Game Day: Kings (5-4) @ Suns (8-1), Sun 11/10/24

[Bucktastic365]

Demar cooking us

DeMar and Fox cut us up all night long. We couldn't stop them.

I was pissed that they never hunted for a 3rd foul on Fox after he got 2 so quickly in the 1st.

We could have forced him to the bench

[ShelC]

Booker is not very bright, especially in the clutch. He missed 2 game winners tonight, and, as is his MO, he likes to take difficult 3 pt shots when we only need 1 or 2 pts to win. Last season when he made a game winner, the highlight reel had to go back to the bubble to show his prior game winner.

we've been winning close games for 3 reasons.

1. Durant can get off his shot on anyone.
2. Book has been deferring leadership to Durant, probably as per Bud's direction
3. We have a point guard on the floor to minimize Booker and Durant's fumbles.

Steve Kerr understood how best to use Booker -- in a support role. His assist numbers are good. But he's a border-line all-star being paid the supermax and he should never be making the decisions in the clutch. Bud needs to call plays. Even KD needs to adjust to plays rather than go one on one, but at least he takes good shots.

Booker should be traded to NY before the rest of the league figures out he's overpaid. And that he's a scorer, not a guy who wills a team to wins in the heat of battle like a dozen other stars. In fact, he too often gets sloppy when the going gets rough. The last time he really stood out, was the start of last season. Since then, he's seemed a little disconnected with the Suns.

Let's be real, he was that guy hitting gamewinners, willing the team to wins as a 1A just a few years ago under Monty and next to CP. Yea CP is an all-timer who was setting him up, but the offense was built for Book and what he does best. Hasn't been the case under Vogel or Bud.

[ShelC]

Bud said no updates on Nurk or Beal. Nurk had ankle soreness coming into the game, tried to tough it out but couldn't go in the 2nd half.



Postgame Quotes and videos

Spoiler: show/hide

Bud on Book


Book on his illness


Book



Book on Plumlee


Beal on the offense, needing to be aggressive


Beal on his knee, said it feels a little sore- said x-rays were negative


Plumlee


Oso
https://x.com/DuaneRankin/status/1855841062163530064

Grayson

Full Bud presser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmwU5zMEzkU

Suns Kings Highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAqDr0UCZh0

[Mori Chu]

Don't like the way we played, but given that we have a depleted team, this is a pretty forgivable loss in OT against a good opponent. I just hate when I see us playing this style where every offensive possession is a slog, every basket is hard to get. Run the offense through the PGs, guys.

[Mori Chu]

I feel like Book hasn't looked like Book since Monty was coaching the team.

IMO this is the CP3 factor more than anything. Book next to a PG of that caliber is a deadly weapon.

[ShelC]

Book was playing well with Rubio the year before and in the bubble tho too. It was the offensive system and sets. Better spacing, better movement, Book getting to his midrange game with space or getting a mismatch to post a smaller player. Now it's all off-the-dribble from the 3pt line.

[pickle]

I haven’t seen this game yet, work was pretty intense today. From past games I’ve felt that he doesn’t have his legs. Let’s see if these two weeks without KD and him getting over that “something” illness will bring him back to life.

[1tinsoldier]

I think you are underrating Booker there…border line all-star?

that's a fact. He's consistently on the cut-off point of all-star team selections

to clarify, his understanding of the game is sound. However, his ego/emotions get the better of him in crunch time or when riled up and his bb iq drops. That's why he did fit in with team USA, with clutch superstars taking the reigns and with CP3 being the coach on the floor here for 2 years.

i'm tempted to say i'd keep him if he was just on a max salary, but when i consider that his tenure here as "the man" resulted in the most humiliating Suns episodes in 40 years, i'd honestly say even if he walked away and we got nothing in return we'd be better off. Playoff games are won by the teams that make the best decisions in crunch time. We went furthest with smart leaders like Barkley, Kidd, Nash, and CP3. Durant is smart, but his penchant for 1-on-1 in crunch time is something defenses can handle in the playoffs.

if Bud called a dumb 3pt play when we needed 1 last night, it's indicative of the problem we've had with coaches unwilling to reign in Booker's misguided heroic ambitions -- and it's gonna be another long season, and short playoffs!

