Moves: The day after the season ends

[JCSunsfan]

Fire Hunter, fire Blanks. We are keeping Babby.

I target Phil Jackson as the hire for the GM job. Let him get the coach he wants. I think he would be very interested in a GM job. He can fill a role just like Pat Riley in Miami. I think Jackson would lend instant credibility to the franchise. Sarver can fade back into the shadows and watch Jackson make him all kinds of money. Fans and media across the country would be watching Jackson and players would take notice. It could improve our status as a free agent destination.

Your ideas?

 

[chickenhead]

Riley is the president, though, right? If Babby stays, then you can't offer Jackson a Riley job. I would assume that Phil would have his pick of similar roles with other organizations, so it's hard to imagine him as only GM under Babby and Sarver. It would be nice to see Sarver take a backseat, though.

 

[Errntknght]

That is one brilliant idea JCS. Heck Sarver could give Babby some exalted title with little to do... Commander in Chief of Negotiations or such should do. It would probably scare the pants off him to put somebody in charge who wouldn't pay any attention to him but its probably the only way he's going to salvage his investment. I doubt if he's bright enough to have figured out yet that a basketball operation needs at least one person who understands the game high in the chain of command. You'd think the downward spiral the team has been in would convince anyone but he does nothing but compound his mistakes.

Of course, the hardest part would be convincing Jackson that the Suns are a worthy challenge for him...

 

[JCSunsfan]

There is nowhere to go but up. There has been talk of Jackson filling similar roles in Seattle if they get the Kings or Orlando.

Babby would handle trade negotiations and contracts.

 

[JCSunsfan]

PJ owns 13 championship rings. Two as a player and 11 coaching.

Is there anyone living with more?

 

[Errntknght]

Bill Russell and Red Auerbach are the only two that are even close and I don't think they quite match him.

Anyway, what PJ needs is a few more as a GM, in Phoenix...

 

[SweetD]

Jackson will never come and work for the Suns. Your going to have to find and up and coming person that is looking for a chance to prove himself. Jackson only won those titles with great talent, he never built a program from the ground up. Jackson would have been good when we had Nash, Hill, Amare but not this rebuilding program.

Jackson was great at managing a team with many starts/egos, not a good fit for were we are at.

Also there may not be any moves until after the draft, or even free agency, except to add a new coach.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The time to fire Blanks is right away. He hitched his wagon to Michael Beasley.

 

[chickenhead]

I think the only way Jackson goes anywhere is if there's a top draft pick (or a recent pick he loves), significant cap room and handshake deal with the FA he wants. So yeah, let's bottom out, clear the cap and make a run at Lebron in 2014...only problem is every other team has the same idea, some will already have young franchise players, and none of them is owned by Sarver. I don't think this organization has a Godfather deal in them. Doesn't mean we shouldn't have a plan B, though...

 

[Griffin]

Jackson would be ridiculously expensive in any capacity. Under Sarver, the Suns have had some of the lowest paid management and coaching staff in the league. I don't see that changing.

 

[elindholm]

Of course, the hardest part would be convincing Jackson that the Suns are a worthy challenge for him...

That's an understatement. For what possible reason would Jackson want to come to Phoenix, other than for money, which he already has a ton of? Would you entertain an offer to become GM of the Suns if you were Phil Jackson? I wouldn't give it a moment's thought.

 

[JS22]

Jackson will never come here.

1. Fire Hunter
2. Fire Blanks
3. Cut ties with Beasley
4. Begin searching for an "up and coming" GM and let him hire a coach

 

[ArizonaSportsFan]

I think Beasley gets a little too much blame around here. Giving him a contract of 10+ million per year would be "hitching" our wagon to Beasley. To me, he is about the only interesting player to watch on the team, for good and bad. The only other is Dragic. Watching Dudley, the Morris', or Tucker try to create their own offense is painful. Johnson is a decent shooter since Hunter took over - he just needed some confidence. But his defense is lacking. Scola is a hard-working, middle-of-the-road player. At least Beasley gives me something to watch. Will he dazzle? Or implode? Its entertaining. YMMV.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I think Beasley gets a little too much blame around here. Giving him a contract of 10+ million per year would be "hitching" our wagon to Beasley. To me, he is about the only interesting player to watch on the team, for good and bad. The only other is Dragic. Watching Dudley, the Morris', or Tucker try to create their own offense is painful. Johnson is a decent shooter since Hunter took over - he just needed some confidence. But his defense is lacking. Scola is a hard-working, middle-of-the-road player. At least Beasley gives me something to watch. Will he dazzle? Or implode? Its entertaining. YMMV.

My mileage varied by a couple million miles. Granted, Bealey is by far the best we have at creating his own offense but only if you ignore the last part of an offensive move (you know, the part where someone on the team actually scores).

