DeAndre Ayton: “I’m not struggling on defense”

[JCSunsfan]

Changes need to be made to this team, but first things first. I would keep Jones and Bukstein. I don't mind if Jones retains the title of GM. They seem to have an odd way of splitting duties, but Jones is relating to the players well and we have a much better locker room attitude toward mgmt since Jones came. What this team needs is a management position ABOVE those two that runs the show and runs interference between the owner and the day to day operations of the team. It needs to be an experienced, high profile, type of NBA mgmt vet that Sarver respects.

If that guy wants to switch coaches, I am fine with it. But there is no point in firing the coach if there is no President, GM, Director of Basketball operations or whatever they want to call him, in place.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

You hit the nail on the head. With 17 years of assistant coach experience, he is a career assistant coach. And for a reason.

He is not a leader or figurehead. And he has neither the credentials nor personality to knock sense into the mind of a meddling owner.

JC, can you really imagine Igor sitting in Sarver's office saying, "Robert, this is what you need to provide for me to get the job done."?

I don't think there is anyone on this board who can imagine that. Maybe there is no one. But Igor is at the bottom of the list. Isn't that why the lifer assistant coach was hired?

The record shows that it was either to save money or surround himself with underlings without the credentials to challenge his running amuck.

A) it shouldn’t be any coaches responsibility to “knock sense into an owner.” That’s not typically in a coach’s job description; and
B) you really think anyone that would could last a nanosecond under Sarver? Cmon . . .

I don’t love Igor but I think people are searching for more reasons to hate him.

Btw, he’s been the head coach of his national team, right? And I think they’ve had him in such role multiple times, right? So others have seen some upside in his coaching, even if we haven’t.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Believe it or not but telling the teams owner to kick rocks is not a job requirement of any NBA coach and doesn't make one a good or bad coach.
.

Beat me to it.

 

[Covert Rain]

A) it shouldn’t be any coaches responsibility to “knock sense into an owner.” That’s not typically in a coach’s job description; and
B) you really think anyone that would could last a nanosecond under Sarver? Cmon . . .

I don’t love Igor but I think people are searching for more reasons to hate him.

Btw, he’s been the head coach of his national team, right? And I think they’ve had him in such role multiple times, right? So others have seen some upside in his coaching, even if we haven’t.

I agree with almost everything you said but what are these reasons people are searching for to hate him?

There is very little to celebrate about the job he is doing and it’s not like you have to search very hard to dislike the job he is doing. It’s not like he is coaching .500 and now has the team record for futility.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I agree with almost everything you said but what are these reasons people are searching for to hate him?

There is very little to celebrate about the job he is doing and it’s not like you have to search very hard to dislike the job he is doing. It’s not like he is coaching .500 and now has the team record for futility.

That’s kinda my point. Instead of continuing to search for more reasons to hate him, isn’t it enough to just hate the way he coaches? I mean the evidence in front of our faces is enough, isn’t it?

 

[Covert Rain]

That’s kinda my point. Instead of continuing to search for more reasons to hate him, isn’t it enough to just hate the way he coaches? I mean the evidence in front of our faces is enough, isn’t it?

What besides his coaching are people hating on? That is my question. I have not read the entire thread but I have not seen anything besides his coaching.

 

[taz02]

Changes need to be made to this team, but first things first. I would keep Jones and Bukstein. I don't mind if Jones retains the title of GM. They seem to have an odd way of splitting duties, but Jones is relating to the players well and we have a much better locker room attitude toward mgmt since Jones came. What this team needs is a management position ABOVE those two that runs the show and runs interference between the owner and the day to day operations of the team. It needs to be an experienced, high profile, type of NBA mgmt vet that Sarver respects.

If that guy wants to switch coaches, I am fine with it. But there is no point in firing the coach if there is no President, GM, Director of Basketball operations or whatever they want to call him, in place.

This is exactly what is needed.

 

[BC867]

That’s kinda my point. Instead of continuing to search for more reasons to hate him, isn’t it enough to just hate the way he coaches? I mean the evidence in front of our faces is enough, isn’t it?

Absolutely, Ouchie. I cringe every time I see a poster accuse another of "hating" someone. Turning it into a personal issue.

Degrading the poster to try to win a debate. Kill the messenger who brings the bad news.

Igor, as everyone else, was hired to do a job and has shown a lot of weaknesses in his performance.

And, in realizing that the fault is not entirely his, by a long shot, highlights that he is too meek to make a difference to any significant degree.

He is proving, in his initial NBA Head Coach debut, that he might be a decent maintainer (or maybe not even that), but maintaining is not what the Suns of this decade need.

 

[Krangodnzr]

That's interesting. Where did you get that stat.

It is true that there is more to defense than blocked shots.

I think it was on one of the YouTube segments where they (ESPN?) were talking about Ayton.

I saw the same thing; Ayton started off the year pretty horrible at contesting shots at the rim, but since around Christmas, he's been one the best centers at contesting shots within 5 feet.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think it was on one of the YouTube segments where they (ESPN?) were talking about Ayton.

I saw the same thing; Ayton started off the year pretty horrible at contesting shots at the rim, but since around Christmas, he's been one the best centers at contesting shots within 5 feet.

That is great if true. Kurt Thomas was not a great shot blocker, but was a great rim protector. He forced a lot of misses and held his ground. If Ayton is that kind of defender, I am just fine with that.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I think it was on one of the YouTube segments where they (ESPN?) were talking about Ayton.

I saw the same thing; Ayton started off the year pretty horrible at contesting shots at the rim, but since around Christmas, he's been one the best centers at contesting shots within 5 feet.

If that’s true that’s great!

 

[JCSunsfan]

If that’s true that’s great!

I kinda doubt its true though.