Who Do You Want as the Next Head Coach?

[SDC]

if i were sarver, i'd keep hornacek and remove mcdo. who's his replacement? bryan colangelo.

[The Bobster]

if i were sarver, i'd keep hornacek and remove mcdo. who's his replacement? bryan colangelo.

Even if McDonough gets canned they're never going to bring B. Colangelo back.

[Uncle_Gene]

I expect an announcement in the morning.

Don't know who the new interim coach will be, but I believe something will change tomorrow.

[Mori Chu]

If they don't fire him after that "effort," I don't see when they would at all. They'd just let him run out his contract as a lame duck, which never happens.

[Nodack]

In ther defense, it was four games in five nights, short handed and they aren't that good to begin with.

[Danimal]

I don't see the point of a new coach unless we have a clear direction set for the organisation first (ie rebuilding mode). I don't want an experienced coach come in for win now mode to justify his hiring, playing mediocre vets and getting us to the 9th seed. I want us to focus on rebuilding rather than delaying it constantly. If we are able to make a nash like splash in free agency great, but remember that team was largely setup by drafting and acquiring young talent and shipping off non performing vets first.

[ShelC]

We've done a great disservice to Hornacek. We cut his legs out with the Morris Bros, then fired his top two assistants and are leaving him twisting in the wind. Let's see...we're not winning so let's fire the top two Xs and Os guys which will leave us unprepared for the rest of the year. Great plan. I wouldn't be surprised if Hornacek's all but checked out at this point and I wouldn't blame him. Truth is, he should've walked with his assistants.

I see only a few options here: Put Hornacek out of his misery, put Watson in charge and dump the season then hire a guy like Thibs.

Or hire a guy like Thibs and give him two options: Develop the young guys at the cost of winning games but install your system so there's familiarity going into the summer and guys know what to work on for next year. 2) Try and salvage the season with the current roster (which is still possible IMO) but see what vets are worth keeping around for next year (Tucker, Leuer, Chandler, etc).

[pickle]

Please please please stop salvaging lost seasons. The only scenario which I can stomach is Hornacek's first year scenario, where we have some assets and possibilities and it doesn't hurt to let the young guys play hard and generate excitement. If memory serves, Doc Rivers managed that his first year in Orlando, with Ben Wallace (then an unknown) anchoring his defense and players getting on the court based on effort as the only measuring stick.

[UglyTruth]

Hello Suns fans! Nice to meet you all!

Regarding this topic,I originally thought we should just keep Hornacek and ride him to a top 3 pick but I think it can't be good for Warren and Booker's development to play in this weird offensive system that he has in place. A basic vanilla pick and roll is the only play in his half court playbook.

Plus I'm not sure if hiring anyone else right now is going to give us more wins anyway since the players have all basically toned out.

As for after this season, yes I definitely they should fire him without thinking about it twice. I would like to see Thibs but I suspect Thibs will demand a nice salary and I'm not sure Sarver is willing to open his wallet to that. Also Sarver does not seem to care much for defense and prefers to see an entertaining "fast break" offense team than a good defensive team imo.

But yes I would be thrilled with Thibs. Or even Jeff Van Gundy as well.

[TOO]

Hey, Paul Pierce is here.


Welcome!

[LazarusLong]

With all due respect, I think some of the Hornacek apologists have a bromance for Jeff.

Sure, he was a fine NBA player and is a great guy, but that doesn't guarantee that he'll be a good coach. And he's not really shown many coaching chops in the past year or so.

Classic example was the loss to Denver, where Mike Malone thoroughly outcoached Hornacek, as the Nuggets were down several starters and rotation players.

[ShelC]

Sometimes playing in the league just isn't enough. Too many players think they just know the game and can walk the sidelines. I'm not saying Hornacek isn't a solid basketball mind, but coaching requires split second decisions and strategies, adjustments/counter adjustments, drawing up plays in a huddle...the better coaches all started as top Xs and Os assistants living in the film room studying other teams' players and plays. Guys like Rick Carlisle, JVG, SVG, Stotts, Budenholzer, Malone, Thibs...

[Mori Chu]

Welcome, UglyTruth!

[pickle]

Welcome UT!

I don't know if I'm a Hornacek apologist or not. I'd like to think that I'm remaining neutral on him, but I probably think too highly of my ability to stay objective.

Having said that, I still feel that Hornacek has a high basketball IQ and can get the most out of his talent, if and when that talent listens to him. But he, like Bledsoe/Knight, lacks actual leadership qualities to be able to take on anybody and coach them. He needs younger guys who respect him by default, and the front office was not able to put together such a roster for him to coach. So, overall evaluation, he has a good basketball mind, but he's not a good head coach candidate. Maybe he could be one of those offensive coordinator type assistant coaches on a more seasoned coaching staff.

And I no longer think he is the right fit for Phoenix. But I'm also not sure if a mid-season firing would do this team any good.

[specialsauce]

Totally disagree on Horny having a high ball coaching IQ. He has terrible out-of-timeout plays, and makes no adjustments other than to just play musical chairs with the rotation.

[pickle]

No, wasn't talking about coaching IQ... it was a reference to his playing days. He was not athletic, but a smart player, by all accounts. I don't know about his coaching acumen. I don't think he had control of the team other than maybe that first year, and I didn't follow the team closely then anyway.

[specialsauce]

Fair enough

[UglyTruth]

Thank you for the welcome Original, Mori Chu and Pickle.

Watching the Mavs play and be successful with players like washed up and low IQ Deron Williams, fat and old and washed up and low IQ Raymond Felton, low IQ Javale McGee, Zaza Pachulia and 39 year old Dirk makes me wonder wonder Carslie would have been able to do with the Suns roster.

I know everyone often talks about the Suns problems being that the roster doesn't have enough talent but really, those excuses don't seem to be affecting the Mavs...prior to the season, I doubt anyone pegged Dallas to be a playoff team and yet here they are while the Suns continue to spiral downwards.

I think Hornace rightfully deserves much of the blame for this mess of a season.

[Robot]

I think the best thing we can do is run out the year with hornacek or assistant, then get a new coach who actually has a system and the ability to lead and adapt. This coach should also have some backbone and not be as much of a company bro as hornacek is with mcd and Staver.

From there we should assess our talent and see what we actually have when the players are being used in a system rather than a twisted Rubik's cube. Thwts really the only way to truly see what we have.

-R

[pickle]

On the one hand, too little is made of continuity in a league overrun with impatience. On the other hand, nobody wants to make the mistake of being overly patient with the wrong personnel. It's not easy working in the NBA front office, but sitting where we do, it certainly looks like the Suns outsmarted itself with all the roster moves.

I don't have any idea who would be a good coach for our team. I just hope that whomever comes next is a good coach and one that we can hang on to for more than a couple of years.