|
|
Post by JB on Apr 30, 2023 8:26:59 GMT -5
let's just keep some perspective and remember this team is very good at landing the first punch but the Suns will counter.
|
|
|
|
Post by GBG on Apr 30, 2023 8:43:01 GMT -5
let's just keep some perspective and remember this team is very good at landing the first punch but the Suns will counter. Agree. Folks are getting a bit too high on our team at this time. I see this series going 7 games because I don’t see a home loss coming….for either team. B&B won’t combine for 7 steals again in this series. AG won’t shoot 9-13 and 3-4 on 3’s again in these playoffs. Without those two outliers, this is a nail biter game down the stretch. It is safe to say that we won’t have any more blowout wins in this series. Yes, Jokic can shoot better, but he has had two games in a row where he can’t finish near the basket. Whether wrist, exhausting his energy by playing harder on defense, or other teams focused on stopping him, Jokic is in a rare shooting slump within 15 feet of basket. It’s easy to overlook this concern when we have blowout wins, but it’s still true he needs to turn it around in a hurry. Nuggets in 7. |
|
|
|
Post by nuggetshipster on Apr 30, 2023 8:48:41 GMT -5
10000% agree. Pre-KD Phoenix was way better than now, Nah we are just way better than last time |
|
|
|
Post by bignuggets on Apr 30, 2023 8:51:34 GMT -5
Fans and the media clamoring for Cam Payne to get minutes over Shamet. If I remember correctly, Payne has played really well in the playoffs, was it against us too?
I guess he’s been injured, but if he’s good to go, I expect him to get more minutes to try and get some spark going for the Suns’ bench. We have to keep winning those bench minutes.
Did we finally have at least one of our big 3 in at all times this game? If we did, it’s a nice counter since Suns always have at least KD or Booker in.
And no doubt, we played our best game of the series. Same thing happened with the Timberwolves. Let’s hope the foot stays on the gas.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2023 8:51:40 GMT -5
MPJ only had 11 points. He is bound to score more in the upcoming games
As I have written many times before, the Suns are super overrated. They are old and injury prone. they were exhausted in the 2nd half — after having 3 days off …3 days! There is only 1 day off till game 2. Limit Devin Booker that’s all
Nuggets in 5
|
|
|
|
Post by jimijam28 on Apr 30, 2023 9:46:13 GMT -5
I am feeling so much better about this series than I did against Minnesota Drama queen |
|
|
|
Post by Ring on Apr 30, 2023 10:43:43 GMT -5
let's just keep some perspective and remember this team is very good at landing the first punch but the Suns will counter. While true, if Ayton plays the way he played last night the Suns are cooked. They don't have the depth to allow for their 3rd and 4th best players to play as poorly as they did yesterday. Nuggets formula yesterday was perfect. Keep Booker/KD under 70 combined and you'll have a good shot at winning. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2023 11:07:29 GMT -5
let's just keep some perspective and remember this team is very good at landing the first punch but the Suns will counter. While true, if Ayton plays the way he played last night the Suns are cooked. They don't have the depth to allow for their 3rd and 4th best players to play as poorly as they did yesterday. Nuggets formula yesterday was perfect. Keep Booker/KD under 70 combined and you'll have a good shot at winning. Spot on, completely agree |
|
|
|
Post by scooter on Apr 30, 2023 12:27:05 GMT -5
I picked up a ticket across the aisle from my son and daughter-in-law in the nosebleed seats, so I watched the game from that vantage point and had a fantastic time. The Nuggets are undefeated in games with me in attendance this season (either 5 or 6 games — cannot remember), so my very superstitious son wants to buy us tickets for Monday’s game — which falls on my birthday — while his wife and her friend sit in their seats. My main thought about the Nuggets incredibly fun win was that they took advantage of the Suns’ relative lack of time together in this iteration. They surprised the Suns by switching a lot more than is typical for the Nuggets, baiting the Suns into throwing passes they don’t make so often, and then jumping the pass. At least that’s how it seemed to me. It seemed like a clever defensive wrinkle that in this game took advantage of the Suns’ relative lack of experience playing together.
It also felt to me that the Nuggets don’t really trust/respect Ayton, the guy who signed an offer sheet with the Pacers 9 months ago. Or that they respect him (I know Jokic likes him), but wonder how motivated he is to give 100% focus and effort for the team that didn’t make him the contract offer he thought he deserved, forcing him to sign with another team to get paid. By having Jokic switch/double on the perimeter, it left guards on Ayton but aside from looking to jump entry passes it also seemed like the Nuggets are skeptical that Ayton is motivated enough to really lock in and look to score 30+ points because he’s getting guarded sometimes by 6’4” guards. In 6 playoff games so far, Ayton is averaging 15.7 points and has a very bad 1 to 2.2 A/To ratio.
The Suns will probably adjust by simplifying their offense to some extent — relying more on iso ball, spreading the court, having Paul use his foul drawing game, encouraging Durant to just shoot over defenders, having Booker drive even more — which was effective at scoring and drawing fouls. They’ll probably move Ayton up to the key more to open up the paint for drives since teams don’t respect the Nuggets paint defense and they’d love to try to bait Jokic into fouls trying to defend drives. And whoever is matched up against Porter will be encouraged to try more fake and drive stuff.
