Choose The Suns Next Head Coach?

[elindholm]

When you look at TJ's tweets, you have to wonder.

That's true on so many levels.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Fizdale would be a decent hire. Hes actually very well liked around the league and not a turd as a coach, as you say.

He got fired after 1.25 seasons after backstabbing a well respected star in the league. He may not be a turd, but he ain’t a star.

 

[JCSunsfan]

He got fired after 1.25 seasons after backstabbing a well respected star in the league. He may not be a turd, but he ain’t a star.

There has to be more to that story. Are you sure that is an accurate narrative?

 

[Cheesebeef]

There has to be more to that story. Are you sure that is an accurate narrative?

He got fired in 1.25 seasons. Whatever happened there wasn’t good.

 

[GatorAZ]

Hopefully players from a 20-win team don’t have much influence on the next coach.

 

[JCSunsfan]

He got fired in 1.25 seasons. Whatever happened there wasn’t good.

Owner with a hair trigger and a whiney star player? According to this, Gasol was ticked that he was not put back into a game where the bench had brought the team back from a deficit the starters had created.

https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/1...fired-marc-gasol-memphis-grizzlies-head-coach

 

[Hoop Head]

TJ Warren's tweets (on the head coaching search?)

When you look at TJ's tweets, you have to wonder.

April 14 "Don't make the mistake of making the same mistake"
April 14 "Speak from experience"
April 15 "Knowledge from dudes who did not contribute to none of this here"
April 16 "THE REAL IS BACK"
April 20 "Choose wisely"
April 20 "1985"
April 20 "Brackets"

Looks to me like that is TJ not giving a vote of confidence for Triano, asking for an experienced head coach, asking for someone from the outside, liking the Bud possibility, asking for a wise choice, and potentially stumping for ? Jay Wright (?). (If you google 1985 brackets, you get Villanova).

Hmm. Cryptic. But if that is what he meant, I agree with all of it.

Not sure if he's referring to the coaching search or not but another thing he might be referencing is Elfrid Payton. It was reported those 2 are really good friends when Payton came here. Just a thought.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

Not sure if he's referring to the coaching search or not but another thing he might be referencing is Elfrid Payton. It was reported those 2 are really good friends when Payton came here. Just a thought.

As Tibbs84 said, I'm pretty sure it's just about liking J Cole's new album.

 

[Mainstreet]

I am a huge Igor fan. I will tell you that if they hire him, I am 90% sure they'll draft Doncic, if given the opportunity, though. Those two are very close.

With Budenholzer out of the running, I'm leaning towards Igor Kokoskov as my top pick. Seems to be beloved by former players; a tactician. He coached Slovenia to a surprising Eurobasket Championship last summer. He's an assistant for the impressive Utah Jazz right now, and he has also been a part of the 7 seconds or less Suns (great offense; tail end, but still...) and the 2004 champion Pistons (great defense).

http://www.fiba.basketball/eurobask...v-the-mastermind-behind-slovenia-s-golden-run

Now that Bud is out of the running, I changed my poll selection to Other as in Kokoskov.

I like Kokoskov as well along with Fizdale.

Igor has a nice ring to it and could be easily referenced.

 

[Mr. Boldin]

He got fired after 1.25 seasons after backstabbing a well respected star in the league. He may not be a turd, but he ain’t a star.

Backstabbing is certainly framing it. That ownership is a mess and the picked Gasol over their coach. There is a reason LeBron, CP3, ect. all went to bat for the guy.

Either way, I wouldnt consider him a great hire, but might be the best the Suns can do without hiring guys most have never heard of.

 

[Mainstreet]

So the Suns are casting a wide net. Here is what it looks like.

Fizdale, meanwhile, reportedly has an interview scheduled with the New York Knicks and he’s been linked to the Milwaukee Bucks job, where Joe Prunty is the interim coach.

Where does that leave the Suns?

McDonough said two months ago that he would cast a “wide net” in looking for a candidate, and that seems to be what he’s doing. In addition to reportedly having conversations with former Indiana and Orlando coach Frank Vogel and former Charlotte coach Steve Clifford, McDonough is looking at current assistant coaches such as Utah’s Igor Kokoskov – a former Suns assistant – and San Antonio’s James Borrego.

It’s also been reported that former Houston coach Kevin McHale and former Cleveland coach David Blatt are candidates for the job.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/spo...nholzer-david-fizdale-kevin-mchale/538256002/

 

[Hoop Head]

David Blatt was fired in Cleveland after a year and a half and no one views that as his fault. Just because a coach has a short tenure somewhere doesn't mean they were a failure. It's a star driven league nowadays and most franchise players can get their coach canned easily, regardless of how long they've been with that team. Deron Williams got Jerry Sloan ousted in Utah years back. The only coach that safe in the NBA is Popovich and I think part of why he's safe now is because of his age. The Spurs will let him decide when it's time to walk away because he won't be around much longer anyways.

