FJ Interview / 80% Center questions

thegrahamcrackr · Nov 5, 2003

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/ktar_johnson_031104.html

I normally post the snippets that cover the topic, but this interview that was intended to be about the new look Jazz turned into a Phx Suns center discussion.

Quick Recap for those who do not want to read:

1) Johnson said BC is actively trying to work something out to bring in another big man, and it isn't easy to get a decent center without giving up something big.

2) He comments on not playing Jake against San Antonio. He says the trade had to do with allowing Zarko time to play, but he also implied for salary cap reasons, the only way to move Bo was to include Jake.

3) He said he doesn't want Jake to be a 30 min guy all year, and that hopefully that will be addressed by Williams coming back, and hopefully a trade.

4) He responds to a statement by a caller saying that not getting a center for a couple seasons is one thing, but 30 years is something else.

Pretty much it looks this board called into KTAR and ambushed Frank.........

elindholm · Nov 5, 2003

Pretty much it looks this board called into KTAR and ambushed Frank

Heh, it says something that he didn't see it coming. Any knowledgable fan has to be outraged (okay, at least concerned) about the Suns' center situation.

thegrahamcrackr · Nov 5, 2003

well, hopefully the knight trade is for a center

BC867 · Nov 5, 2003

Originally posted by elindholm
Pretty much it looks this board called into KTAR and ambushed Frank
Heh, it says something that he didn't see it coming. Any knowledgable fan has to be outraged (okay, at least concerned) about the Suns' center situation.

Yes, over the years, "outraged" mellowed into "concerned", and even "what's the use".

Those of us who watched Alvan Adams spend a decade at Center, weighing 212 lbs. with the skinniest arms on the floor, become a little masochistic regarding the Suns.

Right up to last year, when Dan Majerle was our closer at Power Forward. And this year, either Joe J. or Shawn Marion. While the potential greatest Power Forward in the NBA, at the age of 20, is playing out of position at Center.

The irony is that it shouldn't be Frank Johnson taking the heat, any more than the players should. They didn't provide an unbalanced team; they just have to do the best they can with it.
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Picture that you're a bantam-weight boxer. And you and your trainer/coach find out that your Manager has lined up 82 bouts with heavyweights.

Every day you come to the gym knowing that you're not going to win. The best you can hope for is that they lose once in awhile.

Not only is it going to take its toll physically. But mentally, it's going to wear you down ... match after match after match.

Multiply that by 12 and you have the '03-'04 Phoenix Suns.

"Outraged" . . . "concerned" . . . "what's the use". Yup! :bang:

Errntknght · Nov 6, 2003

"The irony is that it shouldn't be Frank Johnson taking the heat, any more than the players should. They didn't provide an unbalanced team; they just have to do the best they can with it."

What irony? Who gives Frank heat for the history of the team besides some talk show caller. FJ's been the head coach for a year and half with 3 close-to-all-star players and the level of team play is put to shame by the hastily assembled Jazz and the youthful Cav teams. If that doesn't generate lots well deserved heat for FJ he must be working for someone who knows little about the game.

The big problem for the Suns now is not the 'hole in the middle' - it's the hole at the head coaching slot... of course, that hole has just as lengthy a history with the Suns as the one at center.

AZ Shocker · Nov 6, 2003

it's the hole at the head coaching slot...

I tend to agree. The Suns have a very fine center in Jake Voskul. FJ and the entire Suns organization has never known how to include a center in their game planning stategies.

Jake has held up very well, and is one of the smarter players on the court. Keep playin' him and the refs will see this too. I think some of them already have. The Laker game opened some eyes about Jake. He's a player...just doesn't have the "name" yet. He has and never will be "hyped" so he just has to keep on keepin' on, and prove he can play with the better centers in the league.

Duncan and Shaq are already great centers. Why do the refs make them even better? MONEY!!! Should NBA officials back off on Jake a bit...he too could become one of the better centers in the league. Good feet, sets good picks, moves great without the ball, can finish, plays terrific defense...just isn't "hyped" and he he alone doesn't sell tickets or bring in viewers. But very servicable!

