Ryan out as GM

[The Bobster]

So Sarver says the the Suns are are the end of their rebuild and now they need to figure out how to start winning games.

Of course that's looking at the roster with rose-colored glasses. They're nowhere need being done with their rebuilding program.

[O_Gardino]

At least we won't tank this season.

[The Bobster]

At least we won't tank this season.

Not intentionally.

[iLLmatic]

Did he give a reason for the firing?

[The Bobster]

Did he give a reason for the firing?

"the rate of progress wasn't there.... where I thought it needed to be."

[ShelC]

Which again is odd to come to that conclusion after 3 preseason games without your franchise SG.

[OE32]

Which again is odd to come to that conclusion after 3 preseason games without your franchise SG.

Disagree. In my experience, fans underestimate the predictive value of preseason. One player can only do so much. These guys are trying to win.

I said before preseason I expected a 38+ win team. I've adjusted my expectations to the 26-win range - and that's very generous. Sarver and I are both pretty upset.

What is it about Portland???

[iLLmatic]

So he didn't really give a reason. He also said that he didn't believe perception was a problem and that he didn't think it was odd timing firing Ryan 3 preseason games in.

This dude is out of his element and is the reason for the bad perception.

[The Bobster]

He came back again with the "there's only 30 GM jobs so people will be interested"

But not the cream of the crop. They don't want anything to do with this mess.

[Split T]

Which again is odd to come to that conclusion after 3 preseason games without your franchise SG.

Disagree. In my experience, fans underestimate the predictive value of preseason. One player can only do so much. These guys are trying to win.

I said before preseason I expected a 38+ win team. I've adjusted my expectations to the 26-win range - and that's very generous. Sarver and I are both pretty upset.

What is it about Portland???

The Arizona Cardinals were pretty good in preseason.

Also I think you underestimate just how important Booker is. Without him and without a PG, we have no one to get us into our offense.

I'm not expecting 38 wins without a PG, but we're not only winning 26 games. Booker/Ariza/Ayton is worth 26 wins by themselves.

Also, I think it's obvious a PG is coming after the firing of McD

[JeremyG]

So he didn't really give a reason. He also said that he didn't believe perception was a problem and that he didn't think it was odd timing firing Ryan 3 preseason games in.

This dude is out of his element and is the reason for the bad perception.

Even waiting until Thursday morning—when you have a week between the end of the preseason and start of the regular season—would have been a little less strange.

But I did just post last night that we need a point guard by the 17th. I’m thinking Sarver feels the same way.

[Charlie Smithy!]

So Sarver says the the Suns are are the end of their rebuild

[Flagrant Fowl]

Which is worse, owner/GM or GM/coach?

[The Bobster]

Which is worse, owner/GM or GM/coach?

Owner/GM.

It is extremely rare for an owner to have any credible basketball experience. Colangelo did, but who has their been in the league since?

[The Bobster]

https://twitter.com/AndyTheG/status/1049411959911723008

[Flagrant Fowl]

This person on Reddit gave a nice recap of the interview for those who could hear it. Shout out to u/Orthlax if you're around here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/suns/comments/ ... _w_sarver/

-Timing of the decision - He completely dodged this question but he pretty much said that there is no good time to do it and he expected more "progress". Says he is completely comfortable with the moves that were made because James Jones was involved.

-Was there a move that made you want to move on - Says he doesn't want to get into specifics but he feels like the Suns "plateaued" and he keeps saying that he is expecting to be further along in the rebuild process over and over. It sounds a lot like he didn't get the PG he wanted and that pre-season has him shook that is obviously speculation.

-Did Ryan MCD have full authority on drafting / coaching changes - Begins with WELL and then makes excuses and dodges the question lmao. He said that he never forced anything upon MCD but at the end of the day he had full control but never told him what to do.

-Players being disgruntled / lack of communication - Says that it isn't uncommon and cites Jimmy Butler but does admit that there have been more issues than he would like and that there was "more room for improvement".

-James Jones experience / People being hired for GM - "I have a lot of confidence in James and Trevor right now." Then lists their achievements and experience with the organization. Keeps talking up James Jones. Sarver says his goal is to do what is best for the organization and since they are in the middle / end of the rebuild that finding a good experienced coach & GM is hard but we aren't going to rush to a conclusion.

