What to do with Scola?

[Mainstreet]

So you haven't been hanging out at Wedding sites?

Steve

Been there, done that. I'm having an off game.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

A disaster?

Uh, yes. Last year was an unmitigated disaster, the worst I can remember as a Suns fan. Combine the worst record in the league with arguably the worst talent in the league pre-draft, and yes, last season was a disaster. Would you care to characterize it as something different?

Tell me, what was your opinion on Gentry? Was he part of the problem?

Alvin Gentry is a good basketball coach, who was saddled with an awful roster. In the ultimate "talent rules" league, he never had a chance. Gentry wasn't the problem, but a coach with his record no matter what the roster is the obvious fall guy.

What does this have to do with Scola?

 

[SirStefan32]

Uh, yes. Last year was an unmitigated disaster, the worst I can remember as a Suns fan. Combine the worst record in the league with arguably the worst talent in the league pre-draft, and yes, last season was a disaster. Would you care to characterize it as something different?



Alvin Gentry is a good basketball coach, who was saddled with an awful roster. In the ultimate "talent rules" league, he never had a chance. Gentry wasn't the problem, but a coach with his record no matter what the roster is the obvious fall guy.

What does this have to do with Scola?

I wouldn't say it was a disaster, and even if it was, I'd argue that it was a disaster that needed to happen- a natural disaster, if you will.
Not sure what your expectations were, but my expectations were that the Suns were going to be terrible for about two years, and pretty bad for another year (best case scenario)or two (more likely scenario) after that.

If you expected Dragic, Scola, Gortat, and Besley to win it all (or even make playoffs) I think your expectations were unrealistic.

Last season was a necessity- we found out how bad we were. That led to the hiring of the new GM and new head coach. We have two promising youngsters from the draft, another promising youngster via trade.

Whilethe season was painful to watch (yes, I watched probably 80% of games), it was something that needed to (and had to) happen.

 

[Phrazbit]

I wouldn't say it was a disaster, and even if it was, I'd argue that it was a disaster that needed to happen- a natural disaster, if you will.
Not sure what your expectations were, but my expectations were that the Suns were going to be terrible for about two years, and pretty bad for another year (best case scenario)or two (more likely scenario) after that.

If you expected Dragic, Scola, Gortat, and Besley to win it all (or even make playoffs) I think your expectations were unrealistic.

Last season was a necessity- we found out how bad we were. That led to the hiring of the new GM and new head coach. We have two promising youngsters from the draft, another promising youngster via trade.

Whilethe season was painful to watch (yes, I watched probably 80% of games), it was something that needed to (and had to) happen.

I understand what you're saying... but it was still a disaster. Their intent was not to be in year one of a rebuild. Blanks and every coach associated with the team was not hoping to lose their jobs.

They were a horrible team, they had no talent and no legit young talent. I can forgive being horrible when you're a developing team but to build a veteran laden roster than is THAT pathetic is... a disaster. They also did nothing to determine a direction during the year. They gave away a pick for a player (Marcus Morris), they retained their vets rather than trading for picks. Hired a grossly incompetent interim coach, completely whiffed on the 2012 draft...

Yes, its nice that they are FINALLY rebuilding but other than providing the means to rid the franchise of the idiot Lance Blanks, last season was a complete waste.

 

[Sci Fi]

Guys, Chris' comment was that this year will be disaster. Why? At this point, I couldn't care less about last year.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Not sure what your expectations were, but my expectations were that the Suns were going to be terrible for about two years, and pretty bad for another year (best case scenario)or two (more likely scenario) after that.

If you expected Dragic, Scola, Gortat, and Besley to win it all (or even make playoffs) I think your expectations were unrealistic.

Are you serious? I said before the season we weren't a playoff team, and that we should have gotten rid of anything of value, (Scola/Gortat/O'Neal) before the trade deadline.

Last season was a necessity- we found out how bad we were.

I don't see why we had to play out the entire season to know that - most objective observers had the Suns as one of the worst teams in basketball. The only group that showed any confidence in that roster being a playoff team was the front office.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Guys, Chris' comment was that this year will be disaster. Why? At this point, I couldn't care less about last year.

