Suns News: Week 24 (3/30 - 4/5)

[Mori Chu]

Tom Izzo says Suns offered him head coach job last year: ‘A hard thing to turn down’

By Doug Haller

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/716479 ... -ios-share

Ott has turned out to be a good coach, maybe a great coach. But this Izzo revelation is proof that Ishbia was just going for guys with Michigan ties, just as some of us feared. Stupid.

[O_Gardino]

The Suns are 12-15 going back through Feb. Gotta gain some momentum going into the post-season. With 6 games left, at least 3 of them will be tough games. The Hornets, Rockets, and Lakers will all have a lot to play for. The Bulls and Mavs have only personal pride, and OKC might be resting the final game of the season. Can the Suns win 4? I feel like they need to. Gotta re-integrate Williams and Brooks, figure out rotations, and get better at closing.

Speaking of rotations, generally playoff rotations shrink and that's going to be a problem for Ott. Hopefully, he keeps confidence in the specialists who are farther down the depth chart. I think the top 8 is obvious, but we need the jolt of energy, defensive ferocity, and size that the reserves bring.

Guards: Book, Green, CG
Forwards: Brooks, Allen, O'Neale
Bigs: Williams, Ighodaro
Reserves: Goodwin, Dunn, Fleming, Maluach, Bouyea

[specialsauce]

I'm just going to say we will be worse off if Allen and Oneale are playing 30 mpg at the expense of Goodwin and Fleming. We absolutely need those two comfortably in our rotation.

[AmareIsGod]

I'm just going to say we will be worse off if Allen and Oneale are playing 30 mpg at the expense of Goodwin and Fleming. We absolutely need those two comfortably in our rotation.

Agreed. O'Neale shouldn't be a starter and he should only be getting maybe 20 minutes per game.

[Superbone]

I'm just going to say we will be worse off if Allen and Oneale are playing 30 mpg at the expense of Goodwin and Fleming. We absolutely need those two comfortably in our rotation.

All will be good as long as Brooks is hoisting up shots from behind the backboard while falling out of bounds.

[Superbone]

I'm just going to say we will be worse off if Allen and Oneale are playing 30 mpg at the expense of Goodwin and Fleming. We absolutely need those two comfortably in our rotation.

Agreed. O'Neale shouldn't be a starter and he should only be getting maybe 20 minutes per game.

O'Neale has been squeezed out of the starting lineup since Brooks is back. Once Williams is in there it will be:

Gillespie
Book
Green
Brooks
Williams

Book it!

[Superbone]

Play the man! Man!

[TOO]

If he were 6'4" he'd play 36mpg

[Superbone]

If he were 6'4" he'd play 36mpg

It is ridiculous. We are allowing opposing teams easy entry to the basket and Maluach is sitting right there! Best in the league at altering shots at the rim, Coach Ott! Let's go man! Gotta play what wins, not just vets. I know you don't want to piss off your vets but they'll get over it!

[Split T]

Tom Izzo says Suns offered him head coach job last year: ‘A hard thing to turn down’

By Doug Haller

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/716479 ... -ios-share

Ott has turned out to be a good coach, maybe a great coach. But this Izzo revelation is proof that Ishbia was just going for guys with Michigan ties, just as some of us feared. Stupid.

I don’t think that’s true at all. Izzo was Ishbia’s coach. He also pretty clearly stated he wanted the suns to have an identity and that identity was the hard working, hustle identity that he experienced playing for Michigan State under Izzo…I’m glad we didn’t bring in Izzo, but it does make sense to go to the source of the identity you want to create. It wasn’t the Michigan connection, it was the identity connection.