2025 NBA Season

[Yogee]

....So, I assume that by the "success" they had, this is by far the best Suns team we have watched in decades.

They could have won the title last season if not for that freak from Greece hehe. That alone is enough for me to say they were the best team and the current winning streak is just an icing on the cake.

Let's see how they will do, this time there is no Jordan to stop them neither so I hope they will do better.

Are you talking about Michael? There was Kobe in Steve's time. Epic battles between those two.

[timerland]

I am sure that after so many games back to back, Suns will have a bit of hard time against GSW but if they can go over that hump then I do not know when they will stop. They are seriously doing one of the most epic runs I have seen, they are at 18 game winning streak right now and that is a huge winning streak. I do not remember anytime Suns were this dominating, and I mean Nash and Marion era neither, they were good but not 18 wins in a row after a finals good, I do not think they even made to finals with that team neither.

So, I assume that by the "success" they had, this is by far the best Suns team we have watched in decades. Let's see how they will do, this time there is no Jordan to stop them neither so I hope they will do better.

They already defeated the GSW once so I don't think that there is anything mentally challenging about defeating them again.

I do think that Steph will come ready though. The narratives of him being stopped by the Suns defence will tick him off personally for sure.

In other news, who have you guys got for Lakers vs. Clippers?

[dwyane36]

I am sure that after so many games back to back, Suns will have a bit of hard time against GSW but if they can go over that hump then I do not know when they will stop. They are seriously doing one of the most epic runs I have seen, they are at 18 game winning streak right now and that is a huge winning streak. I do not remember anytime Suns were this dominating, and I mean Nash and Marion era neither, they were good but not 18 wins in a row after a finals good, I do not think they even made to finals with that team neither.

So, I assume that by the "success" they had, this is by far the best Suns team we have watched in decades. Let's see how they will do, this time there is no Jordan to stop them neither so I hope they will do better.

The Suns with Nash, Marion, and Stoudemire were only in WCF, and their maximum winning streak was 17 games. So you're right that the current roster surpassed them, although it's worth noting that the Suns' performance in those seasons was also epic. Regarding the upcoming game against the Warriors, I think it should be hard for the Suns, considering they will play without Booker. I wonder if they will be able to stop Curry again.

[Dave1]

I am sure that after so many games back to back, Suns will have a bit of hard time against GSW but if they can go over that hump then I do not know when they will stop. They are seriously doing one of the most epic runs I have seen, they are at 18 game winning streak right now and that is a huge winning streak. I do not remember anytime Suns were this dominating, and I mean Nash and Marion era neither, they were good but not 18 wins in a row after a finals good, I do not think they even made to finals with that team neither.

So, I assume that by the "success" they had, this is by far the best Suns team we have watched in decades. Let's see how they will do, this time there is no Jordan to stop them neither so I hope they will do better.

The Suns with Nash, Marion, and Stoudemire were only in WCF, and their maximum winning streak was 17 games. So you're right that the current roster surpassed them, although it's worth noting that the Suns' performance in those seasons was also epic. Regarding the upcoming game against the Warriors, I think it should be hard for the Suns, considering they will play without Booker. I wonder if they will be able to stop Curry again.

Well they did a good job on Curry the first time, but I think this will be different as the game will be hosted by the Warriors. And just like any other team, they are comfortable in their homecourt so Curry might score more on this game so it is to be expected but for sure Suns will try to clamp him up again.

Regarding the lost of Booker, yeah, it will be a big blown, back to back games and then facing the Warriors again. That will hurry hurt their chances tonight.

[goinmerry]

They already defeated the GSW once so I don't think that there is anything mentally challenging about defeating them again.

I do think that Steph will come ready though. The narratives of him being stopped by the Suns defence will tick him off personally for sure.

Phoenix Suns will not play on their healthy lineup. Might not be considered as a disadvantage but Booker plays a big role in why the Suns are currently on the longest winning streak of their franchise.

Golden State Warriors are also in a full level of play whenever playing at homecourt.

Can't think of who will win. I'm expecting a close game.

