Suns Mauled by Grizzlies – Loss Indicitive of More

And just like that – the Number 1 overall pick finally looks to be within reach.

Surrounded by fan and media discussion of a possible and unexpected playoff run, the Phoenix Suns are who we all presumed they were – not a playoff team. And by losing to the Memphis Grizzlies last night 115-96 – Memphis winning in wire-to-wire fashion – the name Phoenix Suns can be taken from all future playoff discussions for this season and fully entered into the Markelle Feltz sweepstakes discussion instead.

An ugly, sloppy, un-competative, disheartening loss (you can continue to add adjectives if you’d like) one that felt more like a preseason warmup for the Grizzlies than a regular season game for the Suns, Phoenix seemingly allowed Memphis to use the game as a means of padding their stat books and create new additions to personal highlight reels worrying less about their own look in front of a home crowd, and more about how comfortable the Grizzlies stay would be in the Valley.

In Phoenix, the local discussion about All-Star snubbery centered around Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe. Most recently Bled as he is putting up numbers only four other Suns have ever averaged in 48 prior seasons, and had scored 40+ points twice in the last week.

Sir Charles In Charge

However, for at least the TNT viewers, the discussion of All-Star snubbing was not on Bledsoe, but on Mike Conley, who not only played like an All-Star-worthy point guard, but MVP, leading his team with 38 points, a career-high, and 7 three’s on 10 opportunities, also a career-high (don’t you just LOVE IT when an opponents set multiple career marks against the Suns??) Conley was unstoppable for the majority of the game and made a worthy argument for best All-Star snub, throwing in 9 assists and 2 steals for good measure.

Zach Randolph, Memphis’ star sixth-man, recorded 18 points and 6 boards, though threw in a career-high tying two slam dunks just to thrill the supposed 16,332 people in the stands, although it sure did not seem like that many on TV.

Devin Booker scored 22 points, extending his 20+ scoring streak to 13 games though he shot 6-20 from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc to get there, near the end chucking up shots in an apparent attempt to guarantee continuation of the streak.

The Suns, already the league’s worst assists team, dished out only 11, Eric Bledsoe leading the way with 4. He scored 14 points and grabbed 5 caroms, though his body language near the end of the game was that of someone who was more than just defeated in one matchup.

There are times where I, and many fans, have questioned P.J. Tucker’s value on the roster since his offense is so weak. But recently I have gained much respect for the man as he plays until he passes out – or gets kicked out. Last night he left the game because of the latter, being ejected with 6:27 remaining in the 4th while arguing a reach-in foul. That moment was one of pure exasperation as the Suns were down 26 points and defensively Tucker’s shoulders could no longer carry the load.

Marquese Chriss received 34:15 playing time and poured in 20 points (both career-highs) on 8-12 shooting, while grabbing 6 rebounds and draining two three’s in the process. He also threw down one of the most creative dunks one can accomplish during a game, an emphatic windmill, that got former Slam Dunk Champion Brent Barry to score it “a solid 8.5.”

(At times in this wrapup I’ve felt like Oprah – “You get a career-high! You get a career-high! We ALL get a career-high!” (Que energy-filled studio whipped up into an excited frenzy as players check under their seats to see what career-high’s they earned last night).

Thoughts from the Valley of the Suns

I had no problem with local playoff talk because as a lifelong Suns fan I am tired of being out of the discussion. Yes, the Suns need more stars to become a regularly winning team, but there are other methods of obtaining said stars without going through the draft, so tanking is never a necessity.

However, it is seemingly harder and harder each day to blame only the players on the court for all the losing, and not the people running the show.

(Fun fact: According to basketball-reference, the Suns are not that young of a team. Not only are they the 10th youngest of 30, but six of the nine teams ahead of them are on some level in the hunt for this year’s playoffs).

The team’s lack of consistency; their lack of defense; the fact that other than Tucker, nothing seems to work on defense; the lack of passing; the poor offensive-strategy (if there is even one); I could go on, are not only continual but have no end in sight.

Earl Watson has complained about matching the other team’s intensity for some time – a topic

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that has come up in each of the last three games – and yet, on TNT, down 18 with the game slipping away faster than a greased pig, when asked about the team’s performance before the start of the 4th quarter he replied (paraphrasing) match Memphis’ intensity and stay positive.

I know coaches do not give away their trade secrets in those interviews, but can he not point a finger at someone? Ever?

The television broadcast talked about the team’s weekly YOGA sessions in the context of team unity. Has this team even had a moment where unity was a question? I thought the cancer that caused the division in the franchise was traded to Washington Last Season?

Is weekly yoga, the seeming channeling of every teammember’s mother through incessant positive reinforcement, and constant losing, going to seriously make Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Devin Booker, T.J. Warren, Alex Len, and whoever they draft with their future lottery pick better??

Earl Watson is the epitome of the term “Coach Double Rainbow,” only he has not won at any point in his NBA career giving him the credit to back up such an out-of-the-box approach to his coaching. He can channel every great coach that has ever walked a sideline, but if he cannot win then he could literally be the re-encarnation of John Wooden and he shouldn’t be guaranteed a job for next season.

As of right now, Earl Watson has the third worst winning percentage in franchise history:

15. Earl Watson – 29.6%

16. Lindsey Hunter – 29.3%

17. Red Kerr – 25.8%

Yes, the Suns are obviously tanking. And if they trade away talent and do not replace it with equal ability on the court this season, it will only get worse. But head coaches in tanking situations usually do not make it past the rebuild anyway, and honestly, is Watson the only head coach who can teach young players how to score consistently and play defense?

One other thing: Even Lindsey Hunter and Red Kerr had at least one three-game winning streak in their tenure’s as head coach.