Monty Williams

[Split T]

I’ll say that does make Jae look a little better, but that’s clearly coming from Jae. That’s not Monty’s side of the story. And I agree it’s perfectly fine for Monty to make start/bench decisions without talking to James Jones.

[AmareIsGod]

I’ll say that does make Jae look a little better, but that’s clearly coming from Jae. That’s not Monty’s side of the story.

Exactly. Gambo wasn't on the phone. Gambo doesn't know WTF happened. It's not like he ran that by Monty to find out. Sounds like Gambo has an open line to Jae and his people and not to Monty or James Jones. So he can't confirm a thing.

[Split T]

He even said, “now I don’t know if Monty would agree with this” at one point.

[Superbone]

It just shows how one’s filter affects their interpretations. I’m not going to base my beliefs based on what the guy who feels he was wronged has to say alone.

[JeremyG]

Summary, per Gambo:

Monty didn't want Jae. Thought he was too difficult to manage. Thought the same about McGee. He called Jae in the summer and James Jones wasn't aware (apparently he's supposed to run all of his conversations with players by the GM?). He told Jae he wasn't going to start. Cam was going to start over him. Monty didn't want Jae on the team. Wanted them to move Jae. Jae told them "give me an extension if you're going to put me in this role or trade me". Then they determined that he was just going to stay home. Now he's on the Bucks, in a good situation. Suns didn't like anything the Bucks had to offer so they never pulled the trigger.

So, Monty didn't' want to coach him, told him he wasn't going to start without letting James Jones know. That's somehow a fireable offense now? Because the GM needs to know these things and the GM should decide who should start, apparently?

Gambo said the phone call was because Monty did not want him on the team. Monty literally pushed Crowder off the team, intentionally, without Jones wanting him to! We could have him right now as a starting forward next to Durant, if Monty hadn't done that!

It's one thing if a coach goes to his GM and says, "I need this guy off the team." But to go behind the GM's back to force the player off the team???!

[JeremyG]

He even said, “now I don’t know if Monty would agree with this” at one point.

He said "admit." But that it's absolutely true. He did not get this from Crowder. He got it from the Suns' front office.

[Superbone]

I’m going to wait until I have all the facts.

[AmareIsGod]

Summary, per Gambo:

Monty didn't want Jae. Thought he was too difficult to manage. Thought the same about McGee. He called Jae in the summer and James Jones wasn't aware (apparently he's supposed to run all of his conversations with players by the GM?). He told Jae he wasn't going to start. Cam was going to start over him. Monty didn't want Jae on the team. Wanted them to move Jae. Jae told them "give me an extension if you're going to put me in this role or trade me". Then they determined that he was just going to stay home. Now he's on the Bucks, in a good situation. Suns didn't like anything the Bucks had to offer so they never pulled the trigger.

So, Monty didn't' want to coach him, told him he wasn't going to start without letting James Jones know. That's somehow a fireable offense now? Because the GM needs to know these things and the GM should decide who should start, apparently?

Gambo said the phone call was because Monty did not want him on the team. Monty literally pushed Crowder off the team, intentionally, without Jones wanting him to! We could have him right now as a starting forward next to Durant, if Monty hadn't done that!

It's one thing if a coach goes to his GM and says, "I need this guy off the team." But to go behind the GM's back to force the player off the team???!

At the detriment of the team, potentially, because he was a problematic player? Is the coach not a good judge of character and chemistry? Look, guys aren't going to outright bitch about Jae when asked about him because it's a close-knit league. Just because guys on the current roster have love for Jae doesn't mean coach isn't wrong in the fact that he was difficult to coach and a potential problem on the roster and in the locker room. Who gives a rats ass about "we could have him right now!" if it's at the expense of being difficult to coach and difficult to maintain proper team chemistry.

[Mori Chu]

This info is poorly sourced. Not worth drawing too many conclusions from it. I don't think it would be appropriate for Monty Williams to call Crowder and say "I want you off this team," but frankly I'd be stunned if he said that. Much more likely he just said that he wanted Crowder to come off the bench, and Crowder interpreted that as a slap in the face, interpreted it as Monty not wanting him on the team. But we don't know for sure. I feel like if you jump on this info and just assume it's 100% true, you just have an axe to grind with Coach Monty.

[AmareIsGod]

This info is poorly sourced. Not worth drawing too many conclusions from it. I don't think it would be appropriate for Monty Williams to call Crowder and say "I want you off this team," but frankly I'd be stunned if he said that. Much more likely he just said that he wanted Crowder to come off the bench, and Crowder interpreted that as a slap in the face, interpreted it as Monty not wanting him on the team. But we don't know for sure. I feel like if you jump on this info and just assume it's 100% true, you just have an axe to grind with Coach Monty.

