy, if Brent Barry can step his game up, if Beno can play like he played the Suns in the regular season and how he played Denver last series, if Rasho has anything at all to give us (I haven't seen him on the floor for any meaningful stretch of time since the first few games in round 1), if Glenn Robinson has finally got back into solid basketball form after his huge lay-off, if Robert Horry can keep this up (the one player I am most sure of on our bench), and if Tony Massenberg can come be the enforcer we might need against a team that has withered at physical play before.

What do you all think? I really hope that Devin Brown, Brent Barry, and Tim Duncan are all ready to play and will be dominant in this series. Two players for injury and one for a lack of testicular development.

Earlier in the year I thought our depth would be a deciding factor. We seemed to have good contributors off the bench at every position--especially with the addition of Big Dog and NASR.

So far, the bench has been a disappointment (Nasr's now a starter) Rasho has been invisible. Robinson's conditioning shouldn't be a factor. He had some good games in Denver series but has been left out of the rotation since. Barry has been awful on offense. Beno looks like the rookie he is. Devin is limited by his injury and no help.

So I don't buy the argument that our bench is the secret to beating a short-rotation Sun's club. Not unless they play much better like they did during the regular season.

[T Park]

Probably because the Phoenix creed on defense is "hurry up and score so we can get the ball back."


the games dallas won, were games they set the tempo slowed it down, and the Suns half court offense looked like a bunch of guys runnin around and nash dribbling the ball around the perimiter.

Stay up in nash's face forcing the drive, deny the pass by fronting everyone else, and force Nash to force up bad shots.

Also, not one jumpshot UNCONTESTED.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

We will still need to score in bunches to beat them.

[td4mvp21]

Well another thing is the Suns have not played a very good defensive team this playoffs. I think the series depends on at least these two things:

1. How good our defense is
2. How the Suns react to hard nosed playoff defense if we can deliver it(which i think we can)

[team-work]

I'm a true Spurs fan, but I don't think the Spurs can easily beat Phoenix in 4 to 5 games, simply judging from the current play of these 2 teams. To say the Suns have no depth, and their starters will run out of gas eventually is too optimistic. The Spurs must maintain good focus, control the tempo of the game, work hard on defense, and hit a few shots, by different players, as well. Ginobili may become their focus of attention, so Duncan, Parker, and a number of reserves must step up on offense (can't wait until Devin Brown is healthy as his old self!)

[spurster]

The Spurs need to:

Get back on defense as good as or better than they did vs. the Nuggets.

Stop their pick-and-roll. The Sonics were very successful with the pick-and-roll. With the Suns, fortunately only Nash seems to be good enough to run it. Maybe put Bowen on Nash.

Make the Suns play defense. That is what will wear the Suns down.

Use TD to put Marion and Amare into foul trouble.

Block out on the defensive boards, especially Marion and Nash. Everybody needs to crash the boards on defense.

[Streakyshooter08]

Thats the thing that impressed me the most about Phoenix. They played the entire year with 7/8 players and still run run run... It doesn't seem that they will be tired in the WCF... Going to be a great series.

GO SPURS GO!!!

[MadDog73]

I'm thinking that Tim Duncan > Chris Webber.

What do you think RobinsonToC-Webb?

[Obstructed_View]

The Suns have taken less punishment than the Spurs this post season. Minutes don't take as much out of you as hitting the floor. The Suns will have plenty of gas for this. If the Spurs try to make it a horse race and just throw bodies at them, they'll get run out of the gym. IMO they just need to push the ball, move their feet and get back on defense; the same things that made them successful to this point.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

I think that Joe Johnson, if he is the same Joe Johnson of old, has the ball handling skills to run the pick and roll, but I haven't ever seen him do it.

The point that we did do an excellent job on Denver with reguard to fast break points is important IMO, I wonder how well Phoenix can score from the half court set. I also think that our defense took a turn for the worse against the sonics games 3-6, I'm not sure if that was the fault of injuries or just due to the Sonics matching up well with us because they had so many disposable bigs, something Phoenix def. does not have.

I like what I see though from stephen Hunter (I think it's stephen) he was pretty good last night against _allas.

It will be important for us to do the same things against Phoenix as Denver, mainly outnumber the opposing team on the break, get back before they can get easy lay-ups and dunks.

Hopefully Tim's ankle will be good to go and Devin can return to midseason form.

[SequSpur]

The Suns played 6 or 7 players yesterday and had no problem with winning against Dallas.

Bench is overrated.

Especially when you have commercials, halftime, quarter breaks, etc. etc...

Having a bench is only good if you have 6 fouls.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

Good point, and outside of Hunter, McCarthy, and Stoudamire the Suns have very few people to throw at Duncan, meaing foul trouble might be a problem for them.... I know that's not what you were getting at Sequ, but it is a good point none-the-less.

[mookie2001]

joe johnson>joe smith>joe blow