Game 9 (In-Season Tournament): Lakers (3-5) @ Phoenix Suns (4-4) | Friday | 8:00 PM

[Qwigglez]

Vogel is also adjusting to our players as our players are adjusting to each other. He thought Beal could carry the offensive load without KD, well he was wrong. I think that has to do with the players adjusting to each other and hoping Beal would do his thing out there.

Upset that the Suns lost, but that stretch late in the 4th where the Lakers scored on 4 or 5 consecutive baskets was clutch for the Lakers. Reaves hit a tough jumper over KBD, Lebron hit a stupid middie over Grayson Allen. Reaves hit another middie. They just hit some ridiculous shots.

Don't forget about Cam Reddish. Suns did their homework on that kid who was 2/16 on 3s in 8 games before Friday's game. Guess what... he goes 3/5 on 3s in the 4th quarter... also hit that end of 3rd quarter buzzer beater 3. He was feeling it, and the Suns were willing to die if he was hitting those shots. Similar to how the Nuggets allowed Landry Shamet to go off in Game 4 of the Semis this past postseason, not much else you can do. I suppose it's also similar to how the Lakers just allowed Okogie to chuck up 3s and could have guarded him from under the rim as he went 0/4.

Overall, the growing pains are real. At least the Suns didn't cough up the ball as much as they usually do.

[lilfishi22]

Read on Twitter

Man this is pretty worrisome with what Vogel says at the end there. KD’s iso ball should not be the Suns “best offense”, it should be ball movement and open shots. Did he not watch how the Nuggets won a title?

I miss the 2021 Suns team that was spreading the ball around everywhere and finding the open guys. Like this current Suns team will never in their lives have a play like below

https://youtu.be/1iDQD4Mleqk?si=t_-3yMuLpy_RXPfE

It's easy to point to good teams, or great championship winning teams, and say, oh why can't we just play like them. But getting the personnel to do that is easier said than done. We have the personnel to play a certain way, it won't be like the 2021 Suns, it won't be like the 2023 Nuggets, it won't be like the 2020 Lakers, it won't be like the Warrior team that won B2B titles. You or someone else mentioned we should've hired Pringles but without an elite PG like a Nash or Harden to run his system, do you know how successful he was? Just ask NY and LA. THe teams that were successful all had dominant playmakers like Jokic, Chris Paul, Lebron, Steph/Dray etc that we just don't have. You build your system around the guys you have.

We can certainly improve on a lot of different things but the way we've played, we're very clearly playing in a system and with a roster that doesn't have an elite PG. Book could very well be that guy but he's only played 2 games. But if you watch how we play, our system has a lot of triangle offense influence. A lot of action is happening on one side of the court, with spacers/shooters on the other side. You have a big man who can pass in Nurk that operating between the high elbow and low post finding guys to pass to while you have KD primarily playing that MJ/Kobe role who can initiate action from the perimeter or create from a post position.

The issue is that the triangle offense can be complex, it can be slow paced (while we're trying to keep out pace high) and it requires familiarity with the players involved which we just don't have at a high enough level yet. The offense again will adjust as we bring Book into the fold.

[Slim Charless]

This^^^^

We have no idea what the real Suns will look like as we haven't had all 3 on the court at the same time. Plus this entire new collection of bench guys. This will take time. Better to go through these bumps now as opposed to later.

[sunsbum]

Booker is the one dude I wish wasn't missing games.

Don't you know that he was too busy polishing up his cars to do rehab so he could be ready too play tonight.

Yeah - and we call Anthony Davis - "Street Clothes"

Hell we now got three "Street Clothes" on our team. HOw do you rank them.

What is going to happen to Book when he turns 27, probably miss more games?

The guys is a fantastic player when available but his reliability is really in questions at this point.

Everyone blames Monty, Ayton and CP3 for our recent collapses, they ain't here, anymore.

What is the excuse now?

James Jones has to be the worst GM in the history of the NBA. How in the world could he put together this roster without at least one legit point guard. When Nurkic is you best passer, we are in real trouble and we are just getting started.

This team is awful to watch as a matter of fact it is fast becoming unwatchable.

Goodnight

whoa. You Ight?

[sunsbg]

Start with KDB for defense, finish with Grayson for offense is the way to go IMO.

[Calvin Klein]

Yet ANOTHER 4th quarter blown lead with turnovers and predictable iso offense. it's like we are missing an important position in this team...

[sunsfan1o1]

Just sign John Wall and Rondo already.

Waive Goodwin and Little or Bol.

[Calvin Klein]

There's a reason John Wall is out of the league, guys... Who else do you want? Kemba? Isaiah Thomas?.....Jamal Crawford?

[SkyBill40]

There's a reason John Wall is out of the league, guys... Who else do you want? Kemba? Isaiah Thomas?.....Jamal Crawford?

At this point, given how desperate our need is, yeah... I'd take any of them. Hell, I'm about to drag my 49 year old ass down to the practice facility and try to get in some run. LOL

Sent from my [Samsung Z4 Fold] using RealGM mobile app

[RaisingArizona]

Booker is the one dude I wish wasn't missing games.

Don't you know that he was too busy polishing up his cars to do rehab so he could be ready too play tonight.

Yeah - and we call Anthony Davis - "Street Clothes"

Hell we now got three "Street Clothes" on our team. HOw do you rank them.

What is going to happen to Book when he turns 27, probably miss more games?

The guys is a fantastic player when available but his reliability is really in questions at this point.

Everyone blames Monty, Ayton and CP3 for our recent collapses, they ain't here, anymore.