[Mori Chu]

Booker occasionally lets me down when I hope/expect for him to be Superman and carry the team to a win in every game. You can feel him struggle at times to get separation to create his own shot or get a basket under pressure. And I have an image in my head of Booker being a dead-eye 3-point shooter, the reality is that he's not a marksman on the level of, say, Grayson Allen or Kevin Huerter or even KD. And he is only fair on the defensive end despite some work he's done to improve that part of his game.

But I just can't bring myself to obsess over his flaws. He's our homegrown star, he's going to retire as the greatest Sun ever, he led us within 2 games of a title, and he's just a bad motherfucker who wants to lead this team to a championship. It's so rare to have a franchise guy like him. You can pick him apart if you want, but he absolutely can be the #1 or #1A player on a title team. I still think he's going to get us a ring before his career is over. So I'd rather appreciate him and enjoy that ride than pick him apart.

[bajanguy008]

I said that it was clear Book wasn't and I will give him a pass last night. It's interesting that most seem to have the opinion that this is the new norm - him showing an inability to close.

I do believe he was clearly deferring to KD and probably a bit too much in general to start the season. I'm not counting his drop off under Vogel so I expect him n Bud to find the right balance

[Superbone]

I'm hoping it's mostly this flu hangover. He's had his moments this year but they've been less frequent than in the past. Hopefully, it's just a combination of him trying to fit in and this flu thing. Not a good look when he can't get separation from Kevin Hueter and gets his shot blocked by him. Like Marty said, we owe it to him to give him time. It's just disappointing recently is all. I hope he gets back on track soon.

[Wally_West]

I don’t get this “Book hasn’t look like book since Monty” or “Book ain’t that 1A guy” What the hell are we talking about? This dude just won player of the week a damn week ago averaging 33 points!!! He just dropped a 40 ball! Dude gets fucked up from food poisoning and suddenly doubts are being had. yall crazy lol. We are barely 10 games into the bud era, can we chill? Maybe wait till at least half of season has been played? Book will look like Book soon. Haha


Also Last year was a fluke year but even then, his ass was the only one that showed out in that minny series. He tried his damn all in that elimination game, didnt he drop 50 while everyone else was dog shit? Looking at you Brad.
Last year was the only time he didn’t go full super saiyan Playoff Book. Playoff Book returns this year. You’ll see. I don’t think people truly realize how much of a damn fraud Vogel was as a head coach. I honestly don’t think he’ll get a NBA head coaching job again.

[Split T]

I think you are underrating Booker there…border line all-star?

that's a fact. He's consistently on the cut-off point of all-star team selections

He was in 19-20 and 20-21, but not since then. He missed in 22-23, but just because of injury. He made the all-star team outright in 21-22 and 23-24, so you have to go back to CP3’s 1st year here to call Book a borderline all-star.

[1tinsoldier]

just keeping it real:
the times Book made the all-star team he barely made them -- one of the last guys picked
and he only "showed up in the Minny series" on the last of the 4 games we got swept in
and he disappeared in the Dallas elimination game the prior year

yes, he'll continue to win some player of the week honors. But the only way he'll ever win a title is by playing the role he played for team usa. He can be a go-to guy during a game, but he's not your closer. Unlike other superstars, he can be more easily stopped with a double team or stripped and he doesn't make the best decisions under pressure.

indeed, as long as he's a homegrown Sun's favorite he'll continue to get a pass from the fans and coach's won't push him too hard to adjust.

but WE RANKED #1 in the clutch with a healthy CP3 leading the team and #1 to start this season with Durant leading the team. Last season with Book mostly leading the team at the point and as our #1 go-to guy WE WERE LAST in crunch time performance -- "historically" bad at closing out games!!

