Suns need a new coach

[elindholm]

How would everyone react if Hornacek is brought back next season?

Shocked, but open-minded. The more important issue is getting rid of Morris, Tucker, and Knight. The team can't go anywhere with those three. I still believe that Hornacek can be the same coach he was two years ago if you fix the biggest problems with the roster.

 

[BC867]

How would everyone react if Hornacek is brought back next season?

There is an axiom in management that a weak leader hires weak people who are not smarter than he.

Look at what is happening in Cleveland. Decisions will be made by the owner and LeBron, just as they have been since his return.

I wouldn't be shocked if Sarver made his choices, inexperienced as they were, for that reason. Should we expect anything different?

Suns fans deserve better. But as long as he owns the team, what can we do?

In answer to your question, I would react as I have been recently. If I have nothing better to do, I'll watch a few halves here and there and root for our promising young players. But my heart won't be in it as much as it has for forty years.

 

[Errntknght]

How would everyone react if Hornacek is brought back next season? /QUOTE]

I'd be very surprised but I wouldn't be open minded. I didn't like what Hornacek was doing two years ago so I want to see no more of him. I believe that shedding Jeff gives us a chance of new coach breaking off this romance with the no point guard offense. Not that McDonough wasn't half the reason we went that direction but without the other half by his side, he might see the light. With Booker and TJ we sorely need a PG who's first order of business is getting them and others good looks at the basket.

 

[sunsfan88]

How would everyone react if Hornacek is brought back next season?

I'm not making any assumptions about what the team does in the offseason other than they'll add a lottery picked rookie. No wishful thinking of the #1 overall, signing a big name, or making a huge trade.

It would further prove how moronic Sarver is. Fire the assistant coaches and not the head...brilliant.

 

[leclerc]

The more important issue is getting rid of Morris, Tucker, and Knight. The team can't go anywhere with those three. I still believe that Hornacek can be the same coach he was two years ago if you fix the biggest problems with the roster.

I might agree with that (him being the same coach). I do agree on your priority of shedding those guys.

 

[Catlover]

How would everyone react if Hornacek is brought back next season?

I'm not making any assumptions about what the team does in the offseason other than they'll add a lottery picked rookie. No wishful thinking of the #1 overall, signing a big name, or making a huge trade.

I kept meaning to say "no chance he'll be here next season" but I never got around to responding. Now, after recent comments from Ryan and a statement by David Aldridge last night I'm starting to have doubts. According to Aldridge, Sarver really wants to keep Hornacek. He didn't elaborate so maybe it's just a case of Sarver wanting to keep him till the offseason but I didn't get that idea from his interview.

 

[BC867]

I kept meaning to say "no chance he'll be here next season" but I never got around to responding. Now, after recent comments from Ryan and a statement by David Aldridge last night I'm starting to have doubts. According to Aldridge, Sarver really wants to keep Hornacek. He didn't elaborate so maybe it's just a case of Sarver wanting to keep him till the offseason but I didn't get that idea from his interview.

As I said, a weak owner surrounds himself with puppets.

I now fully expect Sarver to keep the status quo. Especially after making two assistant coaches out to be skapegoats.

What you see is what you get! I have no respect for him running a business as transparent as a professional sports team -- the heart and soul of the community.

 

[sunsfan88]

Sarver knows Hornacek would probably cost a lot less than most coaches.

 

[Phrazbit]

This conversation is silly. Barring a massive turnaround Hornacek is gone next year.

 

[Hoop Head]

Shocked, but open-minded. The more important issue is getting rid of Morris, Tucker, and Knight. The team can't go anywhere with those three. I still believe that Hornacek can be the same coach he was two years ago if you fix the biggest problems with the roster.

I agree that those guys need to go but they are all rotation players at the least with any team in the league, exceptions being San Antonio who is stacked and Golden State who have the perfect personnel for their system already. Morris is a stop gap starter but best as the first forward off of the bench. Knight would excel in a first guard off of the bench situation also but he believes he's a PG and no one has been able to convince him otherwise and the Suns paid him way too much. I think coaching is partly to blame for him refusing to accept he plays best at the 2 guard spot, Kidd couldn't get through to him, neither could the coach in Detroit, and Jeff has allowed him to believe he's part of this 2 PG offense. Tucker is all hustle with very limited skill. He's a dirt worker and should be a bench player used to raise the tempo or to try and shut down an opposing wing player. He provides no offense. I can see why Hornacek likes him and gives him minutes but at the expense of Warren it hurts the team in the long run.