What is the excuse now?

James Jones has to be the worst GM in the history of the NBA. How in the world could he put together this roster without at least one legit point guard. When Nurkic is you best passer, we are in real trouble and we are just getting started.

This team is awful to watch as a matter of fact it is fast becoming unwatchable.

Goodnight

He's been 27 all season and has played like 2 games out of 9. Sorry to rain on your rant.

[Fifii]

We control almost whole game except last quarter and we lose. I’m too tired to describe more so I write short comments.

Bradley Beal great tree quarters and disappear in fourth. 1/4 FG , 0 assist , 2 TOV , 2 points. It speak for itself.

KDB two match ball from the corner and he all miss. Maybe Yuta should be in the closet lineup ? Yuta had 1/3 from three I know but KDB was worse with 1/6. I know KDB have size but Yuta in D doesn’t look terrible.

Cam Reddish murder us threes form the corner especially in last min. If we have him instead KDB I can say that we will win this game.

[Bogyo]

Start with KDB for defense, finish with Grayson for offense is the way to go IMO.

Also, Eubanks could/should (?) be the first sub very early, so Nurk can get in and make plays for the second unit when 2 of our big 3 sits. Eubanks with KDB/KD/Book/Beal is a good lineup as well, albeit a bit small. Then in the second group you could have enough playmaking/shooting/defense with Nurk, Yuta, one of the big 3 and then 2 of Gordon/Allen/Okogie/Goodwin/Little depending on the situation and who is having a better night. More balanced, and the big 3 won't need as much playmaking as the second unit who seem to be a bit of a 3 blind mice when it comes to that. Maybe that changes as well when Gordon and Allen are strictly subs...
Bottom line is - with a bit of practice, familiarity, trial and error, we should be much better going forward when healthy.

[enigmatics]

4th time we've lost from last quarter drought?

That's what happens when you keep your stars benched for half the 4th quarter - hell just your starting 5 in general.

It's as if our head coach does not understand which quarter is the most important one. You can also use your timeouts to break up the quarter to rest KD while playing him. Or run an actual offense when he sits. We run the most basic offense I have seen ever in an NBA setting, and our guys seem unsure what they are even doing.

Exactly. The Lakers do it with Lebron all the time where they start him in the 4th, sit him for a couple mins, use timeouts and then bring him in for the stretch run.

Vogels rotations are the most stubborn I have ever seen - worse than Monty.

[bullsaficianado]

There's a reason John Wall is out of the league, guys... Who else do you want? Kemba? Isaiah Thomas?.....Jamal Crawford?

If I was Suns I would try John Wall on a 10 day contract and if he looks good still sign him for the rest of the season.

Suns have been in the games they have lost it's just the turnovers and missed shots that come back to bite.

[enigmatics]

Start with KDB for defense, finish with Grayson for offense is the way to go IMO.

Ideally, but it's very much situational/matchup.

[flagstaff]

That's what happens when you keep your stars benched for half the 4th quarter - hell just your starting 5 in general.

It's as if our head coach does not understand which quarter is the most important one. You can also use your timeouts to break up the quarter to rest KD while playing him. Or run an actual offense when he sits. We run the most basic offense I have seen ever in an NBA setting, and our guys seem unsure what they are even doing.

Exactly. The Lakers do it with Lebron all the time where they start him in the 4th, sit him for a couple mins, use timeouts and then bring him in for the stretch run.

Vogels rotations are the most stubborn I have ever seen - worse than Monty.

That might be stretching it...

[sunsfan1o1]

There's a reason John Wall is out of the league, guys... Who else do you want? Kemba? Isaiah Thomas?.....Jamal Crawford?

Yea the reason is politics.
I’d take John Wall and Rondo over Goodwin 10 times out of 10. Wouldn’t even question it.
Goodwin has no place in the NBA. He’s just not good.

[bwoolf2]

Read on Twitter

Man this is pretty worrisome with what Vogel says at the end there. KD’s iso ball should not be the Suns “best offense”, it should be ball movement and open shots. Did he not watch how the Nuggets won a title?

I miss the 2021 Suns team that was spreading the ball around everywhere and finding the open guys. Like this current Suns team will never in their lives have a play like below

https://youtu.be/1iDQD4Mleqk?si=t_-3yMuLpy_RXPfE

Exactly, you can't go to iso ball, and then when KD gets triple teamed expect others ro execute when they have been frozen out of the offense for the 4th quarter. Hey I know you haven't touched the ball in 6 minutes but i need you to hit this shot now, that's just bad basketball.

[Calvin Klein]

There's a reason John Wall is out of the league, guys... Who else do you want? Kemba? Isaiah Thomas?.....Jamal Crawford?

Yea the reason is politics.
I’d take John Wall and Rondo over Goodwin 10 times out of 10. Wouldn’t even question it.
Goodwin has no place in the NBA. He’s just not good.

what politics???

[bwgood77]

This game could have gone either way and we are missing are best player. The sky is not falling. It sucks we blew a lead, but basketball is a game of streaks. We started off hot. There were positives, like Beal being back and playing well overall. Though he started off really hot and then went cold, but it was good to see him hot to start.

It was nice that KD and Nurk had only 6 turnovers between them instead of 12 like the previous game.

I had mentioned I hope/think Beal will help limit the turnovers and for most of the game he had 1, but had a late one to end up with 2. Still better than the turnovers KD, Nurk and Book have had, which often gets up to 5 or 6.

It's still early, and remember the year we got to the championship, to start the season when integrating even Paul, even with a healthy team, we started 8-8.