Choose The Suns Next Head Coach?

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The Suns keep expanding their search which concerns me about the response they are receiving from the top tier candidates.

My concern as well.

 

[Ronin]

Everyone going nuts about my Jason Kidd, Vinny Del Negro news: Chill. McDonough told me in March he would talk to a lot of people in initial round of interviews. Then will whittle list down. Doesn't hurt to get a lot of input, opinions, about your team and organization.

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[Mainstreet]

Everyone going nuts about my Jason Kidd, Vinny Del Negro news: Chill. McDonough told me in March he would talk to a lot of people in initial round of interviews. Then will whittle list down. Doesn't hurt to get a lot of input, opinions, about your team and organization.

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So Bordow is telling me they have a chance.

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[Cheesebeef]

I'm wondering if we even reached out to JVG or Calipari.

no one likes to be laughed at and hung up on.

 

[Phrazbit]

I think Calipari is a lousy coach anyway. Great recruiter but that does not translate in the slightest to the NBA.

 

[Hoop Head]

I thought it was confirmed last week that he interviewed on Thursday? Bud on Monday/Tuesday, Fizdale on Wednesday, Triano on Thursday.

Am I missing something?

"The Suns reportedly have conducted or will conduct interviews with several other candidates, including interim coach Jay Triano, former Memphis coach David Fizdale..."

Almost positive he interviewed last week and don't see anything in the article to contradict it.

Ok, I read that wrong. Specifically the line bolded below...

"The Suns reportedly have conducted or will conduct interviews with several other candidates, including interim coach Jay Triano, former Memphis coach David Fizdale, Utah assistant Igor Koskoskov, former Charlotte coach Steve Clifford, former Orlando and Indiana coach Frank Vogel, former Houston coach Kevin McHale and San Antonio assistant James Borrego."

That made it seem like they hadn't interviewed some of the names listed, with Triano being listed first there. Since this is the 3rd week of the coaching search that could have been worded better by Bordow. I understand listing everyone the team has spoken with or is planning to speak with but since it's been going on for as long as it has they should have separated the people who have been interviewed with those they are planning to interview still.

 

[Hoop Head]

I think Calipari is a lousy coach anyway. Great recruiter but that does not translate in the slightest to the NBA.

I know Kentucky gets top prospects but Calipari is able to take his one and done players pretty far in the tournament every year after a successful regular season. Talent helps but since he does that consistently with new players I would not say he's a lousy coach. I don't think he's as good as Coach K or Jay Wright but he's far from a lousy coach. I don't think he's a good enough of a coach to be successful in the NBA with just any team though and I think the Suns would be a poor match for him. The Suns don't have a quality big that he would need and I'm not sure Ayton would be the type of big Calipari would want either. If he had more of an outsider jumper then maybe but as is I don't think he has the range to play that well in Calipari's system.

 

[Phrazbit]

I know Kentucky gets top prospects but Calipari is able to take his one and done players pretty far in the tournament every year after a successful regular season. Talent helps but since he does that consistently with new players I would not say he's a lousy coach. I don't think he's as good as Coach K or Jay Wright but he's far from a lousy coach. I don't think he's a good enough of a coach to be successful in the NBA with just any team though and I think the Suns would be a poor match for him. The Suns don't have a quality big that he would need and I'm not sure Ayton would be the type of big Calipari would want either. If he had more of an outsider jumper then maybe but as is I don't think he has the range to play that well in Calipari's system.

He has more talent than basically... everyone... every single game. I'm not saying he should win it all every year but there is nothing about Kentucky's offensive or defensive systems to wow anyone. I think in the NBA he would be a really lousy coach... and he was a lousy coach during his one stint in the league.

If we dip into the college ranks I'd look at coaches who win without rosters loaded with All-Americans and high NBA picks. Like Jay Wright, like Brad Stephens was at Butler. Not some coach who wins because he is really good at recruiting.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I know Kentucky gets top prospects but Calipari is able to take his one and done players pretty far in the tournament every year after a successful regular season. Talent helps but since he does that consistently with new players I would not say he's a lousy coach. I don't think he's as good as Coach K or Jay Wright but he's far from a lousy coach. I don't think he's a good enough of a coach to be successful in the NBA with just any team though and I think the Suns would be a poor match for him. The Suns don't have a quality big that he would need and I'm not sure Ayton would be the type of big Calipari would want either. If he had more of an outsider jumper then maybe but as is I don't think he has the range to play that well in Calipari's system.

Cal’s system has consistently had ALL WALKS of big men from Marcus Camby to Boogie Cousins to KAT to Anthony Davis even to Nerlens Noel. None of those guys had really good outside jumpers, especially in college and right now, Ayton’s jumper is comparable to any of those guys during their college years.

 

[GatorAZ]

He has more talent than basically... everyone... every single game. I'm not saying he should win it all every year but there is nothing about Kentucky's offensive or defensive systems to wow anyone. I think in the NBA he would be a really lousy coach... and he was a lousy coach during his one stint in the league.

If we dip into the college ranks I'd look at coaches who win without rosters loaded with All-Americans and high NBA picks. Like Jay Wright, like Brad Stephens was at Butler. Not some coach who wins because he is really good at recruiting.

18 year old talent doesn’t guarantee you jack. Coach K has had the#1 recruiting class three years running and hasn’t won his conference or made the final four since he had senior leadership like Quin Cook and Amile Jefferson.

Cal would be a grand slam hire for the Suns but he’s not leaving Kentucky without full power in the organization.