Actually, in comparison to last year, this year is a much brighter proposition. We're going to be bad, but I'm very excited to see guys like Bledsoe, Goodwin and (God willling) Len. Last year, the only really exciting player to watch was Dragic, and our exciting lottery pick was Kendall Marshall. (hooray!)

Get the young guys plenty of minutes, and a top 5 pick is a good bet. Last year was particularly bad because you had the combination of a terrible team and no hope. At least this year we have some hope.

Still waiting to see your Sarver playoff statement.

 

[Sci Fi]

Actually, in comparison to last year, this year is a much brighter proposition. We're going to be bad, but I'm very excited to see guys like Bledsoe, Goodwin and (God willling) Len. Last year, the only really exciting player to watch was Dragic, and our exciting lottery pick was Kendall Marshall. (hooray!)

Get the young guys plenty of minutes, and a top 5 pick is a good bet. Last year was particularly bad because you had the combination of a terrible team and no hope. At least this year we have some hope.

Still waiting to see your Sarver playoff statement.

Already posted Chris.

 

[Sci Fi]

Alvin Gentry is a good basketball coach, who was saddled with an awful roster. In the ultimate "talent rules" league, he never had a chance. Gentry wasn't the problem, but a coach with his record no matter what the roster is the obvious fall guy.

What does this have to do with Scola?

Here's your good coach.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/gentral99c.html

12 seasons, well under .500 winning percentage, only one year winning a playoff series.

There's a lot more
to creating a good basketball team than getting young players and developing them. Like good coaches. Hornacek will make Gentry look like the idiot he was.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Already posted Chris.

Wrong. As Superbone stated, This year = 2013-2014. Next year = 2014-2015. Sarver has never said he expects to make the playoffs this year. Listen to the interview, around the 7:30 mark. His rationale is another couple first round picks and cap space could make us a playoff team.

Sarver has been surprisingly contrite, and isn't making any ridiculous predictions (yet) like he did last year.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Here's your good coach.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/gentral99c.html

12 seasons, well under .500 winning percentage, only one year winning a playoff series.

There's a lot more
to creating a good basketball team than getting young players and developing them. Like good coaches. Hornacek will make Gentry look like the idiot he was.

How long have you been watching the NBA? Gentry has been saddled with some of the worst rosters in the NBA during his tenure, yet still gets jobs. Must be because he's an idiot. What a ludicrous thing to say.

Gentry got fired because they couldn't fire the whole team, Auerbach or PJ couldn't have done much better with that wretched roster.

If this roster is at the bottom of the WC standings next year, will Horny be an idiot?

 

[sunsfan88]

http://blog.suns.com/robert-sarver-talks-about-what-hes-learned-as-an-owner/

Part 2 late. around 7:00 or so.

This year = 2013-2014. Next year = 2014-2015. Sarver has never said he expects to make the playoffs this year.

Huh...I'm not so confident that we can push for playoffs after just one year of sucking.

The Suns would have to hit bulls eye on all their moves and transactions up to then to pull it off perhaps.

I won't say if we can or if we can't do it until I see how much Len, Goodwin and Bledsoe progress this season.

 

[Chaplin]

Gentry is IMO the ultimate bad luck coach. If he is in control of a playoff team with a majority of vets and a few youngsters, I think he can be pretty good. But a team with nothing but youngsters and with very low talent? He just didn't have the strategic chops for it. He's had this problem through his entire career.

Great players coach. Nice guy, relates to players well. But he was lacking in x's and o's. Hunter was MUCH, MUCH worse, so in hindsight, Gentry should have stayed at least until the end of the season.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Gentry is IMO the ultimate bad luck coach. If he is in control of a playoff team with a majority of vets and a few youngsters, I think he can be pretty good. But a team with nothing but youngsters and with very low talent? He just didn't have the strategic chops for it. He's had this problem through his entire career.

Great players coach. Nice guy, relates to players well. But he was lacking in x's and o's. Hunter was MUCH, MUCH worse, so in hindsight, Gentry should have stayed at least until the end of the season.

