Is the current situation the Suns in on Porter or the players?

[Andrew]

The Suns are barely beating teams they "should" beat easily and losing to "contenders".

Case in point, the game versus the Miami Heat. They came out with like 3 straight turnovers and seemed to not know how to feed the ball into the paint with them being bigger than the Heat. Their defense has been good at spurts, but sometimes it just looks as if they forget to play it from time to time.

So what do you think? Is it all on Porter or the players? Sure a new style of play is hard to implement when you are used to a certain other kind, but it seems as though that is the excuse used.

Surely, all the players know how to pass into the paint or play some defense, so what is it?

 

[nowagimp]

partly, porters new system doesnt match the player personnel(Kerrs problem), partly the players are losing faith in porter, that is the players fault.

 

[mojorizen7]

partly, porters new system doesnt match the player personnel(Kerrs problem), partly the players are losing faith in porter, that is the players fault.

 

[ActingWild]

If Porter is implementing a system that doesn't match his personnel, then why would the players keep believing in him? Players, "Hey coach, this system doesn't work for us." Porter, "Yeah, but we're going to keep doing it." I'd lose faith in my coach if he refused to actually coach and instead tried to force a square peg into a round hole.

 

[TJ]

Its Shaq.....all Shaq....nothing but Shaq....if Shaq weren't on this team, none of this would be happening. I mean come on. All problems begin and end with Shaq.

 

[Cheesebeef]

it's all on Kerr for bringing in the coach and the players which just don't match either. And that means it's all on Sarver for handing the reigns over to Kerr who had no clue what he was doing in the first place.

it all starts up top.

 

[Kablansky]

There needs to be some time to cycle players through that work in Porter's system. Unfortunately that won't really happen until after next season.

 

[Cheesebeef]

There needs to be some time to cycle players through that work in Porter's system. Unfortunately that won't really happen until after next season.

does Porter even have a "system" though? besides just your everyday, run of the mill, play good defense that almost every coach in the NBA has?

 

[Chris_Sanders]

it's all on Kerr for bringing in the coach and the players which just don't match either. And that means it's all on Sarver for handing the reigns over to Kerr who had no clue what he was doing in the first place.

it all starts up top.

It's depressing but it is true.

 

[Kablansky]

does Porter even have a "system" though? besides just your everyday, run of the mill, play good defense that almost every coach in the NBA has?

That is a darn good question. He seems, at times, to want to get the ball down low to Shaq and Amare. However, Amare doesn't look comfortable down in the block. Either Porter hasn't fully integrated his system, they're running a hybrid or he has no clue.

 

[nowagimp]

it's all on Kerr for bringing in the coach and the players which just don't match either. And that means it's all on Sarver for handing the reigns over to Kerr who had no clue what he was doing in the first place.

it all starts up top.

Kerr has apparently done some major damage to the suns future prospects, pick giveaways, trades. Marions expiring contract is now of high value, like KT's was unbenownst to the suns management. I didnt think the suns had the right roster to employ porters system. The reality here is that sarver and Kerr are in charge and it hasnt been good to date. BC was a good GM, chased out by sarver and then replaced by DA, then Kerr. Why does an elite organization go out and hire consective GM's with no track record after disguarding one of the better GM's in the NBA. If that was a traded company, the hiring of an inexperienced CEO would drive stock prices down, pity that response isnt applicable here. The fish rots from the head down. I dont blame anything on porter, other than the suns should have been able to hire a coach with some successful track record, given the organization. Also funny how Kerrs plan, that DA resisted, now appears to be obviously bogus. DA was apparently right if he thought this roster couldnt be productive enough (defensively) as a half court team.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Also funny how Kerrs plan, that DA resisted, now appears to be obviously bogus. DA was apparently right if he thought this roster couldnt be productive enough (defensively) as a half court team.

Come on, he was DUMBtoni. He knows nothing.

 

[mojorizen7]

Come on, he was DUMBtoni. He knows nothing.

Yeah, thats the reason D'Umbtoni ran with small ball here.....because he thought we didn't have the personel to run anything else.
Now THATS funny.

 

[nashman]

May be funny to you Mojo but its true, their are no solid legit defenders on this team! Dumbtoni got out at the right time because he is smart enough to see Kerr is going to screw this team up, he got out got paid and will end up with a better season than the Suns playing a bunch of scrubs in NY. Yeah really looks like Dantoni was the dumb one! Kerr and Sarver are the dumb ones and not real high on Porter trying to implement Shaq as the damn focal point of our offense, god we look terrible right now.