If Hornacek had a team that was motivated he could do well but it doesn't seem he can motivate a team himself based on his time in Phoenix. His first year there was a bunch of unproven players playing with a chip on their shoulder that overachieved. He hasn't been able to get the team to play up to their potential since then though. There has always been unhappy players and

 

[elindholm]

I agree that those guys need to go but they are all rotation players at the least with any team in the league

Knight, sure; Morris, maybe; Tucker, no way. Tucker will never get anything over a minimum contract again.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Chandler might be the most important trade piece at the moment.

Although; I would like to see what Len can do with a little more time at pf. I think there is a place in the league for non-stretch 4's and Lens seem like he might be able to guard 4's.

 

[Catlover]

Chandler might be the most important trade piece at the moment.

Although; I would like to see what Len can do with a little more time at pf. I think there is a place in the league for non-stretch 4's and Lens seem like he might be able to guard 4's.

I think pairing our bigs is much more effective with someone like Booker playing the 2 than it would be with Knight (or Dragic even). Len has enough range to help spread the court although probably not enough if you have 2 guards out there whose games depend on driving to the basket. It's too bad Millsap was missing last night, it might have provided a nice test to see how Len fares defensively against a modern style power forward.

But if Len and Chandler stay in those spots we're in desperate need of another good big man. Leuer can fill in at both positions but he's too slender to spend much time at the 5 and he's just not good enough for anything more than short stints. And our 10 day contract bigs leave a lot to be desired.

Maybe it deserves it's own thread but here's a million dollar question. Was the Atlanta win a sign of things to come or were we just the blind squirrel tripping over an acorn? I'm sure it's not a sign that we're on par with Atlanta or even a .500 squad. But if we're suddenly playing well enough to win even a third of our games with this depleted roster that could be huge for our rebuild. And if it is a sign of things to come does it save Jeff's job?

 

[elindholm]

Was the Atlanta win a sign of things to come or were we just the blind squirrel tripping over an acorn?

I'd bet on the latter. The Hawks missed a ton of easy shots, Chandler tied the franchise record for rebounds in a game, and the Suns won on a last-second prayer.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I think pairing our bigs is much more effective with someone like Booker playing the 2 than it would be with Knight (or Dragic even). Len has enough range to help spread the court although probably not enough if you have 2 guards out there whose games depend on driving to the basket. It's too bad Millsap was missing last night, it might have provided a nice test to see how Len fares defensively against a modern style power forward.

But if Len and Chandler stay in those spots we're in desperate need of another good big man. Leuer can fill in at both positions but he's too slender to spend much time at the 5 and he's just not good enough for anything more than short stints. And our 10 day contract bigs leave a lot to be desired.

Maybe it deserves it's own thread but here's a million dollar question. Was the Atlanta win a sign of things to come or were we just the blind squirrel tripping over an acorn? I'm sure it's not a sign that we're on par with Atlanta or even a .500 squad. But if we're suddenly playing well enough to win even a third of our games with this depleted roster that could be huge for our rebuild. And if it is a sign of things to come does it save Jeff's job?

Maybe in the off-season, but I think Leuer is a nice balance backing the two up. We haven't really seen him try it. Nice thing about tanking is that you can try different things and see what works.

 

[Errntknght]

Maybe even more surprising than Tyson's 27 rebs was that he and Len combined for 10 assists! i think it was fluke win and not a sign of things to come - Brandon will soon return and restore the old status quo though it might help us win more if 'Kief stays glued to the bench.

I do think Sarver is looking for an excuse to keep Jeff at the helm and a sudden upturn of the magnitude Catlover suggested for the rest of the season might well suffice. I sincerely hope it doesn't happen - I much prefer less Hornacek and more ping pong balls.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Maybe even more surprising than Tyson's 27 rebs was that he and Len combined for 10 assists! i think it was fluke win and not a sign of things to come - Brandon will soon return and restore the old status quo though it might help us win more if 'Kief stays glued to the bench.

I do think Sarver is looking for an excuse to keep Jeff at the helm and a sudden upturn of the magnitude Catlover suggested for the rest of the season might well suffice. I sincerely hope it doesn't happen - I much prefer less Hornacek and more ping pong balls.

Its just one game. Its a tanking season. Look at the injury list. Horny is staying on one way or another. They are not firing him now unless some sort of conflict erupts behind closed doors between him and McD or Sarver.

Even really bad teams win some games. I want to see us play better, but I don't think we are in great danger of messing up the tank. We will end up with the 3-5th pick. And who knows, maybe we will get lucky and land Simmons.

 

[sunsfan88]

Landing Simmons won't mean a thing if Hornacek remains the head coach next season.