Monty Williams Fired

[Wally_West]

[JeremyG]

He helped turn the culture around, I’ll give him that.

[TOO]

Mat really does think he can get whatever he wants, I love it.

I wonder how far the build around Book and KD goes, do they have his ear? I'm interested

[virtual9mm]

Mat really does think he can get whatever he wants, I love it.

I thank Monty for his years of service rebuilding the franchise and look forward to having a real Xs and Os coach in place. Lue would be perfect.

[iLLmatic]

He helped change the culture.

[virtual9mm]

I wonder if it would now be possible to salvage Ayton. How much of that was on Monty? How much on Ayton? Guess it depends on the offers made.

[Split T]

I think Book is done with Ayton too

[TOO]

I think Book is done with Ayton too

100%

He looks at him like a disappointed father.

[The Bobster]

He didn't deserve all the blame of course, but coaches are basically hired to be fired for the most part. I think the Suns were at the point where it became something they had to consider.

I think it might buy Ayton another year here, depending on who they hire and their opinion of him. I'm a little wary of them trading him and then they have another situation like Bridges where they use him differently and find he was capable of a lot more than they got from him here,

But there's plenty of other things to point to - injuries to Durant late in the season and Paul during the playoffs, Ayton's low-energy play, Booker's poor performances in elimination games, the lack of a dependable bench, etc.

They'd better roll up their sleves and get to work - it's going to take some shrewd moves to manuver around a looming tax apron, and adding to this team may get expensive over the next couple of yers. Get your checkbook out Mat!

[virtual9mm]

He didn't deserve all the blame of course, but coaches are basically hired to be fired for the most part. I think the Suns were at the point where it became something they had to consider.

I think it might buy Ayton another year here, depending on who they hire and their opinion of him. I'm a little wary of them trading him and then they have another situation like Bridges where they use him differently and find he was capable of a lot more than they got from him here,

But there's plenty of other things to point to - injuries to Durant late in the season and Paul during the playoffs, Ayton's low-energy play, Booker's poor performances in elimination games, the lack of a dependable bench, etc.

They'd better roll up their sleves and get to work - it's going to take some shrewd moves to manuver around a looming tax apron, and adding to this team may get expensive over the next couple of yers. Get your checkbook out Mat!

You wonder what they can do with CP3. He can still help turn a bottom feeding team around in a trade.

[Mori Chu]

Needed to be done. Now wait for whatever team signs Monty and trade CP3 and Shamet there.

[The Bobster]

I'm not a Shamet fan, but his stats here are practically identical to what he was before coming here. I don't know what James Jones thought he was getting, but he shouldn't have been surprised. And signing him to a new contract extension before even seeing him on the floor was a mistake. But pretty much everybody here has said that. Hopefully he learned something from it.

[SunsRIt]

And every team Shamet has been on lost in the second round of the playoffs.

[The Bobster]

And every team Shamet has been on lost in the second round of the playoffs.

I don;t think that has much to do with Shamet himself, he's not a postseason rotation player and shouldn't be used as one. Of course the Suns only had a couple of serviceable bench players.

[JeremyG]

I think this makes it even more likely that Chris Paul has played his last game as a Sun.

It was pretty obvious from both Chris and Monty’s answers in their exit interviews that they were certainly not given any assurances that they would be back…so I could kind of see the writing on the wall especially with Monty.

I’m not surprised by the move, but I am surprised at just how quickly public sentiment turned against Monty.

[Sunsfan4life]

Ty Lue would be a great fit. I also really like Nurse.

[virtual9mm]

https://theathletic.com/4457441/2023/04 ... ch-return/

Great article on Lue last season

[virtual9mm]

I think this makes it even more likely that Chris Paul has played his last game as a Sun.

It was pretty obvious from both Chris and Monty’s answers in their exit interviews that they were certainly not given any assurances that they would be back…so I could kind of see the writing on the wall especially with Monty.

I’m not surprised by the move, but I am surprised at just how quickly public sentiment turned against Monty.

Isn't this the way things always are?

[JeremyG]

From the Woj article:

Ishbia has fully taken over the franchise's basketball operations, including the negotiation of the February trade for Kevin Durant and now the dismissal of Williams. Suns GM James Jones called Williams on Saturday night and delivered the news to him, sources said.

Ishbia had never warmed to Williams as his coach, and decided quickly after Thursday night's loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals that he would fire him, sources said.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/376 ... -4-seasons

[specialsauce]

Lue is supposedly under contract for 3 more years….why would LA let him go to us?

Makes no sense