Suns Fans

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Who do you see as the toughest matchup for you in the playoffs?

[JamStone]

I'm not a Suns fan but I'll respond. Just like every other Western Conference team, almost any match-up will be tough for the Suns. Spurs and Lakers are probably the two best teams overall in the West but the Suns match up with both fairly well, at least as well as a team could hope. Hornets would be misery on the Suns because no one on the Suns can contain CP3. Jazz would be murder as well because they play uptempo and would pick-and-roll Shaq and Amare to death. But, the "toughest" match-up for the Suns like several teams in the West could very well be the Golden State Warriors if they make the playoffs and those two teams somehow meet. There style and line-ups make it impossible for the Suns to match up with. And, even if the Suns go to small ball, Golden State plays small ball better and more ferociously than the Suns.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

You really think the Suns have a hard time with the Warriors? I think the Warriors lack discipline to out run the Suns this year. The Suns transition D seems to have improved so I'm sure that would be a good factor in the playoffs.

I think their toughest matchup might be either Utah or New Orleans.

[JamStone]

If there is anything Don Nelson can do it's identify and exploit a mismatch. Just like last playoffs, he attacked Dirk's weaknesses. You can guarantee he'll do the same with Steve Nash. Who is Steve Nash going to guard? Baron? Monta? Jax? Expect anyone Nash guards to get plenty of isolation plays early on to wear down Nash and force D'Antoni to counter maneuver. And, if Nash gets killed on defense guarding isolations, what can D'Antoni do except play zone?

As for being undisciplined, that very well may be the case. But, if the Warriors get into a groove and guys like Baron and Jax and Ellis are clicking, lack of discipline doesn't matter nearly as much. If they got it going, they can make poor decision after poor decision and they'll probably still score, still get steals, and still win games.

[Xylus]

If Bynum were to return and was near peak shape, then the Lakers are by far our toughest matchup. Shaq would have trouble guarding the young guy because he's so quick and athletic. Shaq's the better player overall, but Bynum's youth would be a huge advantage. Meanwhile, it would be a race between Gasol and Stoudemire to see who fouls out the other first. And of course, Kobe cannot be stopped when he's in the zone... not by Bell, not by Bowen, not by anyone. The Lakers would be the favorites, 'cause even when they were a much more inferior team, they still gave us fits.

If Bynum comes back and isn't anywhere near peak shape, or if he doesn't return at all, the Suns are definitely the favorites.

Aside from the Lakers, I'd say the New Orleans Hornets are our worst matchup. They're strong at nearly every position, starting with the MVP of the league, Chris Paul. I imagine D'Antoni would stick Bell on Paul defensively, which would only be somewhat effective seeing as how CP3 does pretty much whatever he wants these days. Again, it would be a race between David West and Stoudemire to see who fouls out the other first (though I'd put money on Stoudemire fouling West out first). To make things worse, the Hornets are 4-0 against us this year, 1-0 against the Shaqqed-up Suns, so they have the mental edge over us.

In order from easiest to hardest matchup:

Nuggets > Rockets > Warriors > Jazz > Mavs > Spurs > Lakers > Hornets > Timberwolves

[Findog]

I'm not a Suns fan but I'll respond. Just like every other Western Conference team, almost any match-up will be tough for the Suns. Spurs and Lakers are probably the two best teams overall in the West but the Suns match up with both fairly well, at least as well as a team could hope. Hornets would be misery on the Suns because no one on the Suns can contain CP3. Jazz would be murder as well because they play uptempo and would pick-and-roll Shaq and Amare to death. But, the "toughest" match-up for the Suns like several teams in the West could very well be the Golden State Warriors if they make the playoffs and those two teams somehow meet. There style and line-ups make it impossible for the Suns to match up with. And, even if the Suns go to small ball, Golden State plays small ball better and more ferociously than the Suns.

Nobody in their right mind should savor a matchup with Phoenix either.

[BLACKMAMBA24]

I felt good about the last game against the suns,the only lost this year was without Pau or Bynum.I am praying to play Amare and "two time".

[monosylab1k]

TNT execs are praying 24/7 for a 1st round matchup set of Suns-Lakers, Mavs-Spurs, Jazz-Rockets, and for the Warriors to get back in.

[Findog]

TNT execs are praying 24/7 for a 1st round matchup set of Suns-Lakers, Mavs-Spurs, Jazz-Rockets, and for the Warriors to get back in.

That would have to be the greatest 1st round ever.

[AZLouis]

Who do you see as the toughest matchup for you in the playoffs?

Everybody but the bottom half of the East.

[JMarkJohns]

The sans-Bynum Lakers concern me greatly, so long as Gasol is playing well. The Hornets have given the Suns fits with and without Shaq. Tough call on Utah. Suns should have beaten them with Shaq, save for a collapse, so I can't get a read on the difficulty.

Those three are probably their toughest matchups personel-wise. Those three teams can pic-n-roll the Suns bigs into the ground.

San Antonio still bothers me, but mostly because of the psyche factor.

