Press Conference today. 4/24/19

[Proximo]

If the Suns interview Monty Williams and like him, they should probably hire him right away instead of going through more interviews.

The Suns had a chance with Budenholzer but didn't seal the deal.

Gambo said today he heard Monty is very interested in the Suns job, and that they had reached out to him before firing Igor.

I hope that is true, because I am feeling like we are in a Monte or bust situation.

 

[Mainstreet]

Gambo said today he heard Monty is very interested in the Suns job, and that they had reached out to him before firing Igor.

I hope that is true, because I am feeling like we are in a Monte or bust situation.

It's good to hear. With the Lakers having interest as well, I can see the Suns hiring him soon.

 

[Yuma]

Gambo said today he heard Monty is very interested in the Suns job, and that they had reached out to him before firing Igor.

I hope that is true, because I am feeling like we are in a Monte or bust situation.

I like it because it shows some organizational thinking to explore the Monty possibility before moving forward.

 

[Superbone]

Gambo said today he heard Monty is very interested in the Suns job, and that they had reached out to him before firing Igor.

I hope that is true, because I am feeling like we are in a Monte or bust situation.

We should do a Monte Carlo simulation to see what our odds of getting him are.

 

[BC867]

And for a moment, let's say Sarver did tell Jones to fire him. So what?

Yeah, the new Head Coach every season syndrome orchestrated by Robert Sarver.

Each one pushing our young starters closer to wanting out.

That's why I don't want to hear that Sarver told Jones to fire him. SOS-DD.

Rather that it indicates a long-range plan by Jones.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I think why the reporter asked a quantitative question is the narrative of Sarver meddling. I think that's why the question is framed the way it was asked. James Jones could have said, "I informed Mr. Sarver that I was replacing Igor, and he replied it was my decision." Which is different than, "Mr. Sarver came into my office and said he thought we should replace Igor. After considering his input, I made the decision to let Igor go." I think the press is trying to suss out how much autonomy James Jones really has.

I think the reporter was looking for a sound byte and Jones wasn't dumb enough to play along. We all know that just about every owner has input and final decision making power and that Sarver has gone further than most on the rare occasion or with alarming regularity or somewhere in between. What kind of response would have provided clarity on that issue? What kind of response would have been beneficial to the organization and believable to those that have already decided who and what Sarver is? Jones answered the question the way he should have IMO whether he's a puppet or nearly autonomous.

 

[slinslin]

I will concede the point about thinking to go into the season with a veteran roster reeks of total delusion on Igors,
McD, Sarver and Jones part

Even if they had successfully managed to trade for a veteran PG like Beverley just having Chandler, Ariza, Dudley, Knight, Beverley, Warren wouldn‘t really have made them a veteran team suddenly.

 

[Chaplin]

Yeah, the new Head Coach every season syndrome orchestrated by Robert Sarver.

Each one pushing our young starters closer to wanting out.

That's why I don't want to hear that Sarver told Jones to fire him. SOS-DD.

Rather that it indicates a long-range plan by Jones.

Like it or not, Sarver is the owner. As much as we don’t like it, he represents the money that gets paid out.

If you owned your own company and this happened to you, you would be ticked if your SVP didn’t at least advise you that he was doing this. And you’re going to say with a straight face that you wouldn’t say anything?

Business decisions will involve Robert Sarver. It sucks but that’s what it is. And a coach getting fired is at least partially a business decision.

 

[Cheesebeef]

No it wasn‘t.

I trust James Jones more than any Suns GM I could think of.

totally. I'd DEFINITELY James Jones more than the GM who in consecutive seasons traded for Barkley and signed Ainge, drafted Oliver Miller and Richard Dumas in one off season, then followed that up the next off-season by signing AC Green, then the next off-season followed that up by signing Danny Manning and drafting Wesley Person. I mean, who the hell wouldn't?!

 

[GatorAZ]

I’m expecting more of the same.

 

[sunsfan88]

James Jones is the best thing that happened to his franchise I am sure of that.

As long as you're sure of it...

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

The question was "when asked how much input Robert Sarver had on his decision to fire Igor Kokoskov". He said the decision was his and his alone. That is not answering the question at all. That is asking the hearer to infer that Sarver had no input. He could have been directly told to fire Igor, and the decision to do it was still his decision. I don't personally care either way - we've been dealing with political double-speak for ages now...

“The decision (on) Igor was mine and mine alone. That’s why it was tough.”

That sure seems like he is suggesting that it was 100% his own decision. Maybe he had to get approval from Sarver before executing it, but we can only assume from his comment that the decision was come to by Jones himself.

 

[95pro]

If the Suns interview Monty Williams and like him, they should probably hire him right away instead of going through more interviews.

The Suns had a chance with Budenholzer but didn't seal the deal.

ABC

 

[SunnyBaller]

“The decision (on) Igor was mine and mine alone. That’s why it was tough.”

That sure seems like he is suggesting that it was 100% his own decision. Maybe he had to get approval from Sarver before executing it, but we can only assume from his comment that the decision was come to by Jones himself.

