2023 Coaching Search

[virtual9mm]

I don't want to take the time, but if somebody wants to post the list of all NBA coaches, it would be interesting to rank which ones we think Monty was better / worse than. I bet he's above average.

This is exactly what myself and others have said for at least the past year.

We haven't put together a single post of every coach, but the general consensus is exactly where you put him.

He’s a great coach and will do well with whatever team he goes to…. But like all coaches, eventually they lose effectiveness with their players and need to move on. Don’t think anyone here hates or dislikes Monty…. Disagree with his decisions, sure!

What I’d love to know… what did he see in shamet that made him play him so much and not Ross or TJ? For me…. I think he lost touch with his team and their abilities.

I still love Monty but there's just a bit of Earl Watson in him -- he plays favorites and either you're one of his people or you're not. I wish him luck as he moves on.

[Split T]

This one scares me a bit

[carey]

That’s what I’m saying. Unless it’s a clear upgrade this is change for change sake and I’m not sure that we’re better for it.

[wpmiller42]

Wikipedia has a list of current NBA coaches: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_N ... ad_coaches

Honestly, of the current coaches, I really only think that Lue, Spolestra, and Popovich are clearly better than Monty, and I don't really think any of them are realistically available. I'd be shocked if the Clippers decided to part ways with Lue.

I think Quin Snyder, Rick Carlisle, and Willie Green are really good coaches and you could reasonably argue they're better than Monty, though I don't think so. I even think Doc Rivers is a pretty good coach, though I don't know if he's the right person for the Suns right now.

Of the available coaches, I think Nurse might be the best option? I think he does some really creative and cool things defensively. I'd like to see what he might envision for a team with KD and Booker, and maybe Ayton (though I think Ayton is a goner)? I think Budenholzer is okay, but I don't think he's better than Monty.

[The Bobster]

There are "good coaches" that don't fit what you're tyring to accomplish though. Whether it's coaches that work better with young players or strictly adhere to a system that doesn't fit your personnel, it doesn't make them bad coaches, just a bad for for your team. For example Tim Thibodeau and Mike D'Antoni are opposites ends of the coaching philosophy spectrum, but they've both had successful careers. But then their tenures also ran their course and they were kicked to the curb (multiple times). Most coaches who reach the NBA can actually coach. But the situation you find yourself in matters. Chuck Daly failed in Cleveland, but thrived in Detroit. Jerry Sloan didn't cut it in Chicago, but was an institution in Utah. Cotton got run out of town on a rail in Atlanta and San Antonio, but was great in Kansas City and Phoenix.

Well, except for Earl Watson. He just plain sucked as a coach!

[Uncle_Gene]

I respect Doc Rivers as a coach, but I don't want him.

[Split T]

Doc gets some unnecessary crap, but he’s not the answer.

[TOO]

Doc =/= Monty

[Mori Chu]

If you fire Monty Williams for choking in the playoffs, I don't know why you would replace him with one of the worst choking playoff coaches in NBA history in Doc Rivers.

[Split T]

I don’t know if choke is the right word for either. More like disappoint. But your point is valid. They both have the same problem. Underwhelming in the playoffs.

[O_Gardino]

That's kind of how I feel about all of the coaching changes happening this year. If Monty and Bud change places, does either team actually get better? It feels like making a change just to make a change.

[SunsSince92]

That's kind of how I feel about all of the coaching changes happening this year. If Monty and Bud change places, does either team actually get better? It feels like making a change just to make a change.

Agreed. I guess the Sun's would be getting a slightly better deal on paper given that Bud has won a championship but I'm not sure he would move the needle here.

[Kryptonic]

We need Phil Jackson!

[Split T]

I’ve heard rumblings that Kevin Young is a real possibility.

[SunsSince92]

I’ve heard rumblings that Kevin Young is a real possibility.

[TOO]

If Young were so great, why wasn't he more useful with Monty here?

[Kryptonic]

If Young were so great, why wasn't he more useful with Monty here?

Agree... Doesn't make any sense to retain someone who was a part of our demise.

[Split T]

Not sure. Can’t say I have any idea of how good assistant coaches are.

I heard someone say it was Young who got Monty to play TJ Warren in the regular season. That he was also the reason to switch to Jock instead of Biz against Denver. Also heard that Book really likes him. Guess most of this comes from a pod with Tim McMahon and Duane Rankin

[Democritus]

I think that we will get Lue this way or another. Firing Monty only makes sense if you have the possibility to get someone like Lue. Other options are not clear upgrades over Monty, maybe Nurse, but the margin is not huge. Bud, Doc have all the same adjustment issues in the Playoffs like Monty.

[Wally_West]

I’ve heard rumblings that Kevin Young is a real possibility.

I haven’t heard any rumblings but reading the tea leaves, it wouldn’t surprise me. I listened to Chris Haynes and Marc Stein’s podcast a few days ago talking about the our Coaching situation and they went on a bit of a tangent to really gassed up Kevin Young as someone to look out for to be a head coach soon. I’m paraphrasing here but basically a lot GMs around the league are big fans of his, hence why he’s getting so many interviews. Haynes said the Suns players love him, especially CP and Book, and that he’s considered to be a big “ally” of the players in the Suns’s locker. Haynes said the only real big question mark regarding him is if he’s ready to step up be the head a locker room and that there’s many Suns players that think he is.