[pickle]

So much about the NBA is narratives. Does anybody think Giannis is a deserving 2 time MVP if they didn't beat the Suns in that one series because (yes I'm biased) of Scott Foster? Sure he's got the counting stats to get the All Star nod, but do you really want a guy who routinely shoots in the 50s or 60s on super high volume free throw who cannot be counted on in pivotal moments other than to try to bully his way into either a costly offensive foul or a trip to the line where he'll likely miss at least 1 of 2 freebies?

Book is a top end talent, and he has strengths and flaws. I don't think the small sample size this season warrants this level of criticism, without stating some of the circumstantial things that have at least to some extent affected his performance. If he's still barely scraping 20 ppg when it's obvious the team needs him to average 27 ppg to stay competitive, then I'll get worried. Until then, I'm also in the give-him-benefit-of-the-doubt camp.

[Bucktastic365]

Book was playing well with Rubio the year before and in the bubble tho too. It was the offensive system and sets. Better spacing, better movement, Book getting to his midrange game with space or getting a mismatch to post a smaller player. Now it's all off-the-dribble from the 3pt line.

I may be the minority, but I LOVE Book's game now.
This is PRIME Booker. He finally is growing up and getting out of "Mamba mentality"; the desire to impart your will at the detriment of the team.

If he would give more effort to rebound, this is trip-dub Book.




And don't get me wrong; in the PLAYOFFS I expect him to go to another level, while still playing WITH the team.

[Bucktastic365]

I think you are underrating Booker there…border line all-star?

that's a fact. He's consistently on the cut-off point of all-star team selections

to clarify, his understanding of the game is sound. However, his ego/emotions get the better of him in crunch time or when riled up and his bb iq drops. That's why he did fit in with team USA, with clutch superstars taking the reigns and with CP3 being the coach on the floor here for 2 years.

i'm tempted to say i'd keep him if he was just on a max salary, but when i consider that his tenure here as "the man" resulted in the most humiliating Suns episodes in 40 years, i'd honestly say even if he walked away and we got nothing in return we'd be better off. Playoff games are won by the teams that make the best decisions in crunch time. We went furthest with smart leaders like Barkley, Kidd, Nash, and CP3. Durant is smart, but his penchant for 1-on-1 in crunch time is something defenses can handle in the playoffs.

if Bud called a dumb 3pt play when we needed 1 last night, it's indicative of the problem we've had with coaches unwilling to reign in Booker's misguided heroic ambitions -- and it's gonna be another long season, and short playoffs!

You may want to find another team; Booker isn't going anywhere
(Unless, of course, HE demands it)



May I ask; who is your favorite player?

[LazarusLong]

So much about the NBA is narratives. Does anybody think Giannis is a deserving 2 time MVP if they didn't beat the Suns in that one series because (yes I'm biased) of Scott Foster? Sure he's got the counting stats to get the All Star nod, but do you really want a guy who routinely shoots in the 50s or 60s on super high volume free throw who cannot be counted on in pivotal moments other than to try to bully his way into either a costly offensive foul or a trip to the line where he'll likely miss at least 1 of 2 freebies?

Giannis is selfish, but he's not the only problem in Milwaukee. The Bucks have terrible perimeter defense. Lillard can't guard his shadow. Counting on Middleton to be great when he comes back is fool's gold as injuries have diminished him seriously. Age is catching up to Lopez. Rivers can motivate, but has never been a great Xs and Os.

[Split T]

just keeping it real:
the times Book made the all-star team he barely made them -- one of the last guys picked

They don’t announce where the players are picked, so I’m not sure how you know that. Yes he was an injury replacement the 1st 2 years he was an all-star, but he wasn’t the last 2 years. We don’t know if he was the 1st or last pick. They don’t choose all-stars like that.

[O_Gardino]

Don't like the way we played, but given that we have a depleted team, this is a pretty forgivable loss in OT against a good opponent. I just hate when I see us playing this style where every offensive possession is a slog, every basket is hard to get. Run the offense through the PGs, guys.

This boils it down nicely. No need to overreact about Book missing some shots. This one feels bad because we are used to winning close games. We're going to lose a few, and OT against the Kings isn't embarrassing. Plenty to learn here, and this can be a growth loss.

I think the team will learn how to play without Durant, and KD won't have to play 38 when he comes back.