The 2010 Suns at Staples Center
Posted by Neil Paine on May 25, 2010
What is it about the Phoenix Suns and Staples Center this season? The Lakers are a good home team, having gone 34-7 with a +8.5 PPG differential in L.A. this season, so that's a big part of the explanation. But when Phoenix plays them there, their problems seem to go further than typical home-court advantage effects -- look at the difference between the Suns' Four Factors at Staples and at the US Airways Center:
| 2010 Suns vs. Lakers | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | PtsF | PtsA | win | loss | Pace | ORtg | eFG% | Tov% | Orb% | FTr | DRtg | oeFG% | oTov% | oOrb% | oFTr |
| @PHO | 332 | 314 | 2 | 1 | 94.4 | 117.2 | 50.6 | 10.6 | 27.4 | 31.6 | 110.8 | 51.5 | 14.8 | 27.0 | 17.7 |
| @LAL | 409 | 481 | 0 | 4 | 95.4 | 107.2 | 48.3 | 14.4 | 29.1 | 20.6 | 126.0 | 60.3 | 12.8 | 29.1 | 21.2 |
Yep, the Suns have been pretty good vs. L.A. this season... as long as they are playing them in Phoenix, that is. At home, they're efficient on offense (even better than their seasonal average of 115.3 pts/100 possessions), they force turnovers, and they win the free throw battle by a huge margin (witness the Suns' 37-16 edge in FTM two nights ago). But the second the Suns set foot in Staples Center, the Lakers own them, winning by an average of 18 PPG (and no fewer than 12 in any single game), hanging ridiculous offensive numbers on them, and stifling Phoenix's own offensive machine.
In a small sample like this, such a pronounced difference could always be due to random chance, but for what it's worth here are the season series splits at Staples and US Airways this year:
| 2010 PHO-LAL, @ PHO | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tm | Pos | G | GS | MPG | P/36 | TS% | A/36 | R/36 | TO/36 | ST/36 | BK/36 |
| Amare Stoudemire | PHO | C | 3 | 3 | 37.2 | 31.3 | 63.5 | 0.0 | 10.6 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Steve Nash | PHO | PG | 3 | 3 | 34.5 | 16.4 | 59.6 | 12.5 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jason Richardson | PHO | SG | 3 | 3 | 31.6 | 14.8 | 49.9 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| Grant Hill | PHO | SF | 3 | 3 | 29.1 | 9.9 | 53.6 | 3.3 | 7.8 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.4 |
| Jared Dudley | PHO | SF | 3 | 0 | 23.3 | 13.4 | 60.4 | 2.1 | 6.2 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 1.0 |
| Robin Lopez | PHO | C | 3 | 2 | 23.1 | 17.7 | 75.1 | 0.0 | 4.2 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| Channing Frye | PHO | PF | 2 | 1 | 26.7 | 10.1 | 30.8 | 1.3 | 9.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Goran Dragic | PHO | PG | 3 | 0 | 16.5 | 17.5 | 54.6 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Louis Amundson | PHO | PF | 3 | 0 | 13.0 | 12.0 | 65.8 | 0.9 | 14.7 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 3.7 |
| Leandro Barbosa | PHO | SG | 2 | 0 | 13.9 | 16.8 | 47.7 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jarron Collins | PHO | C | 1 | 0 | 11.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.1 | 9.1 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Earl Clark | PHO | SF | 1 | 0 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Taylor Griffin | PHO | SF | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Alando Tucker | PHO | SF | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Player | Tm | Pos | G | GS | MPG | P/36 | TS% | A/36 | R/36 | TO/36 | ST/36 | BK/36 |
| Kobe Bryant | LAL | SG | 3 | 3 | 40.4 | 27.0 | 59.8 | 6.2 | 7.7 | 3.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Pau Gasol | LAL | PF | 3 | 3 | 39.3 | 15.6 | 64.0 | 3.1 | 6.7 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Derek Fisher | LAL | PG | 3 | 3 | 31.9 | 13.2 | 59.9 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Lamar Odom | LAL | PF | 3 | 1 | 28.1 | 9.8 | 31.3 | 1.7 | 9.8 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| Ron Artest | LAL | SF | 2 | 2 | 37.5 | 13.0 | 50.2 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Andrew Bynum | LAL | C | 3 | 3 | 23.8 | 17.2 | 59.2 | 0.5 | 10.1 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| Shannon Brown | LAL | SG | 3 | 0 | 17.1 | 16.9 | 64.0 | 0.7 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Jordan Farmar | LAL | PG | 3 | 0 | 11.0 | 13.1 | 46.6 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 0.0 |
