HoopWatch

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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - The Phoenix Suns almost lose another game earlier to the hapless New Jersey Nets. They almost blew a 22-point lead late in the game, narrowly escaping the Nets, 99-93.

The Nets are supposed to be the struggling team coming into the game. They have lost three in a row and have been weighed down in fourth quarters, averaging just 19 for the past three outings. But Coach Lawrence Frank’s second unit turned things around in the final canto, led by rookie Marcus Williams, who by his lonesome outscored Phoenix, 21-19. New Jersey scored 30 in this final quarter, and Williams had 21 of his 27 points in this same period. The Nets managed to cut down a once mighty 20-point fourth quarter lead to three at 93-96, after a Williams jumper with a minute remaining. Luckily, Steve Nash saved the day for the Suns by hitting three of his four free throws to ice the game in the dying seconds.

In each of the Suns six losses, Phoenix has blown huge leads, including a plus-19 advantage over the Lakers on opening night, and a 16-point fourth quarter bubble over the league-leading Utah Jazz last week. They have led almost the entire game in all those six setbacks, only to falter at the end.

And this one was no exception. The Suns seemed disinterested after erecting a gigantic lead. They just stopped playing defense. And what was humiliating was it was New Jersey’s second unit, led by the rookie Williams, who exposed the chink in the armor of the Suns starting five nonetheless.

There are two reasons as to why Phoenix could not sustain those advantages. First, they appeared overconfident and disinterested. They put their flag down and stopped playing defense. They were caught watching the Nets shooting jump shots, hitting lay-ups, grabbing offensive boards and making putbacks. And it seemed that building an enormous point-separation wore them out. They stopped playing defense (allow me to reiterate), and they were hitting blanks, even missing free throws. Shawn Marion missed two crucial ones in the dying seconds to the dismay of Coach Mike D’Antoni.

Secondly, the Suns bench players were (and are) plain momentum killers! No wonder the starting unit got tired come the pay-off period because the guys coming off the bench just didn’t exhibit the same energy. It is given that there is a talent disparity. But they gotta have energy. They are supposed to be the team’s energy boosters, “not booos-ters.”

Marcus Banks was a huge disappointment. He passed up on open shots, and took those that were well-guarded and ill-advised. They resulted into either misses or turnovers. Jalen Rose’s jump shots were flat! You’ve got to put your legs into your shots Jalen. They were all flat and short. And James Jones! Man, seriously, you call yourself a shooter. I can shoot better than you. You’ve been left wide open thrice, and all of them were bricks. You can’t even play defense. What the hell are you doing on the floor? Mister D’Antoni, maybe it’s time to let the other Jones play. I mean Jumaine sir. He had a career year with the Bobcats last season, not to mention leading the league in threes made. Think about it coach.

The bench was so dismal, they were outscored 10-39. That was just awful.

D’Antoni needs to find a way to get some production from his bench, or it will be a short season for them. They are dead last in the Pacific Division presently, with a 6-6 record. They may reach the postseason but not as deep as they have been the past two. The Suns’ starting unit can’t sustain leads all by themselves. It will tire them out, and bad for them as the season progresses. That’s why there are twelve players in a team’s roster. The others got to help. They’ve got the talent, but the motivation has to be pumped into each and every Sun, most especially the guys coming off the bench. (pics courtesy of yahoonba.com)