The Suns' search for a New Coach Thread

[Hoop Head]

I'm not so sure you can count out the Westphal trade but the league might have handled the Connie Hawkins situation much differently. Still, Kareem changes our destiny even if we only have him for the 6 years he was in Milwaukee. And I suspect ending up in warmer climes might have removed one of the reasons he wanted to be traded.

Didn't Kareem want out of Milwaukee in part because of the lack of diversity there? I don't see him being happy in a state like AZ in the 70's.

 

[JerkFace]

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Apparently Shams had better info than Woj.

 

[JerkFace]

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[Yuma]

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Hearing the Vogel interview in Phoenix as well.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Didn't Kareem want out of Milwaukee in part because of the lack of diversity there? I don't see him being happy in a state like AZ in the 70's.

There was lots of diversity in the Valley back then; we had people that didn't look, talk or even think like us from Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachussetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Georgia, West Virgina, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and elsewhere.

Sure we didn't have much of a black community but I don't know how important that was to him. People rarely make huge life decisions for just one reason so maybe we had more to offer him than Milwaukee and maybe we didn't. I don't know. But I'd have loved to have had the chance to find that out.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

There was lots of diversity in the Valley back then; we had people that didn't look, talk or even think like us from Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachussetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Georgia, West Virgina, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and elsewhere.

Sure we didn't have much of a black community but I don't know how important that was to him. People rarely make huge life decisions for just one reason so maybe we had more to offer him than Milwaukee and maybe we didn't. I don't know. But I'd have loved to have had the chance to find that out.

Most of the places you name above are not, or at least haven't been known as, culturally diverse with minorities. Growing up in Phx in the 70's, I'd say the same was true about the area...I encountered 2 black kids in school (identical twin brothers) until I reached high school in the mid-80's. I'm sure there were more around at other schools, just not in mine. I can't say that Kareem would or wouldn't have enjoyed Phoenix, but he did become a devout Muslim and change his name while in Milwaukee, so he may have felt out of place there. I do know Kareem has enjoyed his time, later in life, working with the youth on the Northern Arizona reservations.

 

[Hoop Head]

There was lots of diversity in the Valley back then; we had people that didn't look, talk or even think like us from Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachussetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, Georgia, West Virgina, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and elsewhere.

Sure we didn't have much of a black community but I don't know how important that was to him. People rarely make huge life decisions for just one reason so maybe we had more to offer him than Milwaukee and maybe we didn't. I don't know. But I'd have loved to have had the chance to find that out.

I thought part of why he wanted out of Milwaukee was lack of diversity and the politics of the area. I was hoping to avoid this turning political but I don't think KAJ would have been cool with a lot of the politics here.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I thought part of why he wanted out of Milwaukee was lack of diversity and the politics of the area. I was hoping to avoid this turning political but I don't think KAJ would have been cool with a lot of the politics here.

He certainly wouldn't have been cool with Arizona politics today but without getting political I'd say that whatever the political situation is today it's far different from what it was then IMO. Perhaps it would have been just as unattractive to him, I have no idea. But I'm sure there where many reasons he wanted a change in location and perhaps not all of them would have worked against us.

 

[Mainstreet]

So much for the Suns knowing who they wanted to replace Monty unless they thought they had a real chance to get Tyronn Lue.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

So much for the Suns knowing who they wanted to replace Monty unless they thought they had a real chance to get Tyronn Lue.

I don't particularly have an issue with the order of things. Obviously it would be great to have something in place, but either way Monty was not the solution for this team.

 

[JerkFace]

So much for the Suns knowing who they wanted to replace Monty unless they thought they had a real chance to get Tyronn Lue.

I think they felt that Kevin Young was a better fit for this team than Monty when they fired him, and now they are just doing their due diligence to see if there is anyone that they feel would be a better fit than Young.

 

[SeattleCardinal]

Don't suppose this will have any bearing on where Ty Lue might end up?

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[Hoop Head]

Don't suppose this will have any bearing on where Ty Lue might end up?

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Ty Lue isn't leaving LA, at least not this off-season. He's under contract and I'm not sure why people thought we'd land him.

 

[Mainstreet]

I think they felt that Kevin Young was a better fit for this team than Monty when they fired him, and now they are just doing their due diligence to see if there is anyone that they feel would be a better fit than Young.

If Kevin Young is the choice, this would seem to indicate he didn't have a lot of say in the Suns playoff collapse against Dallas in 2022 or Monty didn't listen to him like he should.

I don't know how he can be a part of the answer, unless there was a divide in coaching philosophy and/or communication between Monty and Kevin Young. Also, the players would have to support Young as well.

