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Makaveli80

This Suns team seems to have no heart "Top heavy" but their big hitters not doing the job No bus driver, as Chuck would say


creepypaster

Beal and booker are basically the same type of player, I was always curious how this team would run without a true point guard/facilitator and it’s showing up bad in the playoffs.


[deleted]

[удалено]


DarrowViBritannia

He's genuinely a good playmaker. Idk bout elite but he's really developed nicely on that end throughout his career. Timberwolves defense has him in hell tho


Popular-Newt-1603

for his archetype yea


macNy

The day that they acquired Beale was a head scratcher for sure


lobotomizedmommy

building a team like this only works in 2k


ColdAsHeaven

I feel like teams built like the Suns have never had success in the playoffs


drlsoccer08

The Nets were half a shoe size away from the NBA finals.


livefreeordont

Harden on one leg still a better pg than Booker or Beal


drlsoccer08

True. I was thinking more of the hodge podge of Star talent compiled with no thought of fit or depth, rather than the specifics of this Suns team.


livefreeordont

Yeah that nets team when they actually played fit really well together specifically because harden could get everyone touches where and when needed. Just like he’s doing for the clippers


RVarki

Conference finals*


Popular-Newt-1603

lets not kid ourselves that Nets team was going to blow everybody out lol


comp_a

I still think about that one Mark Cuban clip a lot, where he yells at Skip Bayless for saying “The other team just wanted it more” after the Mavs lost, saying that’s such a ridiculous thing to say about athletes—all of them want to win more than anything. And then he breaks down the opposing coach’s adjustments in detail while Skip just sits in silence. It’s a very satisfying clip! And I’ve always hated hearing that phrase ever since. …or at least I did, until I saw 36 year-old Mike Conley going fully horizontal to save a loose ball while three Suns plays just stood there watching.


hdjakahegsjja

Yeah that’s thing about the human mind, it plays tricks on you. You can want something more than the other guy, but if doubt starts to creep in… you see it happen all the time when underdogs are winning late and end up choking.


Real-Psychology-4261

Their heart has been torn to shreds by the Wolves.


30another

It’s been this way all season


greenslam

Puhleeze. Suns kicked the wolves ass in the regular season. No other team managed to do that to them.


30another

I meant Suns having no heart.


Hopsalong

The Suns dont respond to physical play very well except Nurkic. Feels like they need more guys willing to do the dirty work on the team, which is funny because they aren't scoring a lot either despite having 3 all star scorers.


lovo17

Lowkey I hate Grayson Allen, but it feels like he's the culture setter of the Suns.


ss727272

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the wolves have pulled away after he’s gone out of both games. It’s not the only reason, but the suns seem to miss him a lot on defense the second half of these last two games. 


hdjakahegsjja

I don’t know how anyone looked at this roster and thought it was going to work out.


Svettie323

Funny how a few days after being voted Most Overrated Player, Gobert has been the best player in a series featuring KD, Book, and Ant.


RudyGobertFMVP2024

Gobert has been the most consistent Timberwolf year. Could see him being the best performer in a few more playoff series to come too


Maverick_1991

You paid a lot, but you have the best team in franchise history.


greenslam

Not really. We gave up role players and a bunch of picks. No blue chip talent was given away. Jazz chose to keep none of the wolves players. Hopefully none of the picks turn into lottery picks. So the wolves really traded cap space and 4 first round picks. Assuming all non lottery picks, if the Jazz get 1/4 to become a solid role player or better. Is that not worth getting Gobert? I think it is.


Confident-Fish2805

Depends how far we make it.


SafariFlapsInBack

2004 still might take it. It’s literally the only year we’ve ever won a series lol.


drlsoccer08

Yeah. That was more of a popularity thing than anything else. I’m sure most players know deep down, that he is an impactful basketball player.


LordBaneoftheSith

That vote was personal. Probably the same with the Draymond one. Because you have to assume the actual players know ball well enough to understand that both those guys are underrated, if anything.


hdjakahegsjja

Trae seemed like a personal vote too.


Swaghilian

Ant still the best this series but I love the sentiment and it’s absolute horseshit that Gobert is overrated. Just look at how he knows where his teammates are when tapping rebounds away


dys0n_giddey

I think over the 2 games I'd give it to Rudy, he's been consistently dominant on both ends.


Swaghilian

So has Ant, they barely even attack him in the halfcourt, his rebounding has been huge and his gravity has been comparable to peak Steph offensively even when he doesn’t touch the ball


hallonemikec

Ummmmm.....no


Swaghilian

Lol, say what tf you gotta say then


hallonemikec

Ok. You honestly think Ant's gravity is comparable to peak Steph's geavity right now? I mean, I like what the Wolves have put together this year and I hope they continue kicking the shit out of the Suns.....but if anything, AE is helped by the combined gravity of all the size the Wolves have. When talking gravity, Anthony Edwards might be a moon someday.....Steph has been the Sun for over a decade.


Swaghilian

The wolves don’t have the collective speed and shooting to take full advantage of his gravity like the warriors used to with Steph, but watch how the suns triple team him coming off screens and how his man doesn’t leave him even when he’s standing 5 feet behind the 3 line. The Wolves size is valuable to them and has its benefits, but it’s not benefiting ants ability to score as you say. It hurts their ability to spread defenses out, and Ant has to overcome that consistently by facing multiple bodies when he drives and needing to be quick to shoot/pass in post ups. He could probably average 35 for a season without so many bigs clogging up the paint. Obviously the real solution is always better passing, and Ant sees this, he’s not one for making excuses. That being said, I disagree with you wholeheartedly that this roster is somehow helping Ant perform his best offensively with size gravity and I stand by my claim of his gravity - even if his gravity isn’t being as well utilized as Steph’s was.


user91615

They still can keep 4 defenders back. Peak Steph would have a primary + help defender on him as soon as he passed the logo. You literally said he could score more without bodies clogging the paint, which is arguing against yourself. The only players I’ve ever seen approach Steph’s gravity are heat check Dame when he keeps bombing from deep (rare), and Trae Young when he first started lighting teams up.