-Perception of the organization - Addresses Earl Watson getting fired 3 games into the season by saying that it reflects poorly on him and he needs to do better and turn-over isn't a good thing. He says that he isn't worried at all about filling the GM position because of how promising our young pieces have looked and there are only 30 jobs open in the NBA and people are going to want it, says that turnover isn't a good thing and he needs to do better.

-Are you going to approach you're role a different way - "Reality is more important than perception". Says that he isn't in the office making day to day decisions nor do I say who we have to draft and there is a perception out there but he says he has to talk to people before they hire them to make them more comfortable. He says the perception of him being overbearing was at one point was true and that he was responsible for it but he has taken a step back from it and he isn't micro-managing now. He says he likes to give the people that work for him resources to do better and that is as far as it goes whatever that means.

-Impact of 2016 draft on MCD firing - Says he wouldn't look to any specific draft; "But at the end of the day you are putting a lot of effort and faith into the ability to draft and develop players and the outcome of that is important."
Roster construction opinion - Won't make a prediction on number of wins but feels like they are definitely going to be better this year (obviously not hard).

-Where are we in the rebuild? - He thinks we are at the end of the rebuild and "The switch is flipped" and it is time to try to win. Says we have suffered through the process enough and it is time to make moves and are preserving max cap-space for next year. He is trying to change the culture in Phoenix so they can learn how to win.

-Is a PG the top priority to make the team better? - Yes that is at the top of the list.

-Were the moves made this summer as big as you would like - I think they were winning moves but I would have liked to make more progress on winning.

-Would you have preferred to trade for Kyrie is pretty much what was asked but there was a lot of dancing around it - Said that there were a lot of variables but he really dodged this one and quite frankly I don't blame him.

-Do you think we are in a better place now after the MCD hiring? - Instantly answered yes and talked up MCD and says we have 3 potential all-star minimum level talents on the roster.

[iLLmatic]

So Sarver says the the Suns are are the end of their rebuild

Got'em.

[JJ Slim]

I keep seeing you all post that Sarver is the problem and as long as he is the owner the Suns are going nowhere. I've thought this since 2 or 3 years after he bought the team. But I've got the perfect idea to finally get rid of him...

SARVER 2020!!!!

[Superbone]

When you look at those draft names, you're like, "Those guys did a pretty good job". But when you look at the sum of the parts, things never clicked. That was the FO's undoing. They'd just collect names and individual talents with no regard for chemistry or roster balance.

Bledsoe, Dragic, Thomas, and Knight all gone leaving us without a starting PG. That is why he is gone.

[Superbone]

It's really quite simple. This was Barkley about six months ago.

“Robert does not have a good reputation,” former Suns great Charles Barkley said during a Tuesday interview on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. “He’s a control freak, apparently. I want to make it perfectly clear that Robert Sarver has always treated me great. We haven’t had a lot of interaction, but he’s always treated me great.

“But from people who have worked for the Suns, and talking to some of these coaches, Robert wants to make all of the decisions. He won’t give control to the people who work for him. And the reputation of him, plain and simple. He hires them but he won’t let them do their jobs. That’s his reputation, and I’ve got to take their word for it.

“Like I said, Robert has always treated me great,” Barkley added. “But the people I know personally who have played for him tell me, ‘This dude, he wants to make all the decisions. He won’t let people do their jobs.’ That’s his reputation, plain and simple.”

This was Sarver in the Spring of 2017.

“I think following through on the plan we put in place a few years ago is how best to compete for a championship,” he said. "Right now I think I just have a clear vision of what we want to do and how we want to get there. … We’re going to have to be patient and let some of these young players develop.

“They’re not going to win a championship at 19, 20 or 21 years old but I think we can lay a foundation and I’m willing to sacrifice the losses and do whatever we have to. I hope fans and our community want to embrace that and grow with our younger players and join us on the journey.”

A lot of people might not like Barkley, but more often than not, he tells it how it is. I think he's right on target here. The media have been giving Sarver a pass for far too long, and the rest of the league knows he has the tendency to be an incompetent a******. It was only a year ago that Suns fans pooled money together for a "Sarver Out" billboard in the Phoenix area. The worst part of it all is that Sarver doesn't see himself as the problem.

He'll never win anything and the fans are the ones who have to suffer.

I agree with most of your post but who as all this media giving Sarver a pass? Sarver has been labeled a meddler and the media have not gone easy on him.