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Too bad Mr. Long won't get his wish.
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d...44/1113/SPORTS
We Need The Suns To Rise
By Corey Long
[email protected]
Don't say I hate San Antonio, because it's not true.
That being said, for the sake of the NBA and its fans, it's important for Phoenix to make an improbable comeback, win the Western Conference and advance to the NBA Finals.
It's nothing personal against the Spurs. Tim Duncan is great. I love that Tony Parker drags Eva Longoria everywhere with him. Manu Ginobili has taken the flop to another level. Even Nazr Mohammed looks halfway coherent in the Spurs' offense.
That being said, the Suns are the league's biggest attraction for one simple reason -- they score points.
In the simplest of times, basketball was made around one objective -- score more than the other team.
These days, the terminology is over-diluted with hand checks, man zones, defending the high screen and posting up on the left block.
Today's NBA is so confusing, it's no wonder the coaches have forgotten to teach scoring.
But even in tough times the Suns have kept it real. Head coach Mike D'Antoni saw a starting five of Steve Nash, Joe Johnson, Quentin Richardson, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion.
Then he saw a bench thinner than the Olsen twins and realized that he didn't want to go there.
So the solution was simple. The Suns decided to run the floor and score at a blistering pace, pleasing the fans and the media.
Defense? Who needs it.
Besides the more defense you play, the greater chance of getting fouls called. More fouls means D'Antoni has to look to his bench.
And the bench doesn't want to be bothered. Look at Jake Voskuhl; he's almost asleep. And Paul Shirley is chatting on his cell phone.
I can't lie -- I wrote off the Suns initially. I called them a flash in the pan. I even said I'd vote for Shaq over Nash for the MVP. This was wrong. I need the Suns. The people need the Suns. Basketball fans have been denied a professional team that can score for too long.
Even better than that, the Suns force their opponents to score. Before this series was set, the scoreboards in San Antonio probably didn't have three digits on them.
There's no way the Spurs can keep up with the scoring pace they've set: 121 points in Game 1 and 111 points in Game 2. They've already hit their threegame total from the 2003 Finals against the Nets.
Meanwhile, more Phoenix means more Stoudemire. How is it that this guy is having the best playoff run of anyone since Jordan and all we keep talking about is Shaq's thigh?
Stoudemire is averaging 28 points and 11 boards and he's just 21 years old. He's already better than Moses Malone.
And check out Nash, the league's MVP. He scores 48 one night in Dallas and gets a tripledouble the next.
Winning 4 of the next five against the Spurs is more than a tall order. But the Lakers were down 0-2 against the Spurs last year and won four straight, so it's definitely possible.
In all likelihood the Suns will set in five, maybe six games. They will take their aggressive offense with them, leaving us to suffer through another NBA finals chock full of isolation plays.
In spite of all that, hopefully the Suns will decide to keep running and maybe the rest of the league will run with them.
Corey Long can be reached at [email protected] or at 863-802-7556.
Too bad Mr. Long won't get his wish.
better than moses malone? fool needs to watch some tape
Okay folks, email corey long. Without our attention he will never, ever get the money required to fund his education.
He does make an excellant point about them being able to score points, problem is we score more points.
Hey IDIOT the Spurs did just that they scored more points than the other team.
Best playoff run since Jordan?
I guess Tim Duncan's 25/15/5/4 run through 24 games culminating in a near quadruple double wasn't that good.
this is the stupidest article yet
"How is it that this guy is having the best playoff run of anyone since Jordan "
Jordan and Pippen were recognized defensive players right?
So whats wrong with defense :confused
go and eat sh!t MR COREY LONG !
People hate what is foreign to them.
Phoenix writers/fans hate defense.
Do I need to put this into analogy form, or is the point understood?
Maybe he figures that it'd be easier for Miami to win if they play Phoenix. :P
Don't hustle to get back on defense. Now that's basketball.
When the Suns are forced to play in the half court, they continuously spread the floor with Marion and Richardson in the corners while Nash isolates and runs around screens from the bigs until he finds something. They need a new strategy.
Stoudemire's better than Moses Malone? Amare is a lot like Nowitzki; amazing offensive player, pussy on the boards, and doesn't even care to defend. Moses was a of a rebounder and intimidator. Amare's going to get there because he's an absolute incredible talent, but he still has a LONG way to go.
What the f*** is the matter with these idiots?
The Spurs are playing the "scoring" game...and are OUTSCORING a high scoring team.
Instead of lamenting that another team is outscoring such a great scoring team...they should be freakin' happy about it. They are getting the high scoring games they say they love so much!
What's the f***ing problem here?
Do these people who state they love high scoring games wish that the SPURS wouldn't score so high?
Doesnt this guy know about street basketball and the Harlem Globe Trotters?
Why doesnt he just watch the And 1 Mix Tape. No defense to worry about there. Plenty of points.
Seriously, Long, why the are you watching the NBA, much less covering it?
I really don't get who hires these stupid journalists... they have nothing to write about..
I'm pretty most of the smart people in these forums could do a better job, not because they are spurs fans...but because they know the spurs are the best ...
Word.I really don't get who hires these stupid journalists... they have nothing to write about..
I'm pretty most of the smart people in these forums could do a better job, not because they are spurs fans...but because they know the spurs are the best ...
lol! This can not be a real article! how pathetic!
No defense? While we're at it, why not have the NBA championship be determined by a game of HORSE!
Stoudemire made Nash as much as Nash made him. Nowitzki wasn't getting him in the MVP voting.
That's why this lame bas is a beat writer for a Florida hack job. When was the last time any Florida team won a national championship, not just on the professional level, but collegiate as well.
Thought so. That's my point.
Great article, LakerGod, keep em coming.
that writer deserves to die.
stupid article!
Looks like Mr. Long was up against a deadline and needed to pull something out of his ass.
I think my sig applies for this instance.
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