Suns Coach To Be Announced In A Week

[Gee!]

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2008/06/04/20080604suns0605.html

Suns down to final candidates
132 commentsby Paul Coro - Jun. 4, 2008 10:22 PM
The Arizona Republic


By the end of next week, the Suns are expecting to be able to fill in the blank: Phoenix head coach ___________.

Speaking at length for the first time since the coaching search began May 12, Suns General Manager Steve Kerr said interviews are "probably completed."

The finalists are believed to be Detroit Pistons assistant Terry Porter, Houston Rockets lead assistant Elston Turner and Utah Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin, with insiders believing Kerr is leaning toward Porter.
"I think very highly of Terry, going back to when we were teammates together in San Antonio," said Kerr, who had a second interview Monday with Porter after he was his first interviewed May 15. "He was really good. He got a chance to come in and kind of share some more thoughts and views of our team and vision for our future."

Porter also is interviewing to be head coach in Detroit, where he was the lead assistant the past two years, but fellow assistant Michael Curry is the favorite.

Kerr said he and Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin want to take time to reflect before moving forward. No negotiations have begun. No rule precludes the Suns from making a hire during the NBA Finals.

"With all of them, you walk away and say, 'That's impressive,' " Kerr said. "So then you need to just settle down and say, 'All right, let's picture how this would work.' You're better off, I think, if you take a couple days to let that simmer before you make any decision. You've got to think through all the possibilities and dynamics."

Lakers assistant Brian Shaw told the Orange County Register this week that Kerr told him he wanted someone with head-coach experience. Porter is the only finalist with that, after two years as Milwaukee's coach.

"It helps, for sure," Kerr said. " . . . When there's no experience, there's always just kind of that red flag. I don't think anybody can know what it's like to be a head coach in the NBA until they actually have been one."

Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver said Kerr and Griffin did a thorough search, including background checks. Sarver said he met each finalist.

"No. 1, I come back feeling reaffirmed by other people that know coaching that we have a good team," Sarver said. "No. 2, I know that we've got a great group of candidates."

The Suns have heard detailed opinions of what they can be and should do from coaches who would not share such expertise otherwise.

"We talk a lot about vision," Kerr said. "What do you see with our team? Where are we heading? How would you play? Do you have an offensive and defensive system? Those are the things that you need to see.

" . . . Then you get into more detail. How would you accomplish that? Who would be on your staff? Who would you want to draft? What would you want in free agency? What would you like to see different on our roster?"

Kerr said he has high regard for Flip Saunders, who was fired by the Pistons, but does not "feel like changing course altogether." He spoke to friend Doug Collins about "different roles" and said Collins has "the itch."

Kerr hailed Corbin for his professionalism and work ethic as a Suns teammate and said Turner comes "highly regarded."

Asked about Corbin possibly being the Suns' lead assistant, Kerr said, "You want to be able to shape things, but you can't always shape it before the dominoes start to fall."

 

[Mainstreet]

From the article:

Porter also is interviewing to be head coach in Detroit, where he was the lead assistant the past two years, but fellow assistant Michael Curry is the favorite.

It says to me, Porter may be pulling the strings now. Maybe Kerr was a tad slow on the draw.

 

[Andrew]

I don't know much about those candidates listed, but if I had to choose they need to pick Porter.

 

[abomb]

I don't know much about those candidates listed, but if I had to choose they need to pick Shaq as player/coach.

ftfy

 

[Irish]

The only canddiate I don't understand is Corbin. He has the least experience in coaching and I'm not interested in someone whose mentor was Jerry Sloan. Fine coach, but I don't care for his systems.

 

[nowagimp]

The only canddiate I don't understand is Corbin. He has the least experience in coaching and I'm not interested in someone whose mentor was Jerry Sloan. Fine coach, but I don't care for his systems.

The suns only intend to hire Porter, the others are fodder. If the pistons hire Porter, watch the dominoes fall. They wont offer the job to any of the others, they will probably keep looking.

 

[Mainstreet]

The only canddiate I don't understand is Corbin. He has the least experience in coaching and I'm not interested in someone whose mentor was Jerry Sloan. Fine coach, but I don't care for his systems.

If Porter should get the HC job in Detroit, does anyone think Kerr is flexible enough to consider Flip Saunders? From what I have read, Kerr does not want to revisit the process. I'm not saying Flip Saunders is the right for Phoenix, but a GM should be flexible to changing options. This thought process could also be critical in the draft if a player falls.

In regard to Corbin, from what I have read he is a contender for the top assistant job.

 

[Gee!]

ftfy

Was that really nessasary, ya lakers troll?

 

[Hat]

Just hire Porter already.

Enough of the wait.

 

[joshstmarie]

stop dragging your little bitch fights into every thread. thanks.

 

[Rab]

The search needs to end. Get Porter here already.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

This is Detroit saving face so it doesnt look like theyre auto hiring Curry. I see this as the same as interviewing Del Negro

 

[mojorizen7]

The search needs to end. Get Porter here already.

