Game 43: Chicago Bulls (21-23) @ Phoenix Suns (24-18) l Monday l 7:00pm l AZFamily

[SunsRback4Good]

Porzingus could have been that guy but chose to get injured constantly ruining a magical career.

When I say 6'11" SG I mean it literally. He is a shooting guard who happens to be 6'11". KD has all the moves and handles that a guard does. All the guys like Giannis/Porzingis/Wemby/Chet do not have that offensive toolbox to the extent that guards do. They are still big men. Not saying they aren't or can't be as good, just that KD has the full arsenal.

Also thanks for wishing me good health in the prediction thread! Hope you and your mother get well soon as well. Great win to help us feel better.

C'mon man, don't be comparing the likes of Chet and Porzingis to KD they are a few levels apart as players. Or course KD is amazing he's one of the best to ever do it.

Wemby might get there one day, but the other guys just no.

Noa Essengue Will be the next KD from France in a few years. Be prepared you have been warned.

[sunskerr]

C'mon man, don't be comparing the likes of Chet and Porzingis to KD they are a few levels apart as players. Or course KD is amazing he's one of the best to ever do it.

Wemby might get there one day, but the other guys just no.

You read my post wrong. All I did was point out that KD's talent/skills is that of an actual, literal shooting guard - not "a big man with guard skills" ala giannis/porzingis etc., and that therefore the talk of comparing "unicorns" to KD was misplaced.

[Saberestar]

KD

[Saberestar]

[SunsRback4Good]

Nice pic! Looks almost identical to KD!

[lilfishi22]

There's ALWAYS going to be something to complain about if it isn't like a 20pt blow out win where Bol Bol gets like 18min

"We shouldn't have been down"
"We should've blown them out"
"But the Big 3 played so many minutes"
"That team sucks and we still struggled"
"We should've shut them out in the 2nd quarter when we had the chance!"

This isn't the prettiest of wins but in a season like this, I'm not taking ANY win for granted.

[Saberestar]

Props to Book for stepping aside in this one.

He recognized that KD was the better option tonight and he just attempted 11 shots in 41 minutes. That's a mature and smart move.

[Golanator]

KD is him.

Like Vogel has said, a lot more fun to learn in wins than in losses. Keep it up, tough one Wednesday in Dallas

[SunsRback4Good]

Can anyone help me understand how on earth did our defense become so good? We’ve looked slow and I didn’t think we had good defenders besides KD (not counting Okogie for obvious reasons) for first 35 games, but in last 7-8 games our team has elevated defensively to a point which honestly shocks me. I had no idea whatsoever that our defense would look this legit. So what truly changed in the past few weeks?

[sashaturiaf]

Can anyone help me understand how on earth did our defense become so good? We’ve looked slow and I didn’t think we had good defenders besides KD (not counting Okogie for obvious reasons) for first 35 games, but in last 7-8 games our team has elevated defensively to a point which honestly shocks me. I had no idea whatsoever that our defense would look this legit. So what truly changed in the past few weeks?

I think it's the team getting used to each other and the rotations finally settling down since we're finally healthy. A Vogel team will always have a solid defensive system. NBA plays so fast and the players are so explosive that the slightest bit of hesitation on a rotation will cost you big especially since our guys don't have the physical attributes to compensate.

[KLEON]

Alot of ppl here have to kiss Eubanks' arse

He earned it tonight.

My God does Vucevic own Nurk. Man it's just too bad the Bulls were never interested in trading him.

Nurk looked tired tonight, no way a guy like Vucevic should own him

[Fo-Real]

KD is a cheat code! He is Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl!!!

[SunsRback4Good]

Can anyone help me understand how on earth did our defense become so good? We’ve looked slow and I didn’t think we had good defenders besides KD (not counting Okogie for obvious reasons) for first 35 games, but in last 7-8 games our team has elevated defensively to a point which honestly shocks me. I had no idea whatsoever that our defense would look this legit. So what truly changed in the past few weeks?

I think it's the team getting used to each other and the rotations finally settling down since we're finally healthy. A Vogel team will always have a solid defensive system. NBA plays so fast and the players are so explosive that the slightest bit of hesitation on a rotation will cost you big especially since our guys don't have the physical attributes to compensate.

Thanx for the explanation.