 

[Cheesebeef]

David Blatt was fired in Cleveland after a year and a half and no one views that as his fault. Just because a coach has a short tenure somewhere doesn't mean they were a failure. It's a star driven league nowadays and most franchise players can get their coach canned easily, regardless of how long they've been with that team. Deron Williams got Jerry Sloan ousted in Utah years back. The only coach that safe in the NBA is Popovich and I think part of why he's safe now is because of his age. The Spurs will let him decide when it's time to walk away because he won't be around much longer anyways.

David Blatt’s also never gotten another shot in the NBA, has he?

 

[JerkFace]

I’m surprised that Monty Williams name hasn’t surfaced more. He did a solid job in New Orleans under horrible ownership circumstances.

 

[Errntknght]

David Blatt’s also never gotten another shot in the NBA, has he?

No he hasn't and I hope the Suns give him a look as well as Fizdale, time permitting. I think both got raw deals from their teams.

I never got any kind of a sense of Kokoskov while he was here but what he did with Dragic & company in the Euroleague was impressive. I'd put him ahead of the two above, now. Of course, he may well know he doesn't want to wind up here...

Unfortunately, I think you're right about McD's position here being a negative for any coach he might entertain and, of course, Sarver is a big negative looming in the background. I'd be willing to give Borrego a shot, just because he's from Pop's tree - and he's well thought of. I know most are big on having an experienced coach, but new coaches don't have a bad record overall in the NBA - and beggars can't be chosers as the old saying goes.

 

[BC867]

I do not get Fizdale AT ALL.

And I'd be pretty stoked with JVG, but there's no way he comes out of a decade of retirement to come into as shaky a FO situation as we have.

If we were guaranteed the first pick and Ayton, I could see our opening being much more enticing to people, but without that, there's just too many question marks for someone legit to come here... unless the bank was literally broken open for them... and they were given some kind of FO power.

That says it all. If the Suns were a retail company, they'd be Montgomery Ward. Out of touch with no hope of attracting good people.

And, yup, open the bank and give him FO power? It takes a confident and skilled leader to do that. Which hardly describes our Montgomery Ward front office.

 

[GatorAZ]

That says it all. If the Suns were a retail company, they'd be Montgomery Ward. Out of touch with no hope of attracting good people.

And, yup, open the bank and give him FO power? It takes a confident and skilled leader to do that. Which hardly describes our Montgomery Ward front office.

You just took me back to Christown Mall!

 

[BC867]

I wonder if Triano could bring Nash in as an assistant.

I think if Nash comes back, it would be as a Managing General Partner, not an Assistant Coach.

 

[BC867]

Hopefully players from a 20-win team don’t have much influence on the next coach.

That reminds me. Didn't we read that Booker would have input on all decisions?

I wonder if he did and what his input would have been regarding attracting Bud as Head Coach.

 

[Mainstreet]

Igor would be a nice rebound after missing on Bud.

Tony Jones‏@tribjazz


Utah Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov recently interviewed for the Phoenix Suns coaching vacancy, league sources tell The Salt Lake Tribune


11:19 PM - 20 Apr 2018

 

[JCSunsfan]

Igor would be a nice rebound after missing on Bud.

Tony Jones‏@tribjazz


Utah Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov recently interviewed for the Phoenix Suns coaching vacancy, league sources tell The Salt Lake Tribune


11:19 PM - 20 Apr 2018

http://arizonasports.com/story/1505176/alvin-gentry-igor-kokoskov-phoenix-suns/

I am warming to this idea. I like Jeff Van Gundy, but it does not look like he is under consideration. Igor seems to have all the qualities necessary. I certainly would take him over Fizdale. But I am not sure that Fizdale deserves the backstabber rep he is getting.

 

[Mainstreet]

http://arizonasports.com/story/1505176/alvin-gentry-igor-kokoskov-phoenix-suns/

I am warming to this idea. I like Jeff Van Gundy, but it does not look like he is under consideration. Igor seems to have all the qualities necessary. I certainly would take him over Fizdale. But I am not sure that Fizdale deserves the backstabber rep he is getting.

I'd probably be happy with Igor or Fizdale but hiring Igor feels so right especially if the Suns end up with Doncic.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'd probably be happy with Igor or Fizdale but hiring Igor feels so right especially if the Suns end up with Doncic.

Hiring Igor would feel a lot more right to me if we didn't draft Doncic. Ayton or Young and a coach who knows what he's doing. Is that too much to ask? I hope not.

 

[Mainstreet]

Hiring Igor would feel a lot more right to me if we didn't draft Doncic. Ayton or Young and a coach who knows what he's doing. Is that too much to ask? I hope not.

As Igor knows Doncic it could also be a reason the Suns do not draft him... if he would not be the right choice.

Hopefully the new Suns coach puts the team first. The Suns shouldn't hire him otherwise. If the Suns are sitting there at 3 or 4, I want them to draft the BPA.

I like Young too.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Hiring Igor would feel a lot more right to me if we didn't draft Doncic. Ayton or Young and a coach who knows what he's doing. Is that too much to ask? I hope not.

i'm with ya