Jeff Hornacek Fired

[ShelC]

I think McDonough is more suited for talent evaluation instead of engineering a roster

See I think he's more admin, good at working with other team/league officials and knowing the CBA rules, etc than evaluating talent or putting a roster together. He might need a decision maker above him to tell him what to go do. It's not uncommon around the league. There are just office admin guys who fall into the right spot and work their way up without actually being good at evaluating talent or putting a team together. They just know the ropes, so to speak.

[JCSunsfan]

The inevitable finally became a reality.

If I'm Robert Sarver, I put Ryan McDonough on notice. The past two offseasons, he has not done a good job of bringing in the right talent. Too, too many guards and small forwards when the team needed legit size inside.

Because that kind of instability gets us closer to contention? We have more bigs on this team than we have ever had before. We have two legit 7 foot plus centers. We just don't have guards who will pass the ball to them.

[ShelC]

http://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/01/jeff-h ... n-chandler

Pretty damning article.

[Ring_Wanted]

The biggest flaw I've seen these last two seasons is neglecting or not knowing how to deal with basketball intangibles. Things like logjams, compounded flaws, diminishing returns, chemistry, lack of leadership and such seem to be of little consideration when compared to accumulating talent/value.

Timing has also been a problem such as standing pat at the '14 deadline but going nuts for Knight in '15 (when the second time around the playoffs were much more of a longshot), not moving Kieff before this season started, or waiting too much on the stars to make up their mind when there was no real shot (don't mean Aldridge, but LeBron, Melo, etc).

So far I've seen a GM who can draft, who is adept at turning problems into future assets ('13 summer, Dragic) but who can't assemble via trade or FA the right mix of players to deliver on the court.

We'll see what comes with the deadline.

[LazarusLong]

http://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/01/jeff-h ... n-chandler

Pretty damning article.

Pretty accurate on all fronts.
The franchise is rapidly becoming a shit sandwich with no bread ...

[wpmiller42]

I wasn't the biggest fan of his coaching, but the timing of this is really lame. The fact that he's gone and Morris isn't just looks really bad. He's not under contract next season, they should have just let this awful season play itself out.

[specialsauce]

If they were going to decide to do it between now and the end of the year, this is probably the best timing actually with the all-star break coming up, giving them time for practices with their new coach. Hallelujah! Finally, he's gone. Agreed, Markieff should never have outlasted him. This organization is a joke.

[carey]

http://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/01/jeff-h ... n-chandler

Pretty damning article.

Pretty accurate on all fronts.
The franchise is rapidly becoming a shit sandwich with no bread ...

While mostly accurate there are a few things misrepresented & embellished. I'm too tired to do it point by point but I'd be frustrated with that article were I Snus management. Not that they have been great, they haven't.

The biggest issue to me, as many have pointed out already, is that there was no plan in place. They are interviewing assistants? That means either Sarver told McDonough to fire Hornacek & he was caught off guard OR it was a knee jerk reaction instead of part of a plan. Either way you should probably fire your GM too because he isn't in control. Then hire someone that will be

[EDC]

McD hasn't been perfect but I think a new GM is going to have his ups and down the first few years and you have to let them learn from it. I think one of the worst things we can do is ditch McD now. It will be just like Kerr. Just as he was starting to get it together and learn from his mistakes he was gone. The shit show that followed after Kerr set us back a decade.

McD put enough talent together to make the playoffs as the 8th seed. While still having young guys who could get playing time. A better coach should have been able to get more out of the guys than the crap we saw all season. You can't go 2-21 as a coach and keep your job unless your name is Byron.

This team fell apart before any injuries happened.

Maybe Sarver will actually let us rebuild with the young guys. Hopefully he actually pays to hire a top coach.

[Mori Chu]

I just hope they don't give either of our mediocre assistants a long-term deal right now. Pay them peanuts to finish out the season, then go get a real coach with experience and toughness.

[Ring_Wanted]

Not having a replacement ready to take over is so lame.

[Superbone]

Worst Suns team to watch since the debacle in 1986-87.

Maybe it's recency bias but I'd put the last Beasley team above them.

[Superbone]

Jeff probably told Ryan to shove it during the plane flight.

In the pre-game shot of Hornacek before the Mavs game, he looked pretty miserable and humorless.

[Superbone]

Is this the end of the two point guard experiment? Was that all Jeff?

[Superbone]

Will Steve Nash be a candidate next year?

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/could-stev ... 46872.html

[ShelC]

I think the two guard experiment was McD and that should go by the wayside since we have a legit, prototype SG.

“They don’t run much of anything,” a scout told The Vertical recently. “It’s five guys, spread them out and try to beat you with basic stuff. It’s like watching an AAU game.”

Now is that because our guys can't run the offense? Won't run the offense? Or Hornacek just doesn't have an offense?

I think a Nash hire would be a marketing/sales ploy. If he had Goran as his point, it could work. But I don't think he can coach up the likes of Bledsoe or Knight. They're the opposite of the way he played. Might as well bring back D'Antoni.

[Ring_Wanted]

Might as well bring back D'Antoni.

Sounds good to me, although I know it's not the popular opinion. Agreed on Bled-Knight. Neither can lead an offense let alone one so dependant as Mike D's on making the right decision for everbody but who knows, maybe they could learn one thing or two under D'Antoni. I can buy into Knight as a Barbosa spark off the bench.

[Indy]

I can buy into Knight as a Barbosa spark off the bench.

That's his ceiling if you ask me.

[Ring_Wanted]

He can put up 20ppg but then again so can many others who come off the bench. The good thing is that now we don't even need him at SG, we have Booker. Maybe next HC goes with a Bledsoe-Booker backcourt and Knight as 6th man.

[EDC]

Jeff probably told Ryan to shove it during the plane flight.

In the pre-game shot of Hornacek before the Mavs game, he looked pretty miserable and humorless.

On the feed I had they showed a shot of him and Tucker laughing and smiling.