How do you beat the Phoenix Suns?

[T Park]

I'd be interested in hearing some thoughts on how you do it.

Other teams fans in the west please chime in, Phoenix seems to play the Spurs well, but other teams seem to match up better now. What is that said team's secret?


Can't wait to see the responses!!

[spursfaninla]

I do think Shaq changes the way we have to attack the suns.

The first thought is, DO NOT PANIC. We only lost the last game because Manu was hurt.

Second, Tim has to punish Shaq for guarding him, either by getting him in foul trouble by trying to drive or pnr with manu and parker.

Third, stay in front of Amare. Dude is a dunk machine and it helps to stay between him and the basket. NEVER leave that er if you can help it. I would rather let a guy get to the hoop and still prevent him from getting going.

Fourth, defend Steve Nash. He has been shooting relatively badly recently, so encourage that with Parker really hounding him. I think we need to have Bowen guard him only in the 4th and IF he gets hot.

Finally, HOLD BARBOSA and to keep him off the fast break. The dude is useless otherwise.

The rest should take care of itself.

[dy-nasty21]

force nash to turnover the ball
get amare into foul trouble
push the ball as much as possible with shaq on the court
pick and roll the out of them in the half court

[tlongII]

You don't if you're the Spurs. Payback is a .

[BonnerDynasty]

Hunger and heart of a returning champion.

[Stabbin' Cabin]

Get Amare out of the game. Oberto has been very good at selling the "fouls." Since Marion was traded our offense has been centered around Amare, without him we're toast.

[BonnerDynasty]

Refs don't have the balls to foul out Amare and Shaq

Better not be relying on that.

[iLovERocKetSaUCe]

The general trend of Phoenix games seems to be A) we start off strong getting points in the paint, thus opening up our outside shooters or B) we play horrible from the beginning on the inside, and continue this ty momentum to the outside...aka get amare in foul trouble

[spursrule32]

you beat the sons by using their former strategy against them - you run on them. they brought in shaqfu for defense, but obviously shaq's defense is limited to a half court offense. we do very well in transition defense and at the end of the day, the sooner you get shaq to quit the better. Amare is going to get his - we do not have anyone to defend his athleticism, but he's vulnerable on defense. We have to have good ball rotation to catch the seams that gets Tony to basket and allows Manu to get one on one situations. If we try to run our offense through Timmy posting up, we give in to the reason why they got shaq. Hill has been shooting well against us, but if you run against the sons he will eventually break down. Barbosa is quick, but if you close the lanes off against him he usually settles for a bad fade away shot. Bottom line - we need to make them try to figure out how to defend us instead of us trying to figure out how to defend them.

[itzsoweezee]

1. parker and ginobili must drive to the hoop
- get amare and shaq, two of the most, if not the most foul prone big men in the league, into foul trouble


2. pick and roll
- shaq has always been horrible with the pick and roll. it's sad really.


3. don't double team nash. ever.
- that always ends up an easy bucket for the suns

[anjlbitz]

Pick And Roll

[Jack Sommersset]

Suspended players.

[iLovERocKetSaUCe]

i'm going out on a limb and saying a total of 10 technicals with 2 ejections will be combined in this series by both teams

[spursrule32]

Suspended players.

So true - not only is Horry a legend as a sharp shooter, he's a genius in gauging opposing players' propensity to get off the bench and step on the court during an altercation. Too bad he's probably not going to play in the playoffs.

[iLovERocKetSaUCe]

you're a genius for such a clever name

[BonnerDynasty]

Oberto will jog down the court and bump into Amare at the top of the lane drawing a foul. Amare will lose his cool and deck Oberto, Ime will attack Amare with a rear naked choke hold and Bonner will toss Shaq into the crowd.

Game 2. Book it.

[SenorSpur]

1. Since the Suns are such a horrible defensive team, pick and roll their assess into submission.

2. Tim must pull Shaq away from the basket by hitting his outside shot consistently

3. Attack the rim and try getting both Shaq and Amare in foul trouble

4. Perimeter defenders must close out on Suns outside shooters.

5. Limit the Suns second chance opportunities and keep the Suns offensive rebounds to a minimum.

6. As always, thwart their fastbreak with good transition defense.

[DDS4]

1) Transition defense
2) Defending the Nash/Amare pick-n-roll well in the middle of the lane (their bread-n-butter play)
3) Closing out on 3-point shooters like Raja Bell and Barbosa. Make them put it on the floor.

[SAtown]

Suspended players.

...prompted by the worst flop in playoff history.

[iLovERocKetSaUCe]

you think? maybe bowens knee to nash's balls was a bigger flop??? i donno

[spursrule32]

you're a genius for such a clever name

not being clever - just a phrase we use to use to antagonize rockettes fans a decade ago (and was useful against mavs fans too later on.) Sean Elliott will always be my favorite Spur.

[iLovERocKetSaUCe]

as was he mine in nba jam...snes version of courthse

[DAF86]

1) Play the PnR betwen Manu and whoever is guarded by Shaq (and has to be Manu not Tony 'cause Shaq wont come out to help so there will be a lot of space to take wide open jumpers and it's better for us if Manu takes those shots).
2) Guard Shaq with Tim straight up, if Shaq can guard Tim by fouling him and the refs won't do 'bout it. Why can't Tim do the same to Shaq?
3) When Amare gets into foul trouble ('cause we all know he'll do that) attack him with Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Vaughn it doesn't matters just attack him. He would a) let us get an easy basket b) get another foul.
4) Don't stick to rotations. if a player is hot let'm on the game no matter what, if a guy isn't doing sit his ass down. (ex. if Finley can't buy a basket give Barry his minutes)
5) Play the big three as much as possible (specilly at the same time)
6) Let nash be the "man", i'd rather see him shooting 20 times than getting 15 assts. Specially in the PnR with Amare. Whoever guards Stout should stay with him.

[slayermin]

Like Malik Rose said about Tim Duncan in '03, if he takes it at Shaq strong, everyone else will just follow suit.

To me, Tim Duncan will win this series. But I'm a TD homer.

[DAF86]

Like Malik Rose said about Tim Duncan in '03, if he takes it at Shaq strong, everyone else will just follow suit.

To me, Tim Duncan will win this series. But I'm a TD homer.

I hope so. To me Duncan seems a little intimidated by Shaq