[wheelz1200]

I don't think he is gonna play this month.  Not only does he need to recover he needs to get into game shape.  Pretty much not playing in the NBA will screw anyone up.  I expect him to have trouble in the beginning shaking defenders.  He will be more a spot shooter, and stationary is easy to cover.  Not being totally pessimistic but that's a ton of time off it will take him a couple months to get into complete game shape

He will play this month. December 24, Golden State Warriors vs Memphis Grizzlies. That's what I saw in some clips recently and I will try to find it.

He already recovered and working to get back on track for several months now. His shooting ability will not change but only his athleticism or those straight drives to the hoop. You are right, more on a spot shooter and an easy pick will do the job. But eventually, when he thinks his body is now cooperating, he will back again slowly on his usual.

I also expect that Thompson may return in December, but it's worth noting that he has missed the last two seasons. So wheelz1200 is right that it will take Klay a few more months after returning to fully regain his game shape. Anyway, the most important thing for the Warriors is that Klay can play as before by the time the playoffs start.

There are reports that also says that January will likely be the return of Klay.

Regardless, he will need a lot of adjustments again after missing 2 seasons. But the good thing is that they can gauge it right away by looking at how Durant come back from the same injury as Klay. So the blue print is already there and maybe GSW will just have to look at how Durant come back last year. I know that players body are very different, but at least they have something to compare. Maybe 5-10 minutes will do in the next couple of games and then extend it if they see a huge progress in Klay.

Nice analysis, if Durant were able to come back and play his MVP form, therefore it's not impossible for Klay. Also, we can also look at the injury of Paul George which are very serious, and look how he is playing now, he is still playing like an MVP.

Pg's injuries and klays are completely different.  Pg snap and bone whereas klay tore ligaments.  Look at what tearing a knee did to d rose.  At 22-23 he was annihilating the league and is now just getting back his shiftyness.  Was years of getting back to form.  I have high hopes for klay but this year will probably be a wash for him.

[agustina2]

Pg's injuries and klays are completely different.  Pg snap and bone whereas klay tore ligaments.  Look at what tearing a knee did to d rose.  At 22-23 he was annihilating the league and is now just getting back his shiftyness.  Was years of getting back to form.  I have high hopes for klay but this year will probably be a wash for him.

But Klay's gameplay is different from PG and DRose.

There's no need for much movement on Klay's gameplay, the catch, and shoot. Different to PG and DRose that always slashing their way into the hoop that needs more athleticism and body movement.

His shooting is just needed. No need for that nasty drives and Milo best movements.

[chaser15]

Regarding the lost of Booker, yeah, it will be a big blown, back to back games and then facing the Warriors again. That will hurry hurt their chances tonight.

It has a chance that their winning streak will now be stopped. But knowing Phoenix Suns, they should be more inspired to win and shows to anybody that even there's no Booker, there's no problem.

Curry, even rarely having an off-night performance doesn't mean it won't happen again. Suns just need to focus on defending the Warriors' best scorers to maintain the momentum and keep up with the Warriors.

[wheelz1200]

Pg's injuries and klays are completely different.  Pg snap and bone whereas klay tore ligaments.  Look at what tearing a knee did to d rose.  At 22-23 he was annihilating the league and is now just getting back his shiftyness.  Was years of getting back to form.  I have high hopes for klay but this year will probably be a wash for him.

But Klay's gameplay is different from PG and DRose.

There's no need for much movement on Klay's gameplay, the catch, and shoot. Different to PG and DRose that always slashing their way into the hoop that needs more athleticism and body movement.

His shooting is just needed. No need for that nasty drives and Milo best movements.

Bone breaks are much different then acl/mcl issues.  And klay isn't just a spot shooter, otherwise he would be easy to guard.  I'm all for having klay come back but he had two devastating injuries in 2 years to his ligaments.  Bone breaks once they heal they are almost stronger which isn't the case with ligaments

[TravelMug]

I don't think he is gonna play this month.  Not only does he need to recover he needs to get into game shape.  Pretty much not playing in the NBA will screw anyone up.  I expect him to have trouble in the beginning shaking defenders.  He will be more a spot shooter, and stationary is easy to cover.  Not being totally pessimistic but that's a ton of time off it will take him a couple months to get into complete game shape

He will play this month. December 24, Golden State Warriors vs Memphis Grizzlies. That's what I saw in some clips recently and I will try to find it.

