Deadspin: The Suns are melting down

[1tinsoldier]

These items put together explain Ayton's passivity, in my opinion. Kokoskov is clearly overemphasizing avoiding fouls.

it's almost inconceivable

here's something else hard to believe

Bridges and JJ often have a look on their face that i can't figure out.
maybe it's "i can't believe what's going on. i came from a structured system in college to this?"

is it a coincidence that, besides Holmes who came from another system, they're both the most aggressive players on the team?

 

[TRW]

Kokoskov...errr...Koskokov....errr....whatever sounds like Wilks with a Russian accent. Seems so clueless.

How can the AZ teams keep hiring these worthless nobodies? It is crazy

 

[Mainstreet]

Kokoskov...errr...Koskokov....errr....whatever sounds like Wilks with a Russian accent. Seems so clueless.

How can the AZ teams keep hiring these worthless nobodies? It is crazy

Watching Dragic' eyes light up pregame when talking about Igor gives me renewed hope.

 

[Hoop Head]

The Booker/Ayton argument was on the front page of Yahoo's NBA page today. So in addition to being in the Deadspin article it's been featured by USA Today and Yahoo Sports now. Great look for the Suns, finally getting some national coverage!


https://sports.yahoo.com/reports-de...ed-words-front-media-suns-loss-234939271.html

 

[boisesuns]

The suns are a joke.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The suns are a joke.

Question: What do you say to a one legged hitchhiker?
Answer: Hop in.

That's a joke. I don't know what the Suns are but they're not even Yakov Smirnov funny.

 

[devilalum]

Am I the only one that sees this elephant in the room?

Is it possible that the players lack respect for the coach because he is a foreigner? I know he was successful as an assistant but it’s completely different when you’re in charge and everybody is looking to you for leadership.


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[Hoop Head]

Am I the only one that sees this elephant in the room?

Is it possible that the players lack respect for the coach because he is a foreigner? I know he was successful as an assistant but it’s completely different when you’re in charge and everybody is looking to you for leadership.


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I've seen people suggest there is a language barrier and issue but Kokoskov speaks English pretty well, I think. Perhaps it's hard to understand him in a huddle inside of a loud arena but I'm not sure. He's been in the NBA almost 2 decades now and there have been a ton of coaches and players speak very highly of him. I would be very surprised if being a foreigner was really an issue.

 

[devilalum]

I've seen people suggest there is a language barrier and issue but Kokoskov speaks English pretty well, I think. Perhaps it's hard to understand him in a huddle inside of a loud arena but I'm not sure. He's been in the NBA almost 2 decades now and there have been a ton of coaches and players speak very highly of him. I would be very surprised if being a foreigner was really an issue.

All the eye rolling and arm waving looks a lot like a lack of respect.


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[Hoop Head]

All the eye rolling and arm waving looks a lot like a lack of respect.


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I'm not saying they respect him because I don't believe they do at this point. I don't believe being a foreigner has anything to do with that. Perhaps it makes him easier for the players to mock him but I don't think they started losing respect, or made it hard for him to gain their respect, because he's a foreigner. I would think we'd have heard something if him being a foreigner was an issue with our players.

I could see that idea holding more water is we drafted Doncic, or traded for Dragic, because then there could be an us vs them vibe and it would also look like he favored his "golden boy" in favor of them. Right now, he's just been a bad coach. I would think we'd have heard something if him being a foreigner was an issue with our players.

 

[SirStefan32]

Elephant in the room is the fact that the Suns roster sucks. There is no coach who could come in and turn this thing around overnight. I just don't understand how people can blame the coach. Look at the roster... really look at it.

 

[devilalum]

Elephant in the room is the fact that the Suns roster sucks. There is no coach who could come in and turn this thing around overnight. I just don't understand how people can blame the coach. Look at the roster... really look at it.

Oh yeah, there’s plenty of blame to go around but they look like they don’t give a crap half the time.


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[1Sun]

Am I the only one that sees this elephant in the room?

Is it possible that the players lack respect for the coach because he is a foreigner? I know he was successful as an assistant but it’s completely different when you’re in charge and everybody is looking to you for leadership.


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I think that is a distinct possibility, particularly since he speaks somewhat broken English. If you have heard him interviewed, it is quite tedious listening to him try to search for words to convey his message. If that is at all how he communicates to his players...

