The Fredstrom is Happy Again!

Yes it was the first game of the regular season, and yes Womanu was hurt and didn't play, BUT the Suns went into San Antonio and gave the Spurs the business!  Duncan and Parker had nearly perfect games and Planet Spuranus still came up short.  The Suns defense wasn't that great (again) but The Fredstrom spoke with Coach Porter and he says that he will make these adjustments: 1)Going under the screen instead of following Parker around it allowing him to further dissect the Suns "D" drawing fouls, etc. 2) Letting Tim Duncan shoot outside instead of taking it to the rack again drawing weak fouls, 3)Making someone else shoot the ball Duncan and Parker combined for 45 shots making 26 of them, etc.

The Suns on the other hand hit Coach Mtn. Man in the beard with a balanced attack. Five players scored in double figures and the Suns bench outscored the Spurs bench 42-24. The Suns looked good, they out-rebounded the Spurs (just barely), were able to get some big stops, were able to run and hit some big shots down the stretch, and most importantly were able to run an effective pick and roll completely rendering the Spurs helpless. By the way Pop, Hack-a-Shaq is Whack!  It may be within the rules but if The Fredstrom were a Spurs fan he would be pretty upset that he paid good money to watch his team fouling continuously turning what could be a fun game into a free throw shooting exhibition. 

Tonight the Suns face another tough Western Conference team-The Hornets. The Fredstrom looks forward to the Suns home opener hoping to see another big victory, with BIG "D" and FAST "O". Prediction: Suns 107 Hornets 104.

The Fredstrom Isn't Happy!

Not to take anything away from the Cardinals, but the fact that they are scoring more points than the Suns is driving the Fredstrom nuts!

72 total points against the Denver Nuggets-a team that is reminiscent of the Suns defense of past years!  13 pts in a quarter?  The Fredstrom knows that this is preseason, he knows that Amare and Leandro didn't play, and yes the game was outside, but there didn't appear to be any dust devils or monsoons? However, Shaq did say it was colder than a bleeper bleeper!

This year is going be very different if the Suns are going to play old school New York Knicks or Detroit Pistons circa The Bad Boy days basketball.  If the Fredstrom wanted to see 70pt. games he would go see the Phoenix Mercury.  Coach Terry Porter said that the Suns can run but only when they get a rebound, not taking it out of the hoop after a made basket?  Why can't the Suns run and just play better defense with an increased focus on rebounding?  

Don't subject the Suns fans to this sloppy, slow, boring type of basketball...Please!  Coach Porter also wants the Suns to be patient on offense?  Well that has led the Suns to two things: Launching up last second shots trying to avoid shot clock violations and a lousy 31% field goal percentage!  The Fredstrom recommends that the Suns take the first available open shot- not this :27 secs or less offense!

Congrats to the Arizona Cardinals for a big win over the Cowboys!  That game reminded the Fredstrom a D-Backs' 9th inning where the closer comes in and gives the lead away with four straight walks.  You sit there and think how much worse can it get?  Being offsides by 40+ yards?  Just enough of a penalty to give the Cowboys those extra five yards allowing the ball to sneak over the crossbar!  It was classic Cardinals football.  Luckily the defense was able to take the game into their own hands, allowing 3 and out, breaking Tony Simpson's finger, then blocking a punt and rolling into the end zone. Amazing game... Hey T-O... looks like you were the 3rd best receiver on Sunday, but you did a good job yelling at your teammates on the sideline.   The Fredstrom wonders how long it will take before T-O has a media meltdown?

Suns Start Wednesday-NBA Preview

The Suns play their first home preseason game this Wednesday and it has the Fredstrom thinking. Where will the Suns finish in the West? Here's the Fredstrom's power rankings for the top 8 seeds in the Western Conference.

#1 New Orleans Hornets- Chris Paul keeps getting better and better. David West will again have an all-star season and watch out for James Posey. He has been on two of the last 3 championship teams. He will help spread the floor along with Peja allowing Paul, West, and Chandler to dissect the inside. They will be a force!

#2 L.A. Lakers- Two words: Kobe Factor. Two keys to the Lakers improving:  Phil Jackson shaving the goat-tee and they will get Bynum back. Even though Gasol is tissue-soft, he still poses match up problems for other Western Conference contenders. The X factor for the Lakers will be the consistency of the Euros. Will they show up strong or will they fall, flop, and cry their way to Phil's bench?

#3 Utah Jazz- Deron Williams is a stud. Carlos Boozer also poses match up problems for many. Utah's biggest strength is the Sloan Factor. Jerry Sloan has a system that gets his guys to work and work hard, especially on the defensive end. If Okur can play anything like he did two years ago Utah will secure the 3 spot in the West.

#4 Phoenix Suns- The Suns may be old but they have made some positive moves this summer. A new coach with a defensive past... a back up point guard, signing Mike Barnes a scrappy defensive player and not having to work in the Big Saguaro mid-season should make the Suns a better team than last year. Remember D'Antoni running the Suns 7 into the ground? The Fredstrom has to believe that Terry Porter won't do the same allowing the Suns to have more legs for the home stretch and more importantly the playoffs.

#5 Houston Rockets- Picking up Ron Artest this summer can only make them better. If Yao and T-Mac can stay healthy look for the Rockets to lay some exhaust on the West.

#6 San Antonio Spurs- Speaking of coaches facial hair, have you seen Pops beard? The Fredstrom has never seen a baby with such a huge beard! Someone find that baby a Quattro! Experience, Experience, Experience... however Manu's ankle complications will hurt the Spurs. Timmy is a year older but is still effective and Tony Longoria will still be a Suns killer. Look for the Spurs to play possum once again until their rodeo trip is over, then they will turn it on. The Fredstrom thinks the Spurs early exit in last year's playoffs was a preview of their decline. Unfortunately it might have been the Suns preview as well.

#7 Dallas Mavericks- The Mavs will make the playoffs because they have talent. Jason Kidd, Dirk, Howard (what happened to that guy?) and Terry should be able to make the 7 spot in the West...and not any higher. Last year we saw adding Jason Kidd doesn't equate to winning in the playoffs.

#8 Portland Trailblazers- Greg Oden seems to be cursed and may only play 75% of this season, but the Blazers have some really nice and youthful pieces in place. The Fredstrom can't put an unstable, back-biting Nuggets or a Brandless Clippers, or a B. Diddyless Warriors, the Sacramento Queens, or an inexperienced Thunder ahead of the Blazers.

It looks like our D-Backs finished 2nd in the West, and definitely won't win the World Series! They didn't win a 100 or more games or even break the 90's, so it looks like the polls were mostly wrong. Don't they get anything for that huge number of strike outs?

  

Looks like the Cubs may have to wait another 100years...wow that was bad! 

The Cardinals beat up on an undefeated Bills team to improve to 3-2, but the Cowboys are coming!  Do the Cards have a chance?

New polls posted today including where the Suns will finish in the West.