He already recovered and working to get back on track for several months now. His shooting ability will not change but only his athleticism or those straight drives to the hoop. You are right, more on a spot shooter and an easy pick will do the job. But eventually, when he thinks his body is now cooperating, he will back again slowly on his usual.

I also expect that Thompson may return in December, but it's worth noting that he has missed the last two seasons. So wheelz1200 is right that it will take Klay a few more months after returning to fully regain his game shape. Anyway, the most important thing for the Warriors is that Klay can play as before by the time the playoffs start.

There are reports that also says that January will likely be the return of Klay.

Regardless, he will need a lot of adjustments again after missing 2 seasons. But the good thing is that they can gauge it right away by looking at how Durant come back from the same injury as Klay. So the blue print is already there and maybe GSW will just have to look at how Durant come back last year. I know that players body are very different, but at least they have something to compare. Maybe 5-10 minutes will do in the next couple of games and then extend it if they see a huge progress in Klay.

Nice analysis, if Durant were able to come back and play his MVP form, therefore it's not impossible for Klay. Also, we can also look at the injury of Paul George which are very serious, and look how he is playing now, he is still playing like an MVP.

Oh yeah, another good case in Paul George as well but his injury is not that same as Klay or Durant in my opinion. Nevertheless, this are great NBA athletes that rises to the occasion and was able to come back strong in their careers and hopefully Klay does as he is still in his prime years.

So let's see Klay when he comes back, maybe he would change his style to prevent recurring his injuries in the first couple of games. But we all love him for being a spot shooter and a good defender.

[timerland]

The Clippers take the game again against the lakers.

I think that even if you are a diehard Lakers fan, you should be very skeptical of this team now.

They got beaten with Lebron & AD & Russ with a crippled Clippers team on a 3 game losing streak without Kawhi. Something major has got to go down in terms of trades, otherwise they might be a play-in team honestly.

[Yaunfitda]

As expected, GSW come back strong against the Suns and this dunk could have sum it all:

JTA postering Javale McGee:




The game is not over yet, but GSW with a huge lead, 113-89. Thus, they will end the Suns winning streak.

Steph with 20+ point game with 4 other players scoring in double digits.

[danherbias07]

^The other dunk that I loved is from GPII. That was one hell of a high leap. But, if the early reverse dunk alley-oop from Curry to Wiggins went in, it could be the best highlight of the game. Sadly, it hit the back of the rim.
Another highlight is the Shaqtin-a-Fool of the referee. They forgot 1 more free throw and stopped the game while everyone was confused about what is happening. Oh yes, Shaq will do have fun with that.  
So that's it, Suns streak is broken since October 26 if I am not mistaken.
The real game changer:

[gagux123]

Unfortunately the Suns couldn't beat the Warriors. I would so much like Phoenix to win this game to continue the team's wins streak, but it didn't.

Curry and CP3 played less than expected, but some reserve GSW players played well.
Warriors scored 48.7% on the 3-point line, for me that is a relevant number.

I believe that the absence of Booker, CP3 not playing very well and the Warriors having a 48.7% (3 point shoot) and 48.9% scored shoots, I believe was a decisive and important factor for the victory of the Warriors.

I will be anxious to the others games between these teams.

[qwertyup23]

The game between the Suns and GSW was like redemption of the latter due to their loss on their first game. I do think that we have a brand new rivalry on the NBA- Suns vs GSW! I am so excited to see them compete neck-and-neck in the playoffs given their exceptional talents and skills as a team.

I would like to also point out that Curry had an off-night during his first game with the Suns that contributed to the loss. While other players on GSW stepped-up, Curry shot like 4/21 on the field but tonight's game is different. He showed that he can bounce back from this slight barrier and be a better player.

[Bttzed03]

~
His shooting is just needed. No need for that nasty drives and Milo best movements.