 

[1Sun]

Elephant in the room is the fact that the Suns roster sucks. There is no coach who could come in and turn this thing around overnight. I just don't understand how people can blame the coach. Look at the roster... really look at it.

Except that the good players we had on our roster, however relatively few in number, are getting progressively worse...

 

[sdscard4]

53 of 61 games .....I'll let you guys guess

 

[1Sun]

53 of 61 games .....I'll let you guys guess

I imagine this is rhetorical, but the Suns have now lost 54 of their last 62 games. (I believe the 53 of 61 statistic was what was cited yesterday before the loss to the Heat.)

 

[overseascardfan]

The problem is management. The problem is Sarver won't hire a good GM and stay out of the way, he's a micro manager. Dave Burns made a comment yesterday that if Sarver announced that he was hiring David Griffin effective immediately and gave him full autonomy to run this team and stayed out of his way that Suns fans would be ecstatic. That would be a simple fix but he won't do it and despite all the respect and how much players like James Jones he is a lame duck GM. Did his relationship help land James? No, because players know Sarver is a meddling pest and this organization is the epitome of playing in hell.

 

[NashDishesDimes]

I imagine this is rhetorical, but the Suns have now lost 54 of their last 62 games. (I believe the 53 of 61 statistic was what was cited yesterday before the loss to the Heat.)

Wow. Unbelievable. Honestly before Book and TJ went down they obviously lost a lot of games but looked great for periods of the game against good teams which im okay with.

With Book and TJ out its just showing how bad the rest of the roster is and how important those two are.

 

[Carolinacacti]

Looks like the players can talk to Igor. Better then shutting your month, going to the end of the bench and being more mad.

 

[AzStevenCal]

The problem is management. The problem is Sarver won't hire a good GM and stay out of the way, he's a micro manager. Dave Burns made a comment yesterday that if Sarver announced that he was hiring David Griffin effective immediately and gave him full autonomy to run this team and stayed out of his way that Suns fans would be ecstatic. That would be a simple fix but he won't do it and despite all the respect and how much players like James Jones he is a lame duck GM. Did his relationship help land James? No, because players know Sarver is a meddling pest and this organization is the epitome of playing in hell.

I think that says more about Dave Burns and his basketball knowledge than it does about Griffin. I really have no idea why an informed NBA fan would think that highly of Griffin, he's done nothing of consequence. And other than caving in on some really bad deals I don't think he's done anything particularly bad either. I wouldn't hate the move but I wouldn't immediately love it except for the "stayed out of his way" part and that would be the case no matter who Sarver hired.

 

[1tinsoldier]

no. no elephant in the room that hasn't been obvious to players and fans
and openly addressed here.
bad decisions. bad system. bad fundamentals. lack of strength.

if NBA players had a problem with foreigners, you'd see see it in Dallas too. Doncic came as the most hyped foreigner ever, yet instead of resenting him, you could see they accepted and respected his leadership on the floor from day 1.

 

[1tinsoldier]

i believe we have a bunch of nice guys on the Suns
that's why i still watch
the kind of guys that would be reluctant to turn on their coach
who's also a nice guy
even if they've lost respect for him

it is likely resulting in Booker and Ayton taking it out on each other
trying to fix things on their own
because they know this franchise is theirs together
and this coach won't be part of that future

 

[sdscard4]

I can see us losing 85 out of 100. That's horrible and unacceptable

 

[Sunburn]

no. no elephant in the room that hasn't been obvious to players and fans
and openly addressed here.
bad decisions. bad system. bad fundamentals. lack of strength.

if NBA players had a problem with foreigners, you'd see see it in Dallas too. Doncic came as the most hyped foreigner ever, yet instead of resenting him, you could see they accepted and respected his leadership on the floor from day 1.

One, there's a difference between a foreign player and a foreign coach. Two, it hasn't been completely smooth sailing with his teammates. There's been multiple reports of teammates freezing him out at times, and there was that awkward play where Deandre Jordan pushed him out of the way to steal a rebound. I do think he is forcing his teammates to respect him with his strong play.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think that says more about Dave Burns and his basketball knowledge than it does about Griffin. I really have no idea why an informed NBA fan would think that highly of Griffin, he's done nothing of consequence. And other than caving in on some really bad deals I don't think he's done anything particularly bad either. I wouldn't hate the move but I wouldn't immediately love it except for the "stayed out of his way" part and that would be the case no matter who Sarver hired.

I agree. Griffin has not proven himself capable in any way IMO.