| Sasha Vujacic | LAL | SG | 2 | 0 | 15.7 | 9.2 | 80.0 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Adam Morrison | LAL | SF | 2 | 0 | 8.1 | 15.6 | 38.9 | 2.2 | 8.9 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Josh Powell | LAL | PF | 3 | 0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 33.3 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 |
| Didier Ilunga-Mbenga | LAL | C | 1 | 0 | 10.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 6.6 |
| Luke Walton | LAL | SF | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2010 PHO-LAL, @ LAL | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tm | Pos | G | GS | MPG | P/36 | TS% | A/36 | R/36 | TO/36 | ST/36 | BK/36 |
| Kobe Bryant | LAL | SG | 4 | 4 | 36.7 | 28.4 | 63.5 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Ron Artest | LAL | SF | 4 | 4 | 35.7 | 13.1 | 56.3 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 0.5 |
| Lamar Odom | LAL | PF | 4 | 1 | 29.1 | 14.8 | 63.8 | 5.3 | 15.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.2 |
| Pau Gasol | LAL | PF | 3 | 3 | 38.2 | 20.1 | 67.1 | 4.1 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 1.6 |
| Derek Fisher | LAL | PG | 4 | 4 | 27.4 | 8.9 | 47.7 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Andrew Bynum | LAL | C | 4 | 4 | 25.7 | 19.6 | 68.6 | 1.1 | 11.2 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| Jordan Farmar | LAL | PG | 4 | 0 | 18.5 | 17.0 | 67.6 | 6.8 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| Shannon Brown | LAL | SG | 4 | 0 | 16.5 | 21.2 | 65.3 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Josh Powell | LAL | PF | 3 | 0 | 10.1 | 23.7 | 69.3 | 3.6 | 13.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.0 |
| Sasha Vujacic | LAL | SG | 3 | 0 | 5.0 | 19.1 | 68.0 | 0.0 | 4.8 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| Didier Ilunga-Mbenga | LAL | C | 3 | 0 | 5.0 | 14.3 | 33.3 | 2.4 | 9.5 | 4.8 | 0.0 | 2.4 |
| Adam Morrison | LAL | SF | 2 | 0 | 7.0 | 12.9 | 83.3 | 0.0 | 5.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Luke Walton | LAL | SF | 2 | 0 | 6.0 | 15.1 | 83.3 | 12.1 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Player | Tm | Pos | G | GS | MPG | P/36 | TS% | A/36 | R/36 | TO/36 | ST/36 | BK/36 |
| Jason Richardson | PHO | SG | 4 | 4 | 32.8 | 15.7 | 53.3 | 2.5 | 4.4 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| Amare Stoudemire | PHO | C | 4 | 4 | 32.1 | 18.8 | 49.5 | 1.1 | 6.2 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Steve Nash | PHO | PG | 4 | 4 | 29.4 | 15.0 | 62.9 | 13.1 | 2.1 | 4.9 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Grant Hill | PHO | SF | 4 | 4 | 26.5 | 17.3 | 55.6 | 2.4 | 5.8 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 |
| Jared Dudley | PHO | SF | 4 | 0 | 24.4 | 15.8 | 67.0 | 1.8 | 7.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.0 |
| Channing Frye | PHO | PF | 4 | 2 | 21.2 | 6.4 | 27.8 | 1.3 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Goran Dragic | PHO | PG | 4 | 0 | 18.9 | 14.3 | 41.9 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Robin Lopez | PHO | C | 3 | 2 | 19.4 | 17.9 | 71.8 | 0.0 | 9.9 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Leandro Barbosa | PHO | SG | 3 | 0 | 16.3 | 17.0 | 49.1 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Louis Amundson | PHO | PF | 3 | 0 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 48.9 | 0.8 | 15.9 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Earl Clark | PHO | SF | 2 | 0 | 15.3 | 18.8 | 48.1 | 1.2 | 10.6 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 1.2 |
