Comments on: Jazz 104, Suns 99 OT – A demoralizing blow http://valleyofthesuns.com/2009/03/28/jazz-104-suns-99-ot-a-demoralizing-blow/ Phoenix Suns basketball blog. The hottest source in the Valley for Suns news, rumors and analysis with a fresh perspective from ESPN's TrueHoop affiliate. Tue, 22 May 2012 19:48:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Phoenix Suns 100, Utah Jazz 86 -- Feeling three| Valley of the Suns http://valleyofthesuns.com/2009/03/28/jazz-104-suns-99-ot-a-demoralizing-blow/comment-page-1/#comment-36686 Phoenix Suns 100, Utah Jazz 86 -- Feeling three| Valley of the Suns Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:02:21 +0000 http://valleyofthesuns.com/?p=3749#comment-36686 [...] season you may remember the Suns choking away a sure win on a botched inbounds play in a game featuring crazy runs on both sides. If the Suns inbound the [...] [...] season you may remember the Suns choking away a sure win on a botched inbounds play in a game featuring crazy runs on both sides. If the Suns inbound the [...]

]]> By: Preview: Jazz (38-22) at Suns (39-24)| Valley of the Suns http://valleyofthesuns.com/2009/03/28/jazz-104-suns-99-ot-a-demoralizing-blow/comment-page-1/#comment-34366 Preview: Jazz (38-22) at Suns (39-24)| Valley of the Suns Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:58:18 +0000 http://valleyofthesuns.com/?p=3749#comment-34366 [...] common late-season opponent for the Suns, the Jazz have been pesky recently.  They essentially ended the Suns season late last March and topped the Suns earlier this season during the infamous stretch of blown [...] [...] common late-season opponent for the Suns, the Jazz have been pesky recently.  They essentially ended the Suns season late last March and topped the Suns earlier this season during the infamous stretch of blown [...]

]]> By: Preview: Suns (26-19) at Jazz (25-18)| Valley of the Suns http://valleyofthesuns.com/2009/03/28/jazz-104-suns-99-ot-a-demoralizing-blow/comment-page-1/#comment-31798 Preview: Suns (26-19) at Jazz (25-18)| Valley of the Suns Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:29:24 +0000 http://valleyofthesuns.com/?p=3749#comment-31798 [...] certainly did not treat the Suns kindly last year; in fact you can make a case that the Suns were eliminated from the playoff picture for all intents and purposes here last season in a game in which Phoenix took a seven-point lead in [...] [...] certainly did not treat the Suns kindly last year; in fact you can make a case that the Suns were eliminated from the playoff picture for all intents and purposes here last season in a game in which Phoenix took a seven-point lead in [...]

]]> By: Seven seconds or mess: A season in chaos| Valley of the Suns http://valleyofthesuns.com/2009/03/28/jazz-104-suns-99-ot-a-demoralizing-blow/comment-page-1/#comment-9846 Seven seconds or mess: A season in chaos| Valley of the Suns Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:34:18 +0000 http://valleyofthesuns.com/?p=3749#comment-9846 [...] in that March 28 game, the Suns trailed by 21 early in the second half only to go on a tear and find themselves up seven [...] [...] in that March 28 game, the Suns trailed by 21 early in the second half only to go on a tear and find themselves up seven [...]

]]> By: Mike http://valleyofthesuns.com/2009/03/28/jazz-104-suns-99-ot-a-demoralizing-blow/comment-page-1/#comment-8902 Mike Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:09:15 +0000 http://valleyofthesuns.com/?p=3749#comment-8902 I should also mention that an experienced player would not release towards the corner of the court, where a trap is most effective and instead release to the middle. I should also mention that an experienced player would not release towards the corner of the court, where a trap is most effective and instead release to the middle.

]]> By: Mike http://valleyofthesuns.com/2009/03/28/jazz-104-suns-99-ot-a-demoralizing-blow/comment-page-1/#comment-8901 Mike Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:07:38 +0000 http://valleyofthesuns.com/?p=3749#comment-8901 Michael - you learn in most camps (and most high school or college teams) that you don't pass backwards against a press. So barnes should have tried to advance the ball forward first, not just look backwards and defer to Hill. That was just bad fundamentals at work there. Michael – you learn in most camps (and most high school or college teams) that you don’t pass backwards against a press. So barnes should have tried to advance the ball forward first, not just look backwards and defer to Hill. That was just bad fundamentals at work there.

