Suns 5-On-5: How Embarrassing Is Season-Ending Losing Skid?
5. Where does the Jerel McNeal fiasco rank on the Suns embarrassing/negativity list?
Bourguet: Not very high, but it did feel like a fitting “Well now we’ve seen it all this season” kind of moment. Poor McNeal. The Suns sign him for the rest of the season and he can’t even play in one of the last two games because of a roster snafu.
Chasen: I would say it was less embarrassing and more disappointing. then hearing the comments post game, it went from somewhat disappointing to really disappointing. Although, now there’s something to look forward to, as hopefully McNeal can log tons of minutes in Phoenix’s finale. Personally, I don’t care about the result, and I’d be totally okay with him going 35+ minutes. Same with Goodwin and Warren. Play the young guys. After all, in last year’s finale Goodwin dropped 29 points on 11-of-13 shooting, as the Suns snapped a losing skid. Sound familiar?
Hann: I don’t know what’s more embarrassing, the McNeal situation itself, or the fact that the Suns season has made me immune to this type of basketball ineptitude. In terms of ranking on the invisible (but oh so present) negativity list, I wouldn’t have it too high up there. In fact, I wouldn’t even have it on the list. Unless you think you can convince me that it was worse than the Morrii assault allegations, players publicly complaining about the Suns management, Suns scoring less than 70 points, Phoenix blowing 20 point lead against the Thunder in biggest game of season, criticizing fans after being spanked by San Antonio or my personal favorite, Eric Bledsoe receiving two technicals for a call that went his way. Now, does the McNeal situation really seem that bad?
Saar: It ranks as an unfortunate accident. It was a crazy instance where tons of people were injured and they were trying to scheme for the Spurs. It just got lost in the shuffle. It sucked and probably could have been avoided, but not a big deal. Would playing McNeal have resulted in a win over San Antonio in a meaningless game? Probably not.
Schall: In life when things start going bad, people have a tendency to view innocuous mishaps in a harsher light. In a vacuum, it was a minor frustration for McNeal and maybe a little embarrassing for the coaching staff. In the context of the negativity and sense of doom surrounding this Suns team, it’s the cherry on top of the definitively unappetizing ice cream sundae.
Next: Top Stretches: Remembering Steve Nash At His Best