 

[Phrazbit]

18 year old talent doesn’t guarantee you jack. Coach K has had the#1 recruiting class three years running and hasn’t won his conference or made the final four since he had senior leadership like Quin Cook and Amile Jefferson.

Cal would be a grand slam hire for the Suns but he’s not leaving Kentucky without full power in the organization.

Sorry, but you cannot convince me that a guy who's main talent is recruiting high school kids and with a 39% winning percentage as an NBA coach would be a "slam dunk" for the Suns. He'd bring some hype... and that would fade when people realized that Calipari is pretty crappy when he doesn't dramatically outclass his opponents talent.

If I had a college program I'd be all about bringing him in, but there is very little reason to think he'd be anything but a disaster back in the NBA.

 

[Mr. Boldin]

I actually don’t think Vinny is awful. He did a solid job raising the Clippers before Doc got there. But don’t know what happened to him since then.

Kidd is dog with fleas... that’s rolled around in his own feces.

Couldnt stand del negro. The players didnt buy into his lame attempt at a system. Part of the reason why he hasnt gotten a job since.

 

[Hoop Head]

Sorry, but you cannot convince me that a guy who's main talent is recruiting high school kids and with a 39% winning percentage as an NBA coach would be a "slam dunk" for the Suns. He'd bring some hype... and that would fade when people realized that Calipari is pretty crappy when he doesn't dramatically outclass his opponents talent.

If I had a college program I'd be all about bringing him in, but there is very little reason to think he'd be anything but a disaster back in the NBA.

Winning percentage for NBA coaches shouldn't be the be all end all judge of their talent. Best case scenario they can turn a team around in a year but that's still 1 year with a losing record. The next year they go a little above 500 and they're still not 500 for their career yet. That will take 3-4 years for them to be above 500 for their career and some coaches don't last that long. Coach Cal is one of those guys. He only coached 2 full seasons in the NBA and in his first year the team wasn't very good but he brought them to the playoffs in his 2nd year. If a coach has been in the league longer, around 5-6 seasons, and they have a sub 500 record then you could say they're a bad coach but you need to look at the whole picture sometimes. For example, D'Antoni was only 455-426 before being hired in Houston. That's barely above 500, do you think just over 500 is a fair way to judge D'Antoni as a coach?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Couldnt stand del negro. The players didnt buy into his lame attempt at a system. Part of the reason why he hasnt gotten a job since.

And yet he took that Clipper team just as far as Rivers ever did.

 

[Hoop Head]

Kenny Smith is apparently up for the Knicks coaching job. Haven't heard anything tying him elsewhere but they've talked about him interviewing with the Knicks on Inside the NBA. I don't know what sort of coach he'd be but I'd miss him on Inside the NBA. He is a big part of that show and since Shaq has been added they need Kenny to keep the show on track with Chuck and Shaq tossing barbs at each other constantly.

 

[Phrazbit]

Winning percentage for NBA coaches shouldn't be the be all end all judge of their talent. Best case scenario they can turn a team around in a year but that's still 1 year with a losing record. The next year they go a little above 500 and they're still not 500 for their career yet. That will take 3-4 years for them to be above 500 for their career and some coaches don't last that long. Coach Cal is one of those guys. He only coached 2 full seasons in the NBA and in his first year the team wasn't very good but he brought them to the playoffs in his 2nd year. If a coach has been in the league longer, around 5-6 seasons, and they have a sub 500 record then you could say they're a bad coach but you need to look at the whole picture sometimes. For example, D'Antoni was only 455-426 before being hired in Houston. That's barely above 500, do you think just over 500 is a fair way to judge D'Antoni as a coach?

My counter to that is... Mike D was terrible in every instance where he lacked a top tier playmaker. With a great playmaker he wins a lot of games. Without one, he sucks.

Cal wins a lot in his wheelhouse, I think the NBA is not in his wheelhouse.

 

[Chaplin]

Rumor on RealGM that Fizdale has pulled out of consideration now as well.

 

[Absolute Zero]

My guess is that these coaches were interested, then they met Sarver.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Rumor on RealGM that Fizdale has pulled out of consideration now as well.

THIS is why I said it's important to get a new GM NOW. I don't know anyone who has any self-worth that would take a job for a lame-duck GM who's overseen this disaster.

That's not to say I DEFINITELY know why people keep taking themselves out of contention, but would it really surprise anyone if it wasn't a factor? Coaching for Sarver is probably negative enough. But being the lame-duck's GM seems like you're putting yourself in even bigger cross-hairs because if this team sucks next year and McD is gone, you can bet your bottom dollar that his coach won't be too far behind when a new sheriff comes to town.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Only two things gets people to interview and then turn down a job.

The compensation you are offered or this was just a fall back job.

My guess is that it is the former.

 

[overseascardfan]

It’s Triano folks, mark me.

 

[Cheesebeef]

It’s Triano folks, mark me.

Will the McD supporters do a 180 and let McD off the hook if this happens?

 

[Chaplin]

Will the McD supporters do a 180 and let McD off the hook if this happens?

We can look forward to more 40-point losses and unorganized practices. Might as well write off Chriss and Bender in that case as well.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

It’s Triano folks, mark me.

There are several options that would make me genuinely sad. Kidd, Mark Jackson, Del Negro...

And Triano is one of them.

"Over the whole season, the Suns are about to complete the rare double of finishing 30th in both offensive and defensive rating—a feat matched only by the 2011-12 Bobcats since 1995-96—which, even considering the modest gains made by their rookie-contract players, signals how far they have to go to return to contention."

 

[sunsfan88]

Just unbelievable at this point.