]]> By: Michael Schwartz http://valleyofthesuns.com/2009/03/28/jazz-104-suns-99-ot-a-demoralizing-blow/comment-page-1/#comment-8894 Michael Schwartz Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:44:00 +0000 http://valleyofthesuns.com/?p=3749#comment-8894 No question Barnes was a major reason for the defeat, but you can place a good deal of blame on every one of the starters and a few of the reserves, too, for missing open shots and making dumb mistakes. Yes, Barnes missed three layups, but by Eddie Johnson's count, the Suns as a team missed eight. EIGHT!! That's a staggering number. Barnes wasn't the only Sun missing point blank shots, so that's why I chose to point that stat out as a team instead of chiding Barnes personally. Barnes also scored 10 points in that first quarter and hit a couple of treys to keep them in a game that they tried to give away in the second quarter. As for the last play, remember that game in OKC earlier this year where the Suns ran off like 10 secs to end the game without the Thunder fouling? Barnes said he wanted to pass to chew the clock, and that's honestly the right play, especially when he's not exactly Steve Nash at the line. Hill shoots 80 percent and Barnes 75, and with the way he was slumping with his shot, I'm not so sure I'd want him at the line in that situation. You can also place blame on Hill for not being ready for the pass back, so essentially I can understand Barnes' thought process in passing it back, and like I wrote, 999 times out of a 1,000 we aren't talking about that today. I also didn't get into how much they missed LB (you think they score in 11 in the second if LB is there with his instant offense boost?), and you can pick out any of the numerous mistakes the Suns made as the killer. So yes, Barnes made some of the biggest mistakes, definitely agree with you there, but he certainly wasn't alone. No question Barnes was a major reason for the defeat, but you can place a good deal of blame on every one of the starters and a few of the reserves, too, for missing open shots and making dumb mistakes. Yes, Barnes missed three layups, but by Eddie Johnson’s count, the Suns as a team missed eight. EIGHT!! That’s a staggering number. Barnes wasn’t the only Sun missing point blank shots, so that’s why I chose to point that stat out as a team instead of chiding Barnes personally. Barnes also scored 10 points in that first quarter and hit a couple of treys to keep them in a game that they tried to give away in the second quarter.

As for the last play, remember that game in OKC earlier this year where the Suns ran off like 10 secs to end the game without the Thunder fouling? Barnes said he wanted to pass to chew the clock, and that’s honestly the right play, especially when he’s not exactly Steve Nash at the line. Hill shoots 80 percent and Barnes 75, and with the way he was slumping with his shot, I’m not so sure I’d want him at the line in that situation. You can also place blame on Hill for not being ready for the pass back, so essentially I can understand Barnes’ thought process in passing it back, and like I wrote, 999 times out of a 1,000 we aren’t talking about that today.
I also didn’t get into how much they missed LB (you think they score in 11 in the second if LB is there with his instant offense boost?), and you can pick out any of the numerous mistakes the Suns made as the killer. So yes, Barnes made some of the biggest mistakes, definitely agree with you there, but he certainly wasn’t alone.

]]> By: JonZ http://valleyofthesuns.com/2009/03/28/jazz-104-suns-99-ot-a-demoralizing-blow/comment-page-1/#comment-8891 JonZ Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:53:30 +0000 http://valleyofthesuns.com/?p=3749#comment-8891 I have been enjoying this blog's take on the Suns and their season, the analysis has been better than expected.... but I have to ask how you could write an 1,100+ word post about this most terrible of losses and only give a cursory mention of Matt Barnes' catastrophic impact on the result? You briefly mention his recent, and routine, 3-point shooting slump, but completely neglect to talk about Barnes PERSONALLY missing 3 point blank, uncontested layups in the first half. Other players missed some gimmies as well, but Barnes himself left 6 points out there on shots that were unguarded layups. Then, to place the blame of the botched inbound play on Grant Hill, "who didn’t seem to be ready for the pass ... (and) never caught it cleanly before fumbling it out of bounds" is absolutely ridiculous. The shot clock was even with the game clock and the Suns were ahead by 2 points, Hill SUCCESSFULLY inbounded the ball to, guess who, Matt Barnes. Now, any high scholl basketplayer would know that all he has to do now is hold the ball tight and wait to be fouled. Then, make shots and game over. Instead, Barnes panics, just like he did when he missed 3 straight uncontested layups, and tries to pass the ball back to Hill, who wasn't even completely back in bounds. For me, Matt Barnes singlehandedly cost the Suns a game that they had to win, a game in which the other members of the team overcame a collective bad performance and fought back, overcoming a 21 point lead with an amazing run led by the bench squad. Any other player on the team, even the much maligned Robin Lopez, would have known to simply hold the ball and wait for the foul. Barnes did not, and that is inexcusable. As for why you failed to mention any of this, I am just curious. Like the blog overall, wondering if you agree or disagree with this asessment? Thanks. I have been enjoying this blog’s take on the Suns and their season, the analysis has been better than expected…. but I have to ask how you could write an 1,100+ word post about this most terrible of losses and only give a cursory mention of Matt Barnes’ catastrophic impact on the result?
You briefly mention his recent, and routine, 3-point shooting slump, but completely neglect to talk about Barnes PERSONALLY missing 3 point blank, uncontested layups in the first half. Other players missed some gimmies as well, but Barnes himself left 6 points out there on shots that were unguarded layups.
Then, to place the blame of the botched inbound play on Grant Hill, “who didn’t seem to be ready for the pass … (and) never caught it cleanly before fumbling it out of bounds” is absolutely ridiculous. The shot clock was even with the game clock and the Suns were ahead by 2 points, Hill SUCCESSFULLY inbounded the ball to, guess who, Matt Barnes. Now, any high scholl basketplayer would know that all he has to do now is hold the ball tight and wait to be fouled. Then, make shots and game over. Instead, Barnes panics, just like he did when he missed 3 straight uncontested layups, and tries to pass the ball back to Hill, who wasn’t even completely back in bounds. For me, Matt Barnes singlehandedly cost the Suns a game that they had to win, a game in which the other members of the team overcame a collective bad performance and fought back, overcoming a 21 point lead with an amazing run led by the bench squad. Any other player on the team, even the much maligned Robin Lopez, would have known to simply hold the ball and wait for the foul. Barnes did not, and that is inexcusable.
As for why you failed to mention any of this, I am just curious. Like the blog overall, wondering if you agree or disagree with this asessment? Thanks.

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