Chaplin · Nov 6, 2003

I think I have also finally jumped on the Fire Frank bandwagon. If anything, promote Iavaroni to the spot--wonder how having a former frontcourt player as our coach would work.

Frank's a nice guy, but his deficiencies are really apparent right now. And how come we're the only ones that see it??

(This is a real momentous occasion, coupled with my newly found "Googs is worthless" attitude.)

SirStefan32 · Nov 6, 2003

Originally posted by Chaplin
I think I have also finally jumped on the Fire Frank bandwagon. If anything, promote Iavaroni to the spot--wonder how having a former frontcourt player as our coach would work.

Frank's a nice guy, but his deficiencies are really apparent right now. And how come we're the only ones that see it??

(This is a real momentous occasion, coupled with my newly found "Googs is worthless" attitude.)

We've got another one! Welcome to the "Fire FJ and Googs suck" club. :thumbup:

hcsilla · Nov 6, 2003

Originally posted by Chaplin
I think I have also finally jumped on the Fire Frank bandwagon.

Me too.

I know it was only one game but last night UTA showed what a well-coached, untalented team can do against a talented, "uncoached" team.

SirStefan32 · Nov 6, 2003

The question now become if there are any "Keep FJ" people here.

Another interesting question is, who replaces FJ if he gets fired? I'll bet it would be Dan Majerly or another former guard.

Stefan

Chaplin · Nov 6, 2003

Originally posted by hcsilla
Me too.

I know it was only one game but last night UTA showed what a well-coached, untalented team can do against a talented, "uncoached" team.

That's just it--it hasn't been just one game. Granted, we really played well in the last 3 quarters of the Laker game, but even our win against the Cavs wasn't all that. I attribute most of what's wrong on the floor to poor execution, but poor execution is a direct result of play calling and practice time. And who is to blame for that?

I think it's time to go back and find a real coach. We've been coasting on former guards for so long. Westphal, Ainge, Skiles, now Frank--and none of them were that good. Many people didn't like Cotton, but I thought he was a good coach because he didn't use his past playing days (ha!) as a fallback to what he preached.

Unfortunately, our success with Westy must have told JC and BC that former guards make good coaches. I just can't understand why they don't see it. When was the last time we were really excited about a head coach? Even two summers ago we were excited about the new assistants being brought in, but that was based on how much input they would have vs. Frank.

elindholm · Nov 6, 2003

I attribute most of what's wrong on the floor to poor execution, but poor execution is a direct result of play calling and practice time.

Funny you should mention that. While the Suns struggled through yet another leaden offensive set last night, I started wondering what in the world they do work on in practice. Yesterday's game was the only one I've gotten to see this season, but I wasn't aware of the Suns "running a play" even once.

The playbook seems to be

#1: Big guy sets a screen for Marbury up top, Marbury creates something.
#2: Big guy sets a screen for Marbury high left, Marbury creates something.
#3 (rare): Big guy sets a screen for Marbury high right, Marbury creates something.
#4 (zone-buster): Everyone stands on the perimeter looking lost, the guy with the ball dribbles in five feet and passes back out to the perimeter, and the last one holding the ball as the shot clock winds down hoists a three.

Am I missing something? Is there anything more than this? Because there sure doesn't seem to be. And I think that any halfway decent coach could teach an NBA franchise this playbook in, oh, about three minutes.

So what are they spending the rest of their practice time on? Seriously. I'd love to know.

hcsilla · Nov 6, 2003

Originally posted by elindholm

The playbook seems to be

#1: Big guy sets a screen for Marbury up top, Marbury creates something.
#2: Big guy sets a screen for Marbury high left, Marbury creates something.
#3 (rare): Big guy sets a screen for Marbury high right, Marbury creates something.
#4 (zone-buster): Everyone stands on the perimeter looking lost, the guy with the ball dribbles in five feet and passes back out to the perimeter, and the last one holding the ball as the shot clock winds down hoists a three.

Am I missing something? Is there anything more than this?

No and no.

That's correct, funny and sad at the same time.

And Suns made the play-off with that playbook.

