Earl Watson Fired

[In2ition]

I am worried that Triano is going to be a little bit of more of the same. His offensive system sucks because it doesn't put the players in the best positions. It was putting too much responsibility onto Booker's shoulders to the point where he doesn't seem to understand what is a good or bad shot anymore. He also wasn't been held accountable for bad decisions and being careless with the ball. This isn't going to make him a better player, by not coaching him up. It isn't entirely on him, because I thought that the offense was too predictable and forced Booker into too many one-on-ones, and if he wasn't on, it was going to be a long night. It also caused everyone else to give less than 100% when they had to stand around and watch players go one-on-one to score.

Triano also is a reportedly terrible defensive coach. Oh great, the one thing we do worse than anything isn't going to get any better.

I am only speculating, but it felt like Watson played guys that didn't deserve the time, and was stubborn as all get out on forcing his guys while giving up on guys that may have been better. His style of feeling like you could have only one rookie at a time grow, held back everyone else. So only "his" guys were going to be put in the best positions to succeed. That had to change.

INF was right, Bledsoe should have been traded almost as soon as he was acquired. He is a pg that isn't a good passer, and he is terrible off the ball as his catch and shoot 3 pt % is pathetic.

[SunsRIt]

Sarver bought the Suns for a little ove $400 million. I think I saw they are worth in the neighborhood of $1.1 billion now. Sarver please sell the team, take your $700 million in profit and go away. Sad that someone who ruined a franchise can make out so well.

[wpmiller42]

I am worried that Triano is going to be a little bit of more of the same. His offensive system sucks because it doesn't put the players in the best positions. It was putting too much responsibility onto Booker's shoulders to the point where he doesn't seem to understand what is a good or bad shot anymore. He also wasn't been held accountable for bad decisions and being careless with the ball. This isn't going to make him a better player, by not coaching him up. It isn't entirely on him, because I thought that the offense was too predictable and forced Booker into too many one-on-ones, and if he wasn't on, it was going to be a long night. It also caused everyone else to give less than 100% when they had to stand around and watch players go one-on-one to score.

Triano also is a reportedly terrible defensive coach. Oh great, the one thing we do worse than anything isn't going to get any better.

I am only speculating, but it felt like Watson played guys that didn't deserve the time, and was stubborn as all get out on forcing his guys while giving up on guys that may have been better. His style of feeling like you could have only one rookie at a time grow, held back everyone else. So only "his" guys were going to be put in the best positions to succeed. That had to change.

INF was right, Bledsoe should have been traded almost as soon as he was acquired. He is a pg that isn't a good passer, and he is terrible off the ball as his catch and shoot 3 pt % is pathetic.

I agree. I get the sense that the guys playing in the games weren't the guys that were earning the playing time. Maybe this means we see Len starting and playing more? Maybe a lot more minutes for Bender too? It's going to be really interesting to see how minutes change from here on out.

[JustWinBaby]

I just wonder who advised Sarver to keep both Triano and Corbin.

They, like Watson have/had losing in their blood.

It seems to me that the most successful coaches and players have come from winning programs. That was almost a prerequisite to being hired in this league. What happened to that concept.

Hornacek had that in his background and had a great first year. Then the owner fires his key assistants to undermine him. Those assistants were from winning programs and I believe quickly found another job. The little guy, Longabardi, I think is with the Cav's and has a big voice in what they do.

I guess we live on a different planet from our owner. At this point we can only hope that things will get better. I approve the firing of Watson but am not convinced anything is going to change with Triano.

Messina seems like the obvious choice. A resume similar or better than the one that D'Antoni brought with him from Europe along with working a few years with Popovich. I would make an offer that he could not refuse.

[Superbone]

SI: Here's a better plan, Robert Sarver: Sell the Suns

For the record, Sarver’s plan, as revealed to his tortured fan base in an interview with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, was this:

Tortured is a good word for it.

1) Hope that two of his young prospects develop into All-Stars over the next three seasons, and then 2) hope that his front office could sign two max-level free agents in 2020. “That’s really kind of the strategy,” Sarver said. “It’s hard [to avoid quicker fixes]. It’s hard, especially when free agency starts and you see a few opportunities … and your instinct is to want to try to get the best players you can get. It’s also hard during the season where at times you wish you had some of that [talent]. But I think our plan is pretty solid and high level.”

It’s rich that a three-year, take-it-slow developmental plan self-combusted after three games, but Sarver’s need for a scapegoat was real. The Suns did not put out a professional effort against the Blazers in their home opener, a fact that can only be partially excused away by GM Ryan McDonough’s G-League level roster. At media day, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka evoked the Broadway play “Hamilton” to paint his rebuilding team’s identity as “young, scrappy and hungry.” McDonough’s Suns under Watson? Young, napping and grumpy.

Man, the truth hurts!

[ShelC]

We need a new exec up top with a clear vision for the team. What's our identity? How do we want to play? Those questions still haven't been answered.

[Superbone]

Agreed. That SI article is right on. Sarver is delusional and doesn't know what he's doing.