Or you don't want the circus that comes with the players like Booker demanding he gets fired so he tells everyone it was only him. But that's just speculation based on nothing

 

[AzStevenCal]

Or you don't want the circus that comes with the players like Booker demanding he gets fired so he tells everyone it was only him. But that's just speculation based on nothing

I highly doubt Booker would have "demanded" Koko's firing because it just doesn't seem like it would be necessary and he's smart enough to know it's the kind of move that could really backfire. If he wanted him gone (and I suspect he did), Devin could have simply voiced some concerns to teammates and then to the front office, I can't see the Suns keeping the coach once that happened.

 

[JCSunsfan]

It certainly looks to me like Sarver is trying to back off, at least with his public persona. That open forum fiasco with the arena renovation issues should have been eye-opening for him. He has not been speaking publicly since James Jones was hired (at least not much) and has been letting JJ do the speaking. Prior to this, decision-making was reported to be a collective process. Now JJ says it was his decision. I know with my people, I let them make their own decisions. If they want advice, I give it. I only override in very exceptional cases. After all, I want people working for me who are better at their specialties than I would be.

We will see how this goes. I still think they should have kept Igor at least another year, but who knows what was going on behind the scenes.

 

[BC867]

I still think they should have kept Igor at least another year, but who knows what was going on behind the scenes.

Just out of curiosity, what suggests that Igor's results would be any different next season than last season,
to any significant degree?

Our #1 pick was not put in a position to affect the final score. Igor is not a motivator of young players.
And, apparently, he had waited a long time to bring his style of Euroball into the NBA without success.

The slight improvement, which took all season to happen, is still not enough to make him a .500+ coach.

Igor had to go. He is irrelevant. His performance illustrated why he is a lifer Assistant and not the man
to be figurehead. Not everyone is, y'know. Time-in-grade is for the military, not the NBA.

 

[Cheesebeef]

It certainly looks to me like Sarver is trying to back off, at least with his public persona.

JC... I think you have Charlie Brown syndrome. I feel like I've just seen you and others make this statement too many times in the past.

 

[taz02]

Just out of curiosity, what suggests that Igor's results would be any different next season than last season,
to any significant degree?

Our #1 pick was not put in a position to affect the final score. Igor is not a motivator of young players.
And, apparently, he had waited a long time to bring his style of Euroball into the NBA without success.

The slight improvement, which took all season to happen, is still not enough to make him a .500+ coach.

Igor had to go. He is irrelevant. His performance illustrated why he is a lifer Assistant and not the man
to be figurehead. Not everyone is, y'know. Time-in-grade is for the military, not the NBA.

I'm sure this weighed heavily on the decision to let him go. It would be considerably worse to wait and have to can him 20 games into next season. I would guess that Williams showing interest sealed Igor's fate.

 

[BC867]

JC... I think you have Charlie Brown syndrome. I feel like I've just seen you and others make this statement too many times in the past.

You know I am anti-Sarver, but he has drawn back on hogging the limelight.

What we don't know is if his micro-managing behind the scenes has done the same.

Micro-managing is is even too soft of a description for Sarver's behavior. His
approach has been inconsistent and incomplete. I am not a psychologist, but
I suggest he has Attention Deficit Disorder and needs to delegate planning.

He has actually considered himself to know more than NBA General Managers and
Head Coaches, from what we've seen. Even with all the novices he has hired, any
one of them know more than he about staffing and coaching a team.

Unfortunately they've known a l lot less than their NBA counterparts.

 

[JCSunsfan]

JC... I think you have Charlie Brown syndrome. I feel like I've just seen you and others make this statement too many times in the past.

The only thing that seems to indicate is the facts. He has spoken very little publicly since James Jones hiring, letting JJ make the coaching call, etc. I am not hopeful about this, but just maybe.

 

[95pro]

The only thing that seems to indicate is the facts. He has spoken very little publicly since James Jones hiring, letting JJ make the coaching call, etc. I am not hopeful about this, but just maybe.

Tough to say because didn't Sarver give McDouche the ultimatum? Who's to say Sarver won't intervene again?

 

[AzStevenCal]

Tough to say because didn't Sarver give McDouche the ultimatum? Who's to say Sarver won't intervene again?

I'm not sure what you're referring to here? I'm sure Sarver will intervene and interfere again, and again, but I don't know what ultimatum you're talking about?

 

[BC867]

Optimism, guys! Maybe Jerry pulled him aside (especially when no longer working for
the Sixers) and knocked some sense in his head. It was Jerry who hand picked him.

Or maybe it was Adam Silver. Or maybe, just maybe, Jones told Sarver he'd accept
the promotion only if Sarver would let him use his basketball experience. Or maybe
Sarver's co-owners got in his ear.

Or maybe Sarver and his ego care enough about public perception to realize he was
making a fool of himself by meddling and undercutting his executives.

I am an optimist and a realist. All season, I was a realist. It is why I wrote letters to
Colangelo (and received a response), Silver, the co-owners and the Press.

Now I am going to give it a chance as an optimist. We'll never know what goes on
behind the scenes. But I think the results will show.

EDIT: If it is true that Monty accepted the Lakers job, it will be difficult to be an
optimist. Starting with Jones lack of experience in a situation like this. Man, I hope
it is not true that he didn't have an experienced Coach locked up.