Ryan out as GM

[pickle]

I realize that many wanted to get rid of McDonough, but any way you cut it, the timing was terrible. But I guess everyone already knows that our front office / ownership situation is a total clusterfuck, so it's not like we were in line for some hot new GM or coach. What I hate is that, whomever is coming in will probably try to undo all that's good in order to put his personal stamp on the situation, then spend three years realizing he will never implement his vision (if he has one) because of Sarver, and then we start over. Fuck this. I'm pretty close to giving up on the team until Sarver is gone.

[Split T]

The timing isn't terrible, just weird. Why let a GM build a team that you won't let him see through. Wonder if sarver gave some sort of request/order that McD refused to do.

New GM, outside of acquiring a PG, shouldn't have a ton to do. Has time to figure out a plan of action before trade deadline/Draft/FA

[Gladiator]

Sigh, our reputation as an organisation is right in the gutter and this is just another hit to our rep. My take: there's no way we're going to get a great GM at the moment. Sarver's going to put his finger prints all the way over a deal for a PG, where we will overpay with future assets. It's very unlikely the new GM will have the experience and credibility to keep Sarver out of basketball decisions going forward (which i believe in part is what hamstrung McD over time, albeit I'm happy to lay quite a bit of blame at his feet as well) so you can be we're cashing in our future assets and going for name players instead of staying patient.
It's hard to see a path to the championship while Sarver's in charge, although if Booker and Ayton eke out every bit of their potential we might be able to challenge for one despite him.
Hope I'm wrong but this org with Sarver in charge seems to make a habit of doing something dumb just when you're feeling hopeful about the future.

[Shabazz]

Here are the other people let go:
https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto/status/1049396294387728385

[ShelC]

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.

[Flagrant Fowl]

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 asshole. 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.

[Gladiator]

That was the FO's undoing. They'd just collect names and individual talents with no regard for chemistry or roster balance.

Absolutely agree, the roster was rarely ever greater than the sum of its parts. The exception was Hornacek's first year in charge, but then they made a bunch of moves that ruined that chemistry (from memory).

[Flagrant Fowl]

I fully expect the Suns to trade for a PG in the coming weeks. They'll probably get bent over a barrel for someone average like Terry Rozier or Spencer Dinwiddie.

[The Bobster]

Well, I don't think McDonough being fired is a great loss, although the timing is certainly strange.

That said, we all know that Sarver is the real problem, and this franchise will never be stable with him involving himself in the decision-making process. A good owner, buys the team, hires the GM, lets them run it, writes the checks and collects the profit.

[iLLmatic]

Sports talk radio should be interesting on the ride home. I'll be interested to hear what Gambo has to say.

[The Bobster]

Robert Sarver - Arizona's most punchable face.

[carey]

Sports talk radio should be interesting on the ride home. I'll be interested to hear what Gambo has to say.

Sarver is on right now.

[carey]

Sarver's whole thing is he thought we should be farther along today than we are & he just keeps repeating that. Not saying much.

[n4th4n]

Sarver's whole thing is he thought we should be farther along today than we are & he just keeps repeating that. Not saying much.

That is deeply, deeply worrying. Does it make it better or worse when we can see the desperation moves coming from 1,000 miles away?

[specialsauce]

I agree with him. We should be farther along. That doesn’t necessarily mean signing people to be stuck in mediocrity, but you can’t go a second full season without a PG or PF that would even be signed by another team if waived today.

[TOO]

Well, I don't think McDonough being fired is a great loss, although the timing is certainly strange.

That said, we all know that Sarver is the real problem, and this franchise will never be stable with him involving himself in the decision-making process. A good owner, buys the team, hires the GM, lets them run it, writes the checks and collects the profit.

Pretty much this.

[The Bobster]

Sarver's whole thing is he thought we should be farther along today than we are & he just keeps repeating that. Not saying much.

They finally stopped clinging to playoff hopes and bottomed out last year.

The whole process would have moved faster if Sarver hadn't been chasing that last playoff spot and the playoff $$$ every year. The common factor in all of this is Sarver,

[Shabazz]

I'm bracing for Lance Blanks 2.0.

[iLLmatic]

Sports talk radio should be interesting on the ride home. I'll be interested to hear what Gambo has to say.

Sarver is on right now.

I'm listening

[carey]

He is taking a lot of the blame and not shirking as much of it as I thought he would.