Burns: Zone works, Suns will continue to use it
The Suns zone defense is like this hat.
This is the hat worn by Mark Asher, host of the Gambo and Ash show. Every single time this ridiculous looking lid finds its way to the top of his head, we (and when I say we I mean every-freakin’-body) at Sports 620 KTAR mock him for wearing it. It makes him look….oh what’s the word….soft. We tell him he looks like a news boy from the 1920’s.
And inevitably when he does get ripped his response is always the same: Make fun of it all you want fellas, it works. The ladies like it, so I’m wearing it.
The Suns zone defense is like that hat. Alvin Gentry called it a girly-zone the other day. Following the Suns Game 4 win, one unnamed Laker called it a “(bleeping) zone”. Some are accusing the Suns rolling out this gimmicky, high school type defense because they just aren’t good enough to stop the Lakers. They just aren’t man enough to play the Lakers straight up.
To which Suns fans retort….so what. It works. Just like Asher’s hat.
Every four years, men complain about the Olympics. Not enough sports, too much fluff they gripe. Whatever. NBC is too busy counting their money to notice your complaints. It works just fine. American Idol is one of the girliest, softest shows on TV. It’s also a ratings monster. It works.
The Suns are now officially inside the Lakers’ head on this one. A frustrated (certainly not jovial) Kobe Bryant flat out refused to say that it was the Suns zone causing the problem, instead focusing on the Lakers lack of defense. Phil Jackson followed suit, pointing out that they shot the ball just fine in Game 4. But just go back to the one, unnamed Laker, in that rare let-down-your-guard moment.
“(bleeping) zone.”
Mock it all you want. Like Mark Asher’s hat….it’s working just fine.