Steve

 

[Cheesebeef]

The time to fire Blanks is right away. He hitched his wagon to Michael Beasley.

and tried to hitch it to Eric Gordon's broken ass as well.

 

[Mainstreet]

I don't know of anyone on the Suns forum that believes Blanks should remain the Suns GM. Even Kerr had his supporters.

 

[Errntknght]

With the front office we have do you really want them restocking the whole team? I guess if your plan is to gather the most ping-pong balls that would work.

I'd bring back our three above average defenders - Tucker, Dragic and Duds. I'd keep Garrett and Haddadi for further inspection. Wes Johnson might fill the role of designated gunner off the bench when we're good enough that he can't start. There's nothing wrong with keeping Scola until someone makes a good offer. The others we're almost better off without...

 

[B-Dogg]

I say screw it bring in Barkley and let him be the GM he certainly cant be worse than this crew and he would be a hell of a lot more entertaining. We are going to suck for awhile might as well get some press and make things interesting...

 

[JCSunsfan]

I say screw it bring in Barkley and let him be the GM he certainly cant be worse than this crew and he would be a hell of a lot more entertaining. We are going to suck for awhile might as well get some press and make things interesting...

Barkley could be worse, much worse.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Jackson will never come here.

1. Fire Hunter
2. Fire Blanks
3. Cut ties with Beasley
4. Begin searching for an "up and coming" GM and let him hire a coach

That type of thinking mires a team in mediocrity. Go for the best, always. Find out what it would take to get the best here and offer it. More money? Do it. A good GM will return more than what he costs.

This team has a lot to attract a good GM.

1. Multiple picks in the next few years.
2. Salary cap flexibility.
3. Some decent tradable pieces in Gortat, Dudley, and Scola.

Its a perfect place for a GM to look like a miracle worker. But he has to get in place before this draft.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I say screw it bring in Barkley and let him be the GM he certainly cant be worse than this crew and he would be a hell of a lot more entertaining. We are going to suck for awhile might as well get some press and make things interesting...

I'd rather give Blanks and Babby lifetime contracts than bring in Barkley. I'd rather put Horry into the Ring of Honor and put a statue of Sam Cassell outside the arena than give control of the Suns to Barkely. I'd rather watch this current team play as is for the next decade than put Barkley in a position of power. Honestly, I'd rather they move the Suns overseas than let Barkley run this organization. I think every one of these ideas has more merit than putting Charles in Charge.

Steve

 

[Mainstreet]

I'd rather give Blanks and Babby lifetime contracts than bring in Barkley. I'd rather put Horry into the Ring of Honor and put a statue of Sam Cassell outside the arena than give control of the Suns to Barkely. I'd rather watch this current team play as is for the next decade than put Barkley in a position of power. Honestly, I'd rather they move the Suns overseas than let Barkley run this organization. I think every one of these ideas has more merit than putting Charles in Charge.

Steve

I hope you're kidding. Chuck is better than Lance Blanks. You and I are better than Lance Blanks not to mention most fans on the forum. It doesn't take much. Please don't even mention Robert Horry. You forgot to mention Antonio McDyess if you are going to go there.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I hope you're kidding. Chuck is better than Lance Blanks. You and I are better than Lance Blanks not to mention most fans on the forum. It doesn't take much. Please don't even mention Robert Horry. You forgot to mention Antonio McDyess if you are going to go there.

Seriously, I can't think of a person with NBA connections that I think is more ill-suited to run a franchise than Barkley and that includes our own clueless Blanks. Charles is and has always been a clown and a loose cannon; his only saving grace is that he works in a job that allows him to be a clown and tolerates him when he goes too far.

Steve

 

[JCSunsfan]

Seriously, I can't think of a person with NBA connections that I think is more ill-suited to run a franchise than Barkley and that includes our own clueless Blanks. Charles is and has always been a clown and a loose cannon; his only saving grace is that he works in a job that allows him to be a clown and tolerates him when he goes too far.

Steve

Absolutely, totally, 100% agree.

 

[Phrazbit]

Barkley is on the air because he is funny and unpredictable, but there is a reason he gets roundly mocked by his co-hosts every time he tries to give actual insight.

Watching him cover the NCAA tourny was brutal. Breaking down a game at half time and explaining what the adjustments need to be make... "they need to make more baskets"... oh, haha Chuck, you're kidding right? No... he follows with a several minute speech about the importance of "making baskets", as though the losing teams had not considered scoring as an alternative to not-scoring. What should they chance to make more baskets Chuck? ... "score more".

I'll pass on Barkley the GM. Loved him as a player, he is funny on TV most of the time but IMO he would be a complete disaster as an executive.