[ShelC]

What drives me crazy is these execs/FOs with their "plan". The league is organic. You can have the best plan laid out to rebuild, but if a guy becomes available and you can get him and make it work, you do it. You have to be flexible and ready to react. Did Pat Riley wait 3 years to rebuild after LeBron left? Did OKC? Did Presti say "Well we lost Durant, time to dump"? No, he put together a roster that was built around Westbrook's strengths, then had the opportunity to add Paul George and did it. He didn't say, "I'd rather save my capspace for 2025". He didn't say "I don't want Paul George because he may leave in 2 years". He went and did it. Even if they lose in the 1st round, he did right by the organization, the players and the fans.

McD is the kind of exec who knows how to do just do the job. Doesn't mean he's any good at it, just that he knows how to do it. Knows the league, other execs, the protocols but isn't any good at doing the one thing he was hired to do: putting a winning team together.

[Cap]

MFS = Middle Finger Salute? Not sure.

https://www.thescore.com/news/1404970

[In2ition]

SI: Here's a better plan, Robert Sarver: Sell the Suns

For the record, Sarver’s plan, as revealed to his tortured fan base in an interview with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, was this:

Tortured is a good word for it.

1) Hope that two of his young prospects develop into All-Stars over the next three seasons, and then 2) hope that his front office could sign two max-level free agents in 2020. “That’s really kind of the strategy,” Sarver said. “It’s hard [to avoid quicker fixes]. It’s hard, especially when free agency starts and you see a few opportunities … and your instinct is to want to try to get the best players you can get. It’s also hard during the season where at times you wish you had some of that [talent]. But I think our plan is pretty solid and high level.”

It’s rich that a three-year, take-it-slow developmental plan self-combusted after three games, but Sarver’s need for a scapegoat was real. The Suns did not put out a professional effort against the Blazers in their home opener, a fact that can only be partially excused away by GM Ryan McDonough’s G-League level roster. At media day, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka evoked the Broadway play “Hamilton” to paint his rebuilding team’s identity as “young, scrappy and hungry.” McDonough’s Suns under Watson? Young, napping and grumpy.

Man, the truth hurts!

The SI article was spot on, but unfortunately I think that Suns fans have been sentenced to an even more prolonged torture. I just think that $arver is too stubborn to look internally at himself and do the honorable thing and sell the team. He thinks he has this league figured out and it's only a matter of a few years and he's back on top. Never in his mind does he think this whole mess was ever created by himself. We're all f'd.

[EDC]

How can anyone be up for hiring a first time head coach to replace Watson?

[ShelC]

Okur's still got those sweats on tho!

[Mori Chu]

CBS SportsLine gives their timeline of the decline of the current Suns.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/a-de ... some-mess/

[virtual9mm]

I just wonder who advised Sarver to keep both Triano and Corbin.

They, like Watson have/had losing in their blood.

I wonder if it is time for some perspective here:

- At the time of his hiring, McDonough was widely considered the top GM candidate on the market. He came as an assistant to Ainge in assembling those championship teams and had quite a sports pedigree.

- At the time of his hiring, Hornacek was widely lauded as an excellent HC candidate with strong ties to the franchise. Just because Hornacek failed over three years doesn't mean that he didn't have a spectacular first year and came runner-up in COTY voting.

Now, by the same standards, let's look at Triano:

- Hired by Bryan Colangelo with Iavaroni as his lead assistant

- According to the Raptors boards I have read, has a strong reputation for player development

- Also has a reputation for pretty and efficient offenses (let's see if he can actually make it work) coupled with horrible defense

- But he really does seem to care...he apparently smashes clipboards in anger on a regular basis

- Unlike Hunter or Watson, Triano actually has quite a bit of HC experience.

As an experienced "mid-season" hire for what is likely a tank-job year, I'm not unhappy with Triano. I would only require that he be made to hire a defensive assistant to teach that part of the game. It doesn't mean that he should be named head coach without the interim tag. But let's see what he can do before we auto-throw him under the bus.

[Superbone]

Thanks for that, virt. Makes me feel a little better about the situation for the time being.

[EDC]

“He went in there after one of the losses — I think it was the Clippers — and kind of made it an us versus management and ownership situation where he said, ‘Look, they only gave me two weeks to get this thing going,’ and he kind of … he was always philosophical and I think the players kind of lost him with that.

“He also told them, ‘It’s us against them, they only gave me two weeks.’ And then when word got back, they were like, ‘Wait a second, we never said you only have two weeks. What are you doing?’ So I think he was trying to create like an us-against-the-world mentality. Part of that was us against Suns ownership and management.”

http://arizonasports.com/story/1287760/ ... urnaround/

Told his players they had to save his job and they went out there and lost by 42. Yeah he definitely had lost the locker room.

Might also explain some of the hostility against the front office. What else was he telling the players throughout his time here?

[JCSunsfan]

Want to know what Dudley thinks about all this?!!
https://twitter.com/JaredDudley619/status/922541139302825984

[ShelC]

What a clown. Knew this would happen. Guys don't want to hear philosophy. They want to be coached up to win games.

[EDC]

Has the McD press conference happened? I really want to know what he said about Triano. Did they make it clear that they were looking for a new head coach?

[EDC]

McDonough said Jay Triano would serve as interim coach the rest of the season.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... 791737001/

Dammit. This is garbage. It was his damn offensive system. Get us a real coach now not in 8 months.