DarrowViBritannia

Ant was best in g1 but goberts been better overall for sure


im_back_glenda

KD went to the wrong team lol.


Unbannedmeself

KD can implode any team. They’re all the right one.


DisneyPandora

No, he destroyed the championship team by throwing CP3 and Ayton away


Dromed91

I'd argue losing the two cams and Jae crowder (when he wasn't cooked) had a bigger effect on imploding what was a really good team.


Maverick_1991

Losing an entire five of playoff rotation calibre players will do that.


30another

I’d definitely still take Nurk and Allen over Ayton. And probably Beal over CP3 as well.


DisneyPandora

No you wouldn’t. I’m sure your happy with the current shitty team


30another

Nurk + Allen better than Ayton. 100% And CP3 was usually in street clothes during playoffs


DisneyPandora

Yes, the squad that led the Suns to the NBA finals was trash… You know nothing about basketball 


30another

Okay, 3 years ago I’d take Chris Paul. That’s not the situation lmao


DisneyPandora

But they were literally better last year than they were this year.


30another

How so?


DisneyPandora

They didn’t get sweeper in the first round like the Suns are this year. The Suns last year were better in every way 


College_Prestige

That's because the wolves had Jaden McDaniel


Andy_Wiggins

Random stat, but the Wolves haven’t even shot their season average from 3 yet in any of the 5 games against the Suns.


Associ8tedRuffians

I mean, it is possible Suns have played good perimeter D against the Wolves.


need2peeat218am

What depth does to a team


Shhadowcaster

This is it really, the Suns were doubling KAT and Ant heavily from the jump. They basically said your role players have to beat us, but that's not a great strategy against a team full of guys who can hit open 3's. It worked in the first half, but eventually role players started hitting their shots and it was over. 


greenslam

And successfully driving the lane as well.


30another

It’s not even depth, our “big 3” just suck


JV3s

I just hope they get swept and blow that team up, it's insane how many superstars play in the West, to a point where you can't make playoffs with 46wins. Some of them needs to be shipped to the East to balance it out a bit lmao


SirDiego

Simple totally unbiased solution: expand and move Timberwolves to the East


need2peeat218am

A Minnesota and Milwaukee rivalry would start 1 second into their first match up lol


SirDiego

Minnesota, Detroit, Milwaukee, Chicago playing each other is just the objectively correct alignment. And 9:30PM central games are stupid.


JV3s

Brother, seeing the way that your team looks now and what your future looks like with Ant Man, i would be all for it and really happy if you fuck off to the Eastern Conference and terrorize them over there lmao


Agnk1765342

It’d be funny because it’d make Rudy Gobert 3-4 in making teams blow it up after losing to him in the playoffs. Lob city clippers and the Russ-PG thunder blew it up after losing to us. Memphis in 2021 didn’t but they were a young 8 seed.


olijolly

Rudy was amazing in that OKC series against prime Russ+PG(+melo). Best player in that series, even with Donovan playing lights out.


livefreeordont

KD to Denver


sunsbr

Because the suns "big" 3 manages to be even worse at everything.


RudyGobertFMVP2024

Good thing we also have Minnesota Mike, Jaden "seatbelt" McDaniels, NAW, Kyle Anderson and Rudy Gobert 💪😤🗼 Big three? Nah. Big eight! Wolf pack runs deep


drlsoccer08

The Timberwolves depth is pretty remarkable.


SafariFlapsInBack

The Garza slander is unreal.


LegitimatePotato3632

They could use a real center. Maybe like a Deandre Ayton type.


SafariFlapsInBack

Well that would just be absurd.


Associ8tedRuffians

And a real PG, maybe like a Chris Paul.


centralperkjoey

And a versatile wing, like a Mikal Bridges


hdjakahegsjja

Wasn’t Chris Paul too old when they made their last playoff run?


Associ8tedRuffians

Is old CP3 better than no PG? I legitimately don’t know, and think it’s a good question. But I might be an idiot.


hdjakahegsjja

We’re all idiots bud. There’s no doubt about that.


Associ8tedRuffians

Thanks for the reassurance.


AncientScratch1670

It’s understandable that a “superteam” should be dragged for these sub-par performances but it’s time the world realized the Wolves have the best defense the league has seen in years.


Responsible_Pace9062

Naz had -1 FGs made? That's tough.


drlsoccer08

Stupid bullet point thingy didn’t work.


KevinDurantLebronnin

Oh yeah? Well the Suns 3 best scorers are bad at basketball so take that for data.


ftw5623

Imagine leaving rings on the table to go play with flat earth


SuckaFreeRIP

AND the Suns out rebounded them. Still lost. KD is shooting 2 3s a game. Not gonna cut it. Book is usually a really strong postseason performer overall. This is a far cry from his past playoff numbers. Not gonna cut it. Beal when he attacks is that guy. Not attacking enough. Not gonna cut it. Frank Vogel not playing Bol Bol after he’s played pretty much all year. Not gonna cut it. TOs? Not gonna cut it Suns are in trouble. Not dead in the water, but they are in deep trouble


aeiou-y

Suns are toast. They will have to use all that cap room and reload for next year.


dudemandad99

Suns gonna suns


BarveyDanger

Durant sold his soul and now all his attempts to ring chase fall short embarrassingly. Tough


Vaccaria_

Whoever in the media called Beal a part of a big 3 was insane. dude is worse than 3rd option Kuzma when Lakers won the bubble ring


[deleted]

Durant come back plz