He might not be the slashing/flashy type but he's not going to be static on the court either. You can't expect him to just wait in the corner and wait for a pass. He has to keep moving to get into positions and defend too.

~ I do think that we have a brand new rivalry on the NBA- Suns vs GSW!

When we talk about these teams, they're not there yet. It's more like a continuation of CP3-Curry rivalry from the Clippers/Rockets-GSW days.

[Baofeng]

~
His shooting is just needed. No need for that nasty drives and Milo best movements.

He might not be the slashing/flashy type but he's not going to be static on the court either. You can't expect him to just wait in the corner and wait for a pass. He has to keep moving to get into positions and defend too.

~ I do think that we have a brand new rivalry on the NBA- Suns vs GSW!

When we talk about these teams, they're not there yet. It's more like a continuation of CP3-Curry rivalry from the Clippers/Rockets-GSW days.

Yup, Curry-CP3 rivalry specially from his days with the Houston Rockets.

And I also agree with @qwertyup23, it's sort of redemption win or revenge win for the Warriors and the way they manhandled the Suns. With dunks and good defensive stops specially from Draymond Green. Curry doesn't need to score more points in order for the Warriors to win, he just need to involved his team mates more and they do step up in this game.

[Oasisman]

~
I have a question, fellas here, do you think that they'll break the longest winning streak in the NBA?

Here's the top 3.

1. Los Angeles Lakers, 1971-72: 33

2. Miami Heat, 2012-13: 27

3. Golden State Warriors, 2015-16: 24

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/nbcsports/what-are-the-longest-winning-and-losing-streaks-in-nba-history/2897239/

34 wins in a row? With the quality of teams from both the Eastern and Western conferences today, I doubt. The coach can try to rotate players and give rest to CP3 (who is their main man) to lessen the risk of injury in the next 10+ games but they just do not have enough depth to keep to the winning streak going. I would like to be proven wrong though.

I as well doubt they can break the longest winning streak. CP3 is indeed the most vital piece in this Phoenix Suns roster. Before he  went into this team, they are struggling and didn't even get the chance to get pass the round 1 in the playoffs. Now, even when they don't want CP3 to rest to keep the momentum going, I still doubt them breaking the longest winning streak. Maybe around 20 would be their longest, or not gonna make it to 20 because they have a back to back game and one of those opponents is GSW again.

Just as I thought. The Phoenix Suns has just endeed their winning streak just 2 games before reach the 20th straight win. GSW won't allow lossing again and once again the Warriors just proved how strong and improved their team this season.
A huge margin and a strong 4th quarter for the Warriors that leads them to snap the winning streak of the Phoenix Suns.
I honestly not convinced with the Suns roster to win a championship, especially now that a lot of teams have been improving.

[passwordnow]

Yeah, and wherever CP3 is going, there's always an upgrade for the team that he's in. Suns last season also did great and sadly they've just fell shortly.
They'll remain underrated for this season and I think that's good for them, I remember them just like Raptors with Kawhi and then took the championship.

What happen last season is good lesson experience to them since imagine no one will ever think that they will go that far and yet they prove that their rooster can able to step on the finals so that is good target to reach up again this season and learn their past flaws on why they come up short. I think the suns will give good match to each opponent since they want to go back to the finals and take the win for second time around.

Yeah, they just played with all their might and the best that they can. I like that attitude of CP3 and there's no need for such highlight and reel of the media to him. They are at a good standing for this season and I'm also commending Jazz that's very consistent.
Hoping the best for these two teams, I'm a fan and there's still a lot of games to go and we're still far from the finals.

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

There is also another great game last night, battle of Los Angeles teams. But in the end it was the Clippers who won edging out the Lakers.

Kennard play clutch with back to back 3's and then Paul George too, scoring 19 and Morris Sr having a good night at 3 at well with 21 points.

That's why it's hard to bet on the Lakers, and luckily I stay away from this game and just bet on the GSW win. Davis and Lebron had a good game though, but wasn't enough as the Clippers built a good lead and Lakers are very poor in catching up.