On to game 2!
|
|
|
|
Post by LotharBraunBrownBryant on Apr 30, 2023 12:41:22 GMT -5
I picked up a ticket across the aisle from my son and daughter-in-law in the nosebleed seats, so I watched the game from that vantage point and had a fantastic time. The Nuggets are undefeated in games with me in attendance this season (either 5 or 6 games — cannot remember), so my very superstitious son wants to buy us tickets for Monday’s game — which falls on my birthday — while his wife and her friend sit in their seats. My main thought about the Nuggets incredibly fun win was that they took advantage of the Suns’ relative lack of time together in this iteration. They surprised the Suns by switching a lot more than is typical for the Nuggets, baiting the Suns into throwing passes they don’t make so often, and then jumping the pass. At least that’s how it seemed to me. It seemed like a clever defensive wrinkle that in this game took advantage of the Suns’ relative lack of experience playing together. It also felt to me that the Nuggets don’t really trust/respect Ayton, the guy who signed an offer sheet with the Pacers 9 months ago. Or that they respect him (I know Jokic likes him), but wonder how motivated he is to give 100% focus and effort for the team that didn’t make him the contract offer he thought he deserved, forcing him to sign with another team to get paid. By having Jokic switch/double on the perimeter, it left guards on Ayton but aside from looking to jump entry passes it also seemed like the Nuggets are skeptical that Ayton is motivated enough to really lock in and look to score 30+ points because he’s getting guarded sometimes by 6’4” guards. In 6 playoff games so far, Ayton is averaging 15.7 points and has a very bad 1 to 2.2 A/To ratio. The Suns will probably adjust by simplifying their offense to some extent — relying more on iso ball, spreading the court, having Paul use his foul drawing game, encouraging Durant to just shoot over defenders, having Booker drive even more — which was effective at scoring and drawing fouls. They’ll probably move Ayton up to the key more to open up the paint for drives since teams don’t respect the Nuggets paint defense and they’d love to try to bait Jokic into fouls trying to defend drives. And whoever is matched up against Porter will be encouraged to try more fake and drive stuff. On to game 2! If you're anywhere near me for game 2, come say hi. I'm normally in 332 but might get moved to the 333 accessible seats depending on who goes with me. |
|
|
|
Post by inyourmind on Apr 30, 2023 13:15:45 GMT -5
For the people who attended the game(Lothar, Scooter, anybody else) what did Jokic look like in warmups? Curious your take on his wrist getting to see it closer up in person. I mentioned a play last night I saw on TV where he took a fadeway after the whistle just messing around but curious to see if he was favoring it at all pregame because in game doesn't seem to be the case.
It's so impressive we've been able to play like we have without Jokic's normal efficiency and if that's able to bounce back and we still get playoff Murray/the improved defense/supporting cast showing up .. than were going to be very very difficult to beat.
|
|
|
|
Post by scooter on Apr 30, 2023 14:30:54 GMT -5
For the people who attended the game(Lothar, Scooter, anybody else) what did Jokic look like in warmups? Curious your take on his wrist getting to see it closer up in person. I mentioned a play last night I saw on TV where he took a fadeway after the whistle just messing around but curious to see if he was favoring it at all pregame because in game doesn't seem to be the case. It's so impressive we've been able to play like we have without Jokic's normal efficiency and if that's able to bounce back and we still get playoff Murray/the improved defense/supporting cast showing up .. than were going to be very very difficult to beat. I didn’t see a whole lot since I’m generally using that time to make an arena bathroom run so I don’t miss game action. But in general he looks good. I agree with GBG’s view that he’s just working really hard on D and is also playing against very good and tall defenders. Let’s not forget it is the 2nd series in a row with 2 seven footers in the opposing starting lineup and while Durant can’t and doesn’t guard Jokic, he is still on the court with all of his 7’ height and 7’5” wingspan, so there is a lot of length in the Suns frontcourt. I think Nuggets fans are getting too much into the old forest/trees thing. Through 6 playoff games, Jokic has a .271 WS/48, meaning they are winning. That’s all that counts. Murray might care about the style points right now but Jokic doesn’t. |
|
|
|
Post by duh88 on Apr 30, 2023 18:46:25 GMT -5
Genius to dare Ayton to beat us.
When a guard was on Ayton (even bb) I noticed the following:
1. Often, suns players still wouldn’t pass to him
2. When ayton did get the ball, we would blitz him with up to 3 players which worked wonderfully - ayton’s mechanics are so painfully slow, he’s not able to pass out with ease
3. Ayton doesn’t have the muscle to put up 30 points in multiple games
As I said before tho - Monty is a fantastic coach but almost incapable of being able to adjust
|
|
|
|
Post by Ring on May 8, 2023 13:48:21 GMT -5
Limit Booker and you win the series. Simple as that. Narrator: They did not and they did not  |
|
|
|
Post by Ring on May 12, 2023 15:52:17 GMT -5
Limit Booker and you win the series. Simple as that. Bumping this again because there was people worried about KD. |
|