[Revived]

KD’s scoring ability is crazy. It is pretty surreal to have two guys like him and Book that are basically unstoppable once they get it going.

Caruso is an excellent player. Saw this in the last game against the Bulls too. I hope he gets traded to some contender in the East instead of being wasted away on the Bulls.

He guards KD super well but I’m always curious why KD doesn’t just turn around shoot over him (like he does all other short players) when he has 6-7 inch advantage. Plays like below are bizarre to me considering KD’s shot making ability and their height difference.

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

[Bogyo]

Can anyone help me understand how on earth did our defense become so good? We’ve looked slow and I didn’t think we had good defenders besides KD (not counting Okogie for obvious reasons) for first 35 games, but in last 7-8 games our team has elevated defensively to a point which honestly shocks me. I had no idea whatsoever that our defense would look this legit. So what truly changed in the past few weeks?

I think it's the team getting used to each other and the rotations finally settling down since we're finally healthy. A Vogel team will always have a solid defensive system. NBA plays so fast and the players are so explosive that the slightest bit of hesitation on a rotation will cost you big especially since our guys don't have the physical attributes to compensate.

This, plus I think KD and Book are a bit too smart for their own good. What I mean by that is that as I see they did not give 100% effort when Beal (and/or others) were out - they kinda knew that they have less of a chance to win games, etc... so they kinda let it go. Not full out dogging it, but just doing things 80-90% - especially on defense. Now if you have injuries and stars playing 80-90% the product will look a lot worse. Now they know its go time, they mean business and they are mean at that business. If KDB or Yuta find their shot (and not shoot 15% below their previous averages - which I didnt think was humanly possible from one year to the other) then the league is on notice - a legit contender is coming.

[Saberestar]

I can't stop watching the final shot. A thing of beauty.

[SunsRback4Good]

I can't stop watching the final shot. A thing of beauty.

That was some MJ on Craig Ehlo game winning shot. The degree of difficulty was 12 out of 10. Double pump fake to alter ur shot is super difficult to master especially with good defender jumping within your vicinity attempting to block the shot. But KD is so smooth he probably felt nothing.

[sashaturiaf]

I can't stop watching the final shot. A thing of beauty.

That was some MJ on Craig Ehlo game winning shot. The degree of difficulty was 12 out of 10. Double pump fake to alter ur shot is super difficult to master especially with good defender jumping within your vicinity attempting to block the shot. But KD is so smooth he probably felt nothing.

Legit that was one of the craziest shots I've ever seen. The awareness to know that Caruso was on his back like a panther waiting to strike yet the fundamentals and discipline to keep his eyes on the basket the whole way and not alter the shot form while delaying the **** to avoid Caruso was just otherworldly.


And the net didn't even move when the shot went in. A thing of beauty and I'll watch it over and over for a long time.

[Saberestar]

I can't stop watching the final shot. A thing of beauty.

That was some MJ on Craig Ehlo game winning shot. The degree of difficulty was 12 out of 10. Double pump fake to alter ur shot is super difficult to master especially with good defender jumping within your vicinity attempting to block the shot. But KD is so smooth he probably felt nothing.

Yeah, one of the best winning game shots that I have seen in my **** life.

This is what LeBron said about it.

That’s a TOUGH ASS shot
@KDTrey5
!!! Double Pump pull up on the move!

Read on Twitter

[lilfishi22]

I can't stop watching the final shot. A thing of beauty.

That was some MJ on Craig Ehlo game winning shot. The degree of difficulty was 12 out of 10. Double pump fake to alter ur shot is super difficult to master especially with good defender jumping within your vicinity attempting to block the shot. But KD is so smooth he probably felt nothing.

Legit that was one of the craziest shots I've ever seen. The awareness to know that Caruso was on his back like a panther waiting to strike yet the fundamentals and discipline to keep his eyes on the basket the whole way and not alter the shot form while delaying the **** to avoid Caruso was just otherworldly.


And the net didn't even move when the shot went in. A thing of beauty and I'll watch it over and over for a long time.

Anyone else, Book, Beal, pretty much anyone else without KD's height, wingspan and IQ would've had their attempt swatted from behind by Caruso. A lot of credit has to go to KD for having the awareness that Caruso is coming from behind and to double pump.

Also Nurk should get a lot more recognition for that pinpoint leading pass. Got it right where KD needed to be to pull up.

Absolutely sick game winner