 

[Mainstreet]

it's all on Kerr for bringing in the coach and the players which just don't match either. And that means it's all on Sarver for handing the reigns over to Kerr who had no clue what he was doing in the first place.

it all starts up top.

This seems to be a concise assessment of what happened. I just don't see how this situation can be resolved unless Sarver sells the team or brings in a legit GM and let him run the team. I don't trust Kerr to rebuild this team with his lack of judgment.

 

[msdundee]

Only slightly OT: Just noticed you dropped the old signature for a new one. Wise move.

 

[Mainstreet]

Only slightly OT: Just noticed you dropped the old signature for a new one. Wise move.

Now you make me ask what was it? I should have paid more attention. I definitely know where mojorizen7 stands regarding D'Antoni.

 

[Covert Rain]

This is really a mixed bag. I mean who's fault is it that this team is one of the worst in turnovers? The easy answer would be to say the offensive system. However, this same offensive system is leading the league in FG% while still being in the top 5 in scoring. So, is it the players???

What about defense? This team stat wise has improved in defensive PPG and especially defensive FG%. Yet this team gives up more points from the guards spots then anybody in the NBA (see Devin Harris).

Like I said mixed bag on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Conversely last year, we were more effecient on offense but worse on defense and giving up more points then most team in the NBA form the Forward and Center positions.

It seems to me that D'Antoni versus Porter is looking like a push with the personel we have but shifting strengths and weaknesses around a bit.

 

[nashman]

I agree Steeldog with one slight difference....with Dantoni the team won ALOT of games doesn't look like thats going to be the case with Porter! Honestly could you even see this team going on a 6-7 game winning streak? Not really!

 

[Proteus]

I agree Steeldog with one slight difference....with Dantoni the team won ALOT of games doesn't look like thats going to be the case with Porter! Honestly could you even see this team going on a 6-7 game winning streak? Not really!

Not to mention the team was more exciting.

 

[Errntknght]

I'm starting to blame Porter more and more - he reacted very slowly to the way teams were playing Shaq and I'm not impressed with the moves he has made. Its not so much that they're lousy but there are direct counters that should have been in place from the get-go and he hasn't implemented them yet.

The simplest play would be to use Shaq to screen for the guard who was trying to feed him the ball - the way his man was overplaying him on his left shoulder he'd have been in no position to help defend it. The weak side defender - the guy who was always there to contest a lob to Shaq - would have had to close quickly to prevent a 8 ft jumper making him vulnerable to hitch and go reverse layup or an easy pass to his man in the corner - heck his man could follow him in for a layup or offensive rebound. Shaq would be well placed to rebound as well - with a 1/4 reverse pivot on his left foot he has his man sealed out.

Its criminal the way we fail to exploit the attention the weak side wing defender pays to Shaq - his man can go any place he wants unmolested. He could cut the baseline to right below Shaq or further on. He could cut up to the free throw line - thats virtually a layup for Grant. Either place is an easy pass. As before, Shaq is well positioned to rebound.

A lot of the time that weakside defender was drawn in enough to make a cross court pass to his man possible - how do you overlook that elementary a play? If Shaq does his seal maneuver he can cruise to the hoop and get a relatively easy pass.

Sheesh, we ought to jumping for joy when teams set up their defense against Shaq that way but no we just plod on trying to force the pass in to him.

I'd never expect D'Antoni to figure this stuff out but the average NBA coach ought to be all over it.

 

[BC867]

Today's Republic referred to the Country Club atmosphere that existed under Mike D'Antoni. Of course, there's going to be an adjustment period for the players.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/heatindex/articles/2008/12/01/20081201spt-p2main.html

I still believe that we will see something at the end of the regular season that we never saw under D'Antoni -- a playoff-ready team.

That's what it's all about.

 

[Bufalay]

Today's Republic referred to the Country Club atmosphere that existed under Mike D'Antoni. Of course, there's going to be an adjustment period for the players.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/heatindex/articles/2008/12/01/20081201spt-p2main.html

I still believe that we will see something at the end of the regular season that we never saw under D'Antoni -- a playoff-ready team.

That's what it's all about.

A playoff-ready mentality is useless when you're not in the playoffs.

 

[nashman]

Porter is less than impressive right now, thats not a good thing when you have fans that are used to winning and not looking like crap.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

Mixing a defensive oriented, slow it down type of scheme with these mix of players was like mixing oil and water. Porter's not a bad coach, he just wasn't a good fit with this team.