Dallas could pose a threat. To difficult to tell, though.

Houston shouldn't be a problem.

Denver is iffy, but I like Phoenix in the series, same in a Golden State series.

Lakers 60%-40% Suns
Hornets 60%-40% Suns
Jazz 55%-Suns 45%
Spurs 45%-55% Suns
Mavs 45%-55% Suns
Nuggets 40%-60% Suns
Warriors 40%-60% Suns
Rockets 35%-65% Suns

Pistons 60%-40% Suns
Celtics 55%-45% Suns, largely due to homecourt.
Magic 45%-55% Suns
Cavaliers 35%-65% Suns

That's how I see it.

[JamStone]

Everybody but the bottom half of the East.


Washington and Philadelphia would both give the Suns hell.

[yourcheatinheart]

hornets, lakers, jazz

[JackArse]

JMJ kinda hits on what i'm thinking. without bynum, the lakers worry me, because of gasol playing center he'll go out drawing shaq out. with bynum, shaq would be covering him closer to the paint with amare guarding him outside. the lakers are a harder matchup without bynum right now than with, plus if bynum comes back, he and gasol haven't played together yet.

hornets are probably the hardest one, but with the way fouls are called in the playoffs, im not sure if they'll be good, but cp3 is a freaking badass.

and.. GS always scares me, they can run like hell, and are a bigger version than the suns were at their best.

[BillsCarnage]

The sans-Bynum Lakers concern me greatly, so long as Gasol is playing well. The Hornets have given the Suns fits with and without Shaq. Tough call on Utah. Suns should have beaten them with Shaq, save for a collapse, so I can't get a read on the difficulty.

Agreed. The Bynum-less Fakers cause problems w/ Shaq guarding Pau. With Bynum I think it'll be in the Suns' favor.

Aside from that, if the Suns offense is flowing, they hustle and the transition/zone D is working they will beat anyone in the league except Detroit. The Pistons are the only team i don't think the Suns can beat in a 7gm series.

Now if the Suns go all E*trade baby like they did in the 4th quarters of Utah and Dallas then they won't get out of the first round.

I think the west will end up like this

#1 Fakers (breaker over hornets)
#2 Hornets
#3 Suns (breaker over Spurs & Rockets)
#4 Jazz
#5 Spurs
#6 Rockets
#7 Mavs
#8 Nuggets

It's going to be a crazy 1st round no matter how it ends up.

[RonMexico]

I fear the Hornets and Utah.

I fear playing the Lakers when any crew is led by Bennett Salvatore. I also fear the Lakers when they get into full-on "let Kobe travel for the whole 4th quarter" mode.

[JMarkJohns]

Agreed. The Bynum-less Fakers cause problems w/ Shaq guarding Pau. With Bynum I think it'll be in the Suns' favor.

Aside from that, if the Suns offense is flowing, they hustle and the transition/zone D is working they will beat anyone in the league except Detroit. The Pistons are the only team i don't think the Suns can beat in a 7gm series.

Now if the Suns go all E*trade baby like they did in the 4th quarters of Utah and Dallas then they won't get out of the first round.

I think the west will end up like this

#1 Fakers (breaker over hornets)
#2 Hornets
#3 Suns (breaker over Spurs & Rockets)
#4 Jazz
#5 Spurs
#6 Rockets
#7 Mavs
#8 Nuggets

It's going to be a crazy 1st round no matter how it ends up.

That would be ideal for the Suns. Play Houston in round won, then hope Dallas upsets New Orleans, then hope San Antonio or Utah upset LA.

[mojorizen7]

Washington and Philadelphia would both give the Suns hell.
Uh...no.
Meanwhile,back on planet earth..........N.O. is our toughest matchup both mentally and man-on-man matchup wise. The spurs are still a tough matchup from a mental toughness perspective but they are no longer physically superior to the Suns. The Lakers are tough(for any team) due to the Kobe factor. The Jazz still execute their offense better than any other team in the league i think. However,they run some uptempo offense at times which has caused their defense to slip a little in terms of dictating tempo which suits the Suns just fine.
#1-HORNETS
#2-SPURS
#3-LAKERS
#4-JAZZ
Bonus footage: The SUNS worst matchup in any scenario is the PISTONS.

[1Parker1]

Hornets are too athletic for the Suns. They have great peremeter players and the Suns peremeter defense is practically non-existent. I think Raja Bell is too slow to put on CP3 and he's a great counter PG to Nash. They are an uptempo team and can basically make Shaq a non-factor in the series.

[1Parker1]

Oh and the 2nd team is the Utah Jazz. I think the Jazz are just way too tough and physical for the Suns to handle in a 7 game series. Everyone talks about how "tough" the Suns have gotten since the Shaq deal, but I really don't see it. Amare is still prone to losing his cool and focus the second anyone gets even a little physical with him. DWilliams and Boozer can pick and roll Shaq and Stoudamire all night long and Williams has the size and quickness to bother Nash defensively.