SirStefan32 · Nov 6, 2003

Originally posted by elindholm

#1: Big guy sets a screen for Marbury up top, Marbury creates something.
#2: Big guy sets a screen for Marbury high left, Marbury creates something.
#3 (rare): Big guy sets a screen for Marbury high right, Marbury creates something.
#4 (zone-buster): Everyone stands on the perimeter looking lost, the guy with the ball dribbles in five feet and passes back out to the perimeter, and the last one holding the ball as the shot clock winds down hoists a three.

Am I missing something? Is there anything more than this? Because there sure doesn't seem to be. And I think that any halfway decent coach could teach an NBA franchise this playbook in, oh, about three minutes.

So what are they spending the rest of their practice time on? Seriously. I'd love to know.

LOL

That is hillarious.

They should add that annoying Kidd/ Robinson play that they used to run at the beggining of every freaking quarter of every freaking game. Cliffy sets a pick for Kidd, Kidd tries to drive, then kicks it back out to Cliffy and he takes a jumper.

Maybe they are reading the "Chicken Soup for the Soul," during the practice. Oh wait, that was Skiles.

SirStefan32 · Nov 6, 2003

Originally posted by hcsilla

And Suns made the play-off with that playbook.

Just goes to show all of us how good Marbury is.

tommcnabb · Nov 6, 2003

Originally posted by SirStefan32
The question now become if there are any "Keep FJ" people here.

Another interesting question is, who replaces FJ if he gets fired? I'll bet it would be Dan Majerly or another former guard.

Stefan

Kevin Johnson. Good for PR and meets the requirements (guard, played for us, etc).

elindholm · Nov 6, 2003

I'd say Majerle is more likely than Kevin Johnson, if only because Majerle is a little bit more connected to the league these days with his television analysis.

But more likely is that they would promote an assistant. Was it D'Antoni or Iavaroni who got the look from, uh, whoever that other team was for their head-coaching job this summer? They'd probably promote him in order to keep from losing him.

Chaplin · Nov 6, 2003

It was Iavaroni.

hcsilla · Nov 6, 2003

Yes, it was Iavaroni who was fighting for MIL's head coach job.

BC867 · Nov 6, 2003

Originally posted by Chaplin
It was Iavaroni.

Y'know, in its 35 years, the Suns have had just 2 "big men" as Asst. Coaches -- Paul Silas and Mark Iavaroni.

Silas went on to become, and still is, Head Coach in the NBA. Wouldn't it be novel for the Suns if Iavaroni became the second -- right here in Phoenix?

The question is, would he have to operate with the heavily Guard oriented mentality that is entrenched in the Suns? If so, why promote him?

Now that 4QF has a balanced team to coach, time will tell if he is up to the job. But if he fails, the question will remain whether he was allowed to be his own man and incorporate fresh ideas.

I hope so!

AZ Shocker · Nov 8, 2003

This is a NO-BRAINER!

You say you don't want another guard coaching this team...
How about a former power forward with an attitude?

Bring back Chucky Baby!

Barkley...Barkley...Barkley...!!!

He'll get the ball to Amare, Voskul, and now White. All are other athelete's (Marbury, Marion, Johnson) would be unstoppable should we ever decide to start the offense down low in the paint.

We got 3 All-Stars on this team, and we should be hanging with the best teams in the league. We should at least be splitting the series with them (Lakers, Spurs, Mavs, etc.), and smoking the teams like the Cavs, Jazz, Grizzlies, etc. No contest there...

Joe Mama · Nov 8, 2003

Originally posted by AZ Shocker
This is a NO-BRAINER!

You say you don't want another guard coaching this team...
How about a former power forward with an attitude?

Bring back Chucky Baby!

Barkley...Barkley...Barkley...!!!

He'll get the ball to Amare, Voskul, and now White. All are other athelete's (Marbury, Marion, Johnson) would be unstoppable should we ever decide to start the offense down low in the paint.

We got 3 All-Stars on this team, and we should be hanging with the best teams in the league. We should at least be splitting the series with them (Lakers, Spurs, Mavs, etc.), and smoking the teams like the Cavs, Jazz, Grizzlies, etc. No contest there...

Good one. Even if Brian Colangelo was insane enough to put Charles Barkley in charge I don't think the Chuckster would want the responsibility.

Joe Mama

FJ Interview / 80% Center questions

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