 

[sdscard4]

I see no reason to have any connections to the Monty regime. Unless it's Durant and Book calling the shots and that's a recipe for disaster. Would KD be loyal to him after just a handful of games? I don't think it's him. It's gonna be Vogel. Time to play D again

 

[Mainstreet]

Don't suppose this will have any bearing on where Ty Lue might end up?

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Probably not but it could be a reason the Suns prolong their head coach search hoping Tyronn Lue shakes free.

 

[Sparky16]

Nurse just seems like such a no-brainer out of the remaining choices.

If Doc’s our coach, what little passion I still have for this team probably drops to zero. That makes next season beyond an exercise in futility.

The thought of Durant on the team was kind of neat. But it was more rewarding watching players like Bridges/Johnson grow. What the Suns needed was to move DA for a center who could accept the roll of defender/rebounder. CP3 age and i guess his act on the team grew old real fast. Now we have an aging hired gun from trying to buy a ring. This is what makes watching the Dbacks with a bunch of farm prospects play well fun. Zero big name FA like that clown MadBaum who only cashed a check like DA is now doing, just as i predicted he would. DA has only gotten worse since getting his "2nd" contract

 

[Yuma]

I watched a Suns podcast, and the interesting note is how silent both the Suns front office, and the Suns stars, Booker and Durant, are all quiet. It's been virtually pulling teeth to get Suns news. Some of the other players, like Londale have gone on podcasts, but they have been basically mum on Suns offseason. The only one who has said anything at all is Bridges, who is no longer on the team. Is everyone just feeling out how to proceed with the new owner Ishbia? Seems weird or coincidental, that it is all quiet.

 

[Hoop Head]

I watched a Suns podcast, and the interesting note is how silent both the Suns front office, and the Suns stars, Booker and Durant, are all quiet. It's been virtually pulling teeth to get Suns news. Some of the other players, like Londale have gone on podcasts, but they have been basically mum on Suns offseason. The only one who has said anything at all is Bridges, who is no longer on the team. Is everyone just feeling out how to proceed with the new owner Ishbia? Seems weird or coincidental, that it is all quiet.

I think, maybe just hoping, there's a solid plan in place and that's why they're silent. Although they weren't exactly forthcoming with info in the past so maybe just more of the same. Durant's silences is odd though. He's usually noisy or has noise surrounding him.

 

[Mainstreet]

I watched a Suns podcast, and the interesting note is how silent both the Suns front office, and the Suns stars, Booker and Durant, are all quiet. It's been virtually pulling teeth to get Suns news. Some of the other players, like Londale have gone on podcasts, but they have been basically mum on Suns offseason. The only one who has said anything at all is Bridges, who is no longer on the team. Is everyone just feeling out how to proceed with the new owner Ishbia? Seems weird or coincidental, that it is all quiet.

Maybe they are like the rest of us, waiting to see how the cookie crumbles.

The Suns having minimal assets is a real concern.

 

[Superbone]

There is no question that Nurse lost the locker room in Toronto, he basically admitted as much when he left.

If we can find enough talent, a hard ass who pushes them might be a good thing, especially if we pick up some younger guys on the cheap in free agency. But if the team ends up filled with vets and older ring chasers, Nurse will probably wear thin on them quick.

A sink or swim coach might be a good thing for Ayton... or he could go full Ben Simmons as a result. Hard to say. I think he has more pride than Ben Simmons though.

No way to we cater to Ayton. That’s a recipe for disaster.

 

[Superbone]

Not happy if it's going to be Kevin Young. Not at all.

Because you know exactly what Kevin Young will be like as a head coach? Please enlighten us.

 

[Superbone]

If the Suns promote an assistant who was on the bench during the last two ridiculous playoff no shows I’ll have no choice but to laugh.

I look at this team and its culture of quit and think you need a complete overhaul. Promoting an assistant because Booker likes him would be the worst case scenario.

Average loss against Dallas and Denver 8 games was 19ppg. They flat out quit when the going gets tough. Sticking with the same will only result in more of the same.

We have NO idea how much influence Young was allowed.

 

[Chaplin]

We have NO idea how much influence Young was allowed.

He was the ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH and was highly visible on the bench with Monty and can be seen every game coaching the team. Suns fans are fickle, when Monty was coach, it wasn't just him, it was coaching as a whole. When Monty's gone, all of a sudden all the Suns coaching problems were his and his alone. I don't buy that.

This isn't a lottery team, this is a potential contender with 2 top 20 NBA players on it. Book may like him, but most of the players liked Monty too. Being liked doesn't win you championships. If the Suns hire him, of course I'll support him, but at this point, I'd rather someone else get hired with pedigree, like Nick Nurse. We have a window of 1, maybe 2 years. Do we really want to give it to a guy who is getting his feet wet for the first time?

 

[RON_IN_OC]

Because you know exactly what Kevin Young will be like as a head coach? Please enlighten us.

OT, but what's the origin of your screen name?