I honestly believe this. If there was a great alternative to Frank Johnson out there the Suns might be willing to make a coaching change soon. There isn't. IMO the only alternative is one of the Phoenix Suns assistant coaches, and maybe the Colangelos aren't convinced that would be any better.
Joe Mama
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/1205suns1205.html
Colangelo regrets Johnson rumors
Tim Tyers
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 5, 2003 12:00 AM
The Suns look at the four-game Eastern road swing that opens tonight in Boston and see a trip that will launch a successful season, much as a similar trip did last year.
But speculation in media circles is that the trip could launch coach Frank Johnson out the door and into the unemployment line.
Don't count on it.
Suns Chairman Jerry Colangelo finds the speculation disturbing, he said.
"It's a little sad. I'm not talking and Bryan (Colangelo, president and general manager) isn't talking, and we're being asked about speculation," Colangelo said. "We need to set the record straight.
"When teams are losing - with the way and how they are losing - it immediately goes to speculation about trades and the coach being fired. It's inappropriate to comment on any of that. . . . We've sputtered out of the gate. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see it. We're always analyzing why that's the case. Given the facts, we're disappointed where we're at now, but that's a far cry from the coach being fired."
Frankly, one basis for speculation came from the Colangelos saying it was important for the Suns to emerge well from a just-completed stretch playing nine of 11 games at home.
The Suns were 4-5 in the nine home games and lost both road games.
"I haven't been pleased with the effort I've seen (on the court)," Colangelo said of his 7-10 team. "But everybody is responsible, and the decisions responsible for player personnel acquisition and trading must be shared. We're all in the same trench together."
Johnson is very aware of the speculation regarding his job.
"Isn't it natural?" he said after Thursday's practice. "It's the case for anyone in this business when things aren't going well. There is added pressure, no question. But you have to look past that and keep an understanding about what's at hand. That is to keep teaching these guys and keeping them in the right mind-set, and not to let it become a distraction."
A reporter asked whether Johnson has talked with management about his job status.
"Would I talk to them about my head being on the line?" he answered, laughing. "Why would I talk to them about that? I think they would tell me if that was the case. You know, you have to be careful about what you ask for."
After Wednesday's ugly 92-79 loss to Minnesota, several of Johnson's players found themselves addressing the coaching issue, but guard Stephon Marbury said it hasn't become a distraction.
"You can't pay any attention to it," he said. "When you're losing, there is always going to be speculation. It's just normal, the nature of the game. All of us deserve to be blamed for this, not just Frank.
"I believe he's doing everything in his power to put us into situations to win games. We're going out and trying to execute those plays, and it's just not happening."
For the record, the Suns were 9-8 after 17 games last season, two games better than this season. They beat Indiana at home and then went on a five-game swing to Memphis, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta, winning the final three games to go 3-2. It kick-started their drive to the playoffs.
This time the stops are in Boston, New Jersey, Orlando and Miami. All are in funks similar to what the Suns are experiencing and, at a combined 20-52, all own worse records than Phoenix.
Orlando has lost 17 straight.
"This is still the NBA, and it's all dependent on what we do, not what they do," Marbury said. "We have to go out, make the plays and try to dominate. The only one who can get us out of this funk is us."
Joe Mama
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/1205suns1205.html
Colangelo regrets Johnson rumors
Tim Tyers
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 5, 2003 12:00 AM
The Suns look at the four-game Eastern road swing that opens tonight in Boston and see a trip that will launch a successful season, much as a similar trip did last year.
But speculation in media circles is that the trip could launch coach Frank Johnson out the door and into the unemployment line.
Don't count on it.
Suns Chairman Jerry Colangelo finds the speculation disturbing, he said.
"It's a little sad. I'm not talking and Bryan (Colangelo, president and general manager) isn't talking, and we're being asked about speculation," Colangelo said. "We need to set the record straight.
"When teams are losing - with the way and how they are losing - it immediately goes to speculation about trades and the coach being fired. It's inappropriate to comment on any of that. . . . We've sputtered out of the gate. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see it. We're always analyzing why that's the case. Given the facts, we're disappointed where we're at now, but that's a far cry from the coach being fired."
Frankly, one basis for speculation came from the Colangelos saying it was important for the Suns to emerge well from a just-completed stretch playing nine of 11 games at home.
The Suns were 4-5 in the nine home games and lost both road games.
"I haven't been pleased with the effort I've seen (on the court)," Colangelo said of his 7-10 team. "But everybody is responsible, and the decisions responsible for player personnel acquisition and trading must be shared. We're all in the same trench together."
Johnson is very aware of the speculation regarding his job.
"Isn't it natural?" he said after Thursday's practice. "It's the case for anyone in this business when things aren't going well. There is added pressure, no question. But you have to look past that and keep an understanding about what's at hand. That is to keep teaching these guys and keeping them in the right mind-set, and not to let it become a distraction."
A reporter asked whether Johnson has talked with management about his job status.
"Would I talk to them about my head being on the line?" he answered, laughing. "Why would I talk to them about that? I think they would tell me if that was the case. You know, you have to be careful about what you ask for."
After Wednesday's ugly 92-79 loss to Minnesota, several of Johnson's players found themselves addressing the coaching issue, but guard Stephon Marbury said it hasn't become a distraction.
"You can't pay any attention to it," he said. "When you're losing, there is always going to be speculation. It's just normal, the nature of the game. All of us deserve to be blamed for this, not just Frank.
"I believe he's doing everything in his power to put us into situations to win games. We're going out and trying to execute those plays, and it's just not happening."
For the record, the Suns were 9-8 after 17 games last season, two games better than this season. They beat Indiana at home and then went on a five-game swing to Memphis, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta, winning the final three games to go 3-2. It kick-started their drive to the playoffs.
This time the stops are in Boston, New Jersey, Orlando and Miami. All are in funks similar to what the Suns are experiencing and, at a combined 20-52, all own worse records than Phoenix.
Orlando has lost 17 straight.
"This is still the NBA, and it's all dependent on what we do, not what they do," Marbury said. "We have to go out, make the plays and try to dominate. The only one who can get us out of this funk is us."
