Agreed 100% Coach D. Fans and idiot GMs (like Kerr) get so hung up on a title, if you don't win the title, you're nothing, which is nonsense.
Yeah but the problem is for life long Suns fans is the "journey" to a title is neverending. D'Antoni is not the first coach to put an exciting product on the floor. We have had exciting teams before.
The Suns have been enteraining no doubt but I want a title. Sorry, but I agree the Suns have not done anything other then entertain until we bring a title home.
You just dont tell your guy he's not as good as he thinks he is. NBA players are mostly egomaniacs, thats terrible psychology for handling these guys. They hear rediculous praise from their agents and then youre not very good from your employer, wonderful! Please dont tell shaq or amare that, Mr. Kerr. If DA believed that they put him in a position that undermined his influence with the players and damaged his ability to do his job, he did the right thing. Perhaps this is partly why the better coaches are not micromanaged, it would hurt their ability to get players to buy in to their philosophy. Porter surely has that problem now.
I agree that as a GM, Kerr should have found another way to deliver the same message. Couldn't he at least have tried saying..."bottom is your too expensive". Then maybe try and work something out. It wouldn't be the first time a GM has stretched the truth to keep Vets on a team. You see examples every single year of players taking less to stay.
Then again, with Marion's ego...that probably would not have worked.
And if you don't think Mike taught the players defense take a look at the team now...still looks about the same, players play defense if you don't have players that are good at it thats what you get. Porter is supposed to be this big defensive guru and here we are with a defense that gives up just as many points and easy baskets, who would have thunk that players had something to do with it...wait coach D did!
You have to have the horses I agree. The team has improved in allowing less points per game and improved on interior defense. We are actually giving up fewer easy buckets then in the past not more.
As others have pointed out we are playing worse defensivley at the guard positions then ever before (especially SG). IMO, I would rather have a more balanced defense but if I had to choose...give me better interior defense. At the very least 3PT FG % is much lower then a layup.
In all fairness, both sides were at fault. Newbie Kerr for trying to micro-manage, and D'Antoni for having too much pride and a thin skin.
Best post yet. Both sides were at fault no doubt. Does anybody else ever doubt that had this team stil be in the hands of Jerry all of this high school drama crap never would have happened?