Absolutely. It was a toxic environment created by Blanks, who it seems did not put in the effort needed to be successful at the job. Hunter had Blanks ear behind the scenes and made all of it a mess.

What a miserable year.

 

[elindholm]

I disagree that Gentry lacks "strategic chops." I've always felt that his teams have performed well, relative their circumstances. That includes last year's Suns before they booted him.

 

[Mainstreet]

Are you serious? I said before the season we weren't a playoff team, and that we should have gotten rid of anything of value, (Scola/Gortat/O'Neal) before the trade deadline.

Just for clarification, Scola could not be traded before last season's trade deadline because he was an amnesty player. Scola did not become eligible to be traded until this July.

 

[Chaplin]

I disagree that Gentry lacks "strategic chops." I've always felt that his teams have performed well, relative their circumstances. That includes last year's Suns before they booted him.

I disagree that last year's Suns performed well at virtually any time last season, with or without Gentry.

 

[Mainstreet]

Gentry is IMO the ultimate bad luck coach. If he is in control of a playoff team with a majority of vets and a few youngsters, I think he can be pretty good. But a team with nothing but youngsters and with very low talent? He just didn't have the strategic chops for it. He's had this problem through his entire career.

Great players coach. Nice guy, relates to players well. But he was lacking in x's and o's. Hunter was MUCH, MUCH worse, so in hindsight, Gentry should have stayed at least until the end of the season.

That would have meant more wins and likely a later Suns first round draft pick.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Just for clarification, Scola could not be traded before last season's trade deadline because he was an amnesty player. Scola did not become eligible to be traded until this July.

True, brain fart on my part. Still hope we get rid of Gortat/Scola for anything of value.

 

[Mainstreet]

True, brain fart on my part. Still hope we get rid of Gortat/Scola for anything of value.

I agree about Scola and Gortat. Perhaps I would have felt differently if Gortat had signed an extension when it was offered. I just hope the Suns don't push Len into action too soon.

 

[Errntknght]

The place where Gentry lacked strategic chops was in having a plan of where he wanted to take the team and taking a strong stance on the players he wanted. From my perspective it seemed like he was content to coach whatever collection of players the FO foisted on him. Can you imagine how he must have felt to find players of the ilk of Beas and Warrick that he was supposed to mold into a team? Not to mention lackluster draft selections and other acquisitions. He did a fair to middling job with what he had.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I agree about Scola and Gortat. Perhaps I would have felt differently if Gortat had signed an extension when it was offered. I just hope the Suns don't push Len into action too soon.

I feel that by the time our team is legitimately contending for a playoff spot (3-4 years from now) Gortat will be overpaid and in decline. If he were signed to a contract of 7 mil or less, I'd be ok with it, but any more than that would be an investment in a guy on the wrong side of 30 for a team in full rebuild mode.

Regarding Len, are you talking about coming back too soon from injury, or getting too many minutes early? Considering he's very raw and we're not going to be competing for a playoff spot, I hope he gets as many minutes as possible.

 

[elindholm]

I disagree that last year's Suns performed well at virtually any time last season, with or without Gentry.

The roster was terrible. The fact that they were often in games was a pretty significant accomplishment.

 

[Superbone]

The roster was terrible. The fact that they were often in games was a pretty significant accomplishment.

Yep. All those double-digit comebacks were pretty remarkable considering our roster.

 

[Mainstreet]

I feel that by the time our team is legitimately contending for a playoff spot (3-4 years from now) Gortat will be overpaid and in decline. If he were signed to a contract of 7 mil or less, I'd be ok with it, but any more than that would be an investment in a guy on the wrong side of 30 for a team in full rebuild mode.

I think if Gortat could have been extended to a reasonable contract (definitely not a bloated contract), he would have remained a valuable trade asset both now or into the future. The Suns would have control of his destiny without fear of losing him for nothing when he becomes a FA.

Regarding Len, are you talking about coming back too soon from injury, or getting too many minutes early? Considering he's very raw and we're not going to be competing for a playoff spot, I hope he gets as many minutes as possible.

Both.

If Len did not have health concerns, I would be for getting him as many minutes as possible.