| Jarron Collins | PHO | C | 2 | 0 | 10.6 | 6.8 | 51.5 | 0.0 | 10.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Alando Tucker | PHO | SF | 2 | 0 | 5.4 | 23.3 | 45.8 | 0.0 | 6.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Taylor Griffin | PHO | SF | 1 | 0 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.4 |
If this trend holds going forward, it's good news for the Suns tonight as they look to even the series at 2 wins apiece, but obviously bad for them in the big picture of the series. Because after 4 games this season, Phoenix (and especially Amare Stoudemire) has yet to show any evidence that they can even give the Lakers a competitive game at Staples Center.
May 25th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Seems to me that Steve Nash average dbl the turnovers in games at Staples this season. To boot Amare is alot less effective (63 vs 49 ts%) and his rebounds go down by 50% per game.
Those numbers seem drastic and bolster my hopes that the Suns can pull off the comeback.
May 25th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Well, the Suns were only 22-19 on the road this year. A blazing 32-9 at home. Lakers were even better at home 34-7. So it's a combination of the Lakers loving that home cooking, and the Suns being pretty kinda mediocre on the road in general. My purely empirical evidence tells me that teams that rely on role players (Dudley, Richardson, Amundson, Lopez, Drago) more heavily tend to have a tough time on the road since those types of players typically play better at home where they are comfortable, and the crowd is solidly behind them.
May 25th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
To me, it seemed like the Lakers lost game three because Artest, Odom and Bynum contributed close to nothing (negative to zero, that is), while only Kobe, Gasol and Fisher played OK as a whole. In other words, Lakers could very much so win at PHX, but the same, apparently, cannot be said about the Suns at LA.
May 25th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
"To me, it seemed like the Lakers lost game three because Artest, Odom and Bynum contributed close to nothing (negative to zero, that is), while only Kobe, Gasol and Fisher played OK as a whole. In other words, Lakers could very much so win at PHX, but the same, apparently, cannot be said about the Suns at LA." Um.. you can easily make the case that PHX could easily win in LA if Phoenix's bench shows up and they shoot better than 5-20 from 3pt land. Kobe, Gasol, and Fisher played BETTER than OK.. yet they lost. Bottom line: stop making excuses for the Lakers and the fact is the Suns are better than you think.
May 25th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Elvis, the Suns don't seem capable of winning in LA at all, and it's not even close. Read the article, he said the Suns have lost by 18 PPG on average and have never been closer than 12. The only way PHX would win this series is if they had home court, but they don't. They cannot win a game in Los Angeles unless its against the Clippers.
May 25th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
All it takes is one.
May 26th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Do you have player splits for PF? I wonder if the defense Derek Fisher is allowed to play on Nash is a contributing factor. He likes to be very physical with him, bumping and grabbing him on the pick and roll, and if those aren't called fouls, it really gums up Phoenix's offense. There might be something similar going on with how Phoenix is allowed to play the Lakers' big men, but Fisher's D was the thing that stood out for me in these past few games.
May 26th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Wow. Steve Nash is the only MVP in NBA history who hasn't reached the NBA finals. I have more incentive to root for the Suns.
May 28th, 2010 at 12:06 am
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