Exactly. Kerr has a chance to do something good here.
Just hire the man already. Things can change quickly in this business.

 

[Mainstreet]

There is a video link to a short interview with Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic that tells just about where the Suns are in their search. Obviously Terry Porter seems to be the Suns target but there is some discussion about Flip Saunders and whether cost might be a factor if the Suns looked that direction.

See link: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/

Then look at Suns are down to final candidates and see video Coro on search about in the middle of the page.

 

[WildBB]

The search needs to end. Get Porter here already.

Porter is the one holding up the hiring mtl.

 

[mojorizen7]

Flip? Please Kerr no.

 

[mojorizen7]

From D'Antoni to Saunders = lateral move IMO. Maybe even a downgrade.

 

[Mainstreet]

From D'Antoni to Saunders = lateral move IMO. Maybe even a downgrade.

Did anyone really expect the Suns would pay to bring in a better coach than D'Antoni? Anyone out there? Don't get me wrong, I hope the Suns can land Porter and he is successful but he is unproven for this supposed Championship caliber team.

However, the Suns don't even want to consider the cost of hiring a coach like Flip Saunders... not that I'm pushing him. The Suns are always trying to save a buck. They even saved money on the Shaq trade. Remember, the Suns are a team that sells or trades draft picks to save money; see KT and James Jones. They also pocketed money putting D'Antoni in the GM position for a year. The Suns are willing to spend up to the LT limit to keep the fans passified but I think in a couple of years Sarver will be moving on when Shaq's and Nash's contracts expire.

 

[JS22]

Sarver is cheap?

HOW ORIGINAL!

 

[mojorizen7]

Did anyone really expect the Suns would pay to bring in a better coach than D'Antoni? Anyone out there? Don't get me wrong, I hope the Suns can land Porter and he is successful but he is unproven for this supposed Championship caliber team.

However, the Suns don't even want to consider the cost of hiring a coach like Flip Saunders... not that I'm pushing him. The Suns are always trying to save a buck. They even saved money on the Shaq trade. Remember, the Suns are a team that sells or trades draft picks to save money; see KT and James Jones. They also pocketed money putting D'Antoni in the GM position for a year. The Suns are willing to spend up to the LT limit to keep the fans passified but I think in a couple of years Sarver will be moving on when Shaq's and Nash's contracts expire.

I consider an unproven up and coming assistant like Porter an upgrade over D'Antoni(No credit is better than bad credit theory). Mikey D proved that he's an outstanding regular season HC who doesn't care about defense.
I consider Saunders a good regular season HC also....although i'd take D'Antoni over Flip over the course of an 82 game schedule.
Hiring Saunders to follow D'Antoni would be moronic in the grand scheme.

 

[mjb21aztd]

I would bet my life it's Terry Porter and I would not be upset with that decision would defintally be better then Steve Kerr or Kurt Rambis imo. I would have really liked to Eddie Johnson atleast get interviewed I think he would have done pretty good on the jobs since he mixes in and knows the players well.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

I wouldn't be too surprised if the Suns are holding this up because Kerr wants to pick the staff too, let's not forget Kerr's been working on more than just the first seat. If Kerr wants to hold that over a coach like Porter that will get consideration from Detroit, then it's not too surprising the deal isn't DUN yet.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

I consider an unproven up and coming assistant like Porter an upgrade over D'Antoni(No credit is better than bad credit theory). Mikey D proved that he's an outstanding regular season HC who doesn't care about defense.
I consider Saunders a good regular season HC also....although i'd take D'Antoni over Flip over the course of an 82 game schedule.
Hiring Saunders to follow D'Antoni would be moronic in the grand scheme.

If you read into Not hiring Saunders, the fans who were hoping for a defensive team that calls plays every time down the court and doesn't run just got a big kick in the balls. That's Flip Saunders.

 

[Irish]

I consider an unproven up and coming assistant like Porter an upgrade over D'Antoni(No credit is better than bad credit theory). Mikey D proved that he's an outstanding regular season HC who doesn't care about defense.
I consider Saunders a good regular season HC also....although i'd take D'Antoni over Flip over the course of an 82 game schedule.
Hiring Saunders to follow D'Antoni would be moronic in the grand scheme.

First Porter is not totally unproven, just unproven in the area of putting together a champion and getting ot the finals. The problem is that Saunders has the same issue. The core of his team is what he inheritated from Carlisle and Larry Brown.

In my mind D'Antoni is a very good coach who in his defense did not get great support from the FO. If the Suns kept JJ and bit the bullet on the LT, he'd have had a decent shot at the championship.

At the same time, I think D'Antoni has some serious blind spots in terms of developing young players and using his deep bench. He's never been able to get consistently good play on the defnsive side of the ball plus he seemed reluctant to adjust his game plan based on counter planning. But that might have mattered with JJ and KT on the team.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Sorry Irish, you can't be "very good" and have "serious blind spots."