It's well known that Jeremy has a huge axe to gring about how he coaches his favorite player in the world, Ayton. If there are other narratives that can paint a negative light towards Monty, he's going to go all in on taking sides with Jae. Whatever it takes to lead down a perception of "we need Monty GONE" so that Ayton can be the #1 option put in position to make the Phoenix Ayton's shine, that's really all that matters. Maybe we can get Alvin Ayton in here to turn it around.

[Split T]

He even said, “now I don’t know if Monty would agree with this” at one point.

He said "admit." But that it's absolutely true. He did not get this from Crowder. He got it from the Suns' front office.

I mean neither of us really know but I think this came from Jae. You want Monty gone so you’ll paint it that way if you can. Yes if its exactly how you say it is, then Monty is in the wrong here, but you’re still making a lot of assumptions

[JeremyG]

This info is poorly sourced. Not worth drawing too many conclusions from it. I don't think it would be appropriate for Monty Williams to call Crowder and say "I want you off this team," but frankly I'd be stunned if he said that. Much more likely he just said that he wanted Crowder to come off the bench, and Crowder interpreted that as a slap in the face, interpreted it as Monty not wanting him on the team. But we don't know for sure. I feel like if you jump on this info and just assume it's 100% true, you just have an axe to grind with Coach Monty.

Again, I don't believe the info is coming from Crowder. Gambo said he talked to the Suns today. Crowder wouldn't know that Monty wanted McGee off the team. The fact that he wanted them off the team is not an assumption that Gambo is making.

[Split T]

I don’t doubt he wanted him off the team…I doubt he handled it the way it’s being painted

[AmareIsGod]

I don’t doubt he wanted him off the team…I doubt he handled it the way it’s being painted

Exactly. And he has every right to not want a player on the team. He's around the guys WAY more than the GM.

[Split T]

And it really doesn’t matter…Jae is gone, KD is here and Monty is clearly not leaving now. KD, Book, and CP3 all love Monty

[Mori Chu]

Sorry, JeremyG, this report just isn't very plausible without further corroboration. It doesn't match anything we know about the people involved. Monty Williams doesn't do/say stuff like that. If he did, and we get actual reliable sourcing on it, then we can revisit. But this is a real stretch.

[JeremyG]

I don’t doubt he wanted him off the team…I doubt he handled it the way it’s being painted

Exactly. And he has every right to not want a player on the team. He's around the guys WAY more than the GM.

That's why you go to the GM, not secretly try to piss off the player and push him off the team whether the GM wants him off the team or not.

[ShelC]

McGee could've been tight with Jae and told Jae about his convos with Monty and the FO. I think they're cut from the same cloth. Kind of loner journeymen vets, know who they are in the NBA and what they bring to teams - they're the mercenary types. Regardless, the Mavs made McGee an offer we weren't going to match, so it's moot.

I could see a convo like an exit interview situation where Monty and Jae spoke and Monty was too up front and honest with Jae about his role this season. Jae might've pushed back and things went south. It would be dumb for Monty to lay all that out during the offseason to Jae, especially out of the blue. Either tell Jones you want Crowder traded or go on as usual, let Jae compete for the starting spot in training camp and then start Cam and bring him off the bench and maybe revisit a midseason trade.

Either way, I don't really care. It's been a dead issue since training camp. It's not like this broke our season or we lost out on some great talent. We replaced Jae with a minimum deal Damion Lee.

[JeremyG]

Sorry, JeremyG, this report just isn't very plausible without further corroboration. It doesn't match anything we know about the people involved. Monty Williams doesn't do/say stuff like that. If he did, and we get actual reliable sourcing on it, then we can revisit. But this is a real stretch.

Nobody said he told Crowder directly, "I want you off the team." But Gambo is saying that getting him off the team was his intention in calling him over the summer to tell him he wouldn't start.

[JeremyG]

McGee could've been tight with Jae and told Jae about his convos with Monty and the FO. I think they're cut from the same cloth. Kind of loner journeymen vets, know who they are in the NBA and what they bring to teams - they're the mercenary types. Regardless, the Mavs made McGee an offer we weren't going to match, so it's moot.

I could see a convo like an exit interview situation where Monty and Jae spoke and Monty was too up front and honest with Jae about his role this season. Jae might've pushed back and things went south. It would be dumb for Monty to lay all that out during the offseason to Jae, especially out of the blue. Either tell Jones you want Crowder traded or go on as usual, let Jae compete for the starting spot in training camp and then start Cam and bring him off the bench and maybe revisit a midseason trade.

Either way, I don't really care. It's been a dead issue since training camp. It's not like this broke our season or we lost out on some great talent. We replaced Jae with a minimum deal Damion Lee.

I think we could really use Jae as a starting forward now.