RealGM

I don't know what it is, but the hiring of Terry Porter and the talks of maybe moving up in the draft have got me really excited.

I really have high hopes for this off-season. I'm really looking forward to the draft and Kerr has already stated that he hopes we can nab a few good free agents. This is beginning to feel like Mike D'antoni was the problem on and off the court for this team.

We finally have a coach that will play our rookies, and develope our bench.


Idk, I feel renewed. Anyone else have this feeling?

Well...I think your feeling is called delusion. But I really hope you are right when you say that D'Antoni was our problem and that we are better off with a practically inexperienced coach who isn't nearly as proven as Mike was.

I repeat, I TOTALLY hope you are right. But, as of now, we made a MAJOR step back. Time will tell.

i dont think dantoni was the problem at all, but the switch from dantoni to porter will mean huge changes and yes i do feel refreshed and excited about what could happen

im excited about seeing tucker and strawberry playing minutes next year (detroit used their rookies alot this year with great results)

im looking forward to someone taking players, especially amare and barbosa aside and focusing on their defense

im looking forward to just seeing a new philosiphy with this team, and we have the players to be very multi faceted

dantoni wasnt the problem tho, sure he didnt do some things that the next coach will do (defense, rookies etc) but he did other things well which porter wont do

time will tell, my biggest thing though will be watching some of our young guys develop next year, strawbs being number 1

I don't know if refreshed describes it... until this offseason is truly over, I have cautious expectations, if anything.

I cannot fathom how anyone who watched this team would think Dantoni wasn't a glaring problem for this franchise.

I'm leaving the "mourning" phase and slowly transitioning into the "nervous anxiety" phase...

i dont feel refreshed because this may be nash's last year.

I wouldn't say refreshed at all. It just seems that a lot is changing right now that we wont really be able to see the true affect until the start of the new season, and hopefully they are good things. So I'm more nervous/anxious/on edge than excited

That being said, I really do hope that this off season leads to us making the finals and winning the championship because if we cant do it next season, thats pretty much it for this core.

I'm with Frank, I'm happy with the hiring, but until the draft/some signings happen I can't say I'm excited.

WTFsunsFTW wrote:I cannot fathom how anyone who watched this team would think Dantoni wasn't a glaring problem for this franchise.

personally i cant fathom how people cant see all the good he did for this franchise

I see the pros and cons of both sides (MD and now Porter). MD was good for this team, but had his weaknesses. Porter I think will be a good change for this team, but may be kerrs and sarvers puppet.

I am finally relieved that we at least have a coach. I like the sound of some good off-season changes, but I am not going to get my hopes up just yet. The past speaks for itself, and I can't push that aside for excitement as of yet. I have to see, not just hear this FO talk.

rsavaj wrote:I'm leaving the "mourning" phase and slowly transitioning into the "nervous anxiety" phase...

You said it - nicely put.
At the end of the season i thought they might was well blow it up and put us all out of our misery, but I've come around somewhat. I still can't think of some of the past 3 years moves without getting wound up though ...

Now with a new coach in place I can say that I'm ready to get excited. I think coach D was fine as our coach but he screwed us when he pretended to be a GM. Thats the FO mistake. Like others have said he had his good points but they were made null by the bad ones. I really wish that he had the sense to listen to the world around him. How hard would it of been to play the bench? I still think that a good strategy by a GM and coach that can agree on the philosophy to follow with the present team stands a good chance of making some playoff noise. Rumors of signings? Like what? I'm anxious to hear more.

refreshed ? Were one of the oldest teams.were stuck with a 36 y/o 22 million player and were over the salary cap.Not only are we not as good as the spurs but 3 or 4 more teams may have surpassed them.I think ill feel refreshed in 2 years when shaq comes off the payroll.

If I'm to be honest I just want this forthcoming season to be over with. I don't see us winning it next season but the following season we'll have some massive contracts coming off the books so we might be able to do some trades to put us in a better position.

We are stuck in a transition phase. We're still a good team but IMO not good enuff to win the whole thing. So I see next season as being a blend of making some massive decisions. Do we persist with Diaw and LB. Do we start winding down Nash/Shaq espec if we have a poor start to the season?

This next season could well be like the one in which we traded Marbury. Old side with a big salary which *could* do something but if I'm being realistic won't.

Unless something drastic happens next season will be all about how we start. If we start well then the oldies will play a lot. If we start off crap Shaq's gonna find something to complain about and mgmt will have to make a call about whether we start looking to the future or limp into the play-offs and have another early exit.

So no ... I'm not refreshed by any stretch of the imagination.

Marc Stein made an interesting point...Why the Pistons wanted Curry and not Porter as their Head Coach? I guess they are familiar with both and yet decided for the more inexperienced. I hope Kerr is right and Detroit is wrong..

well, Mike had the same track record as Porter did before he came to phx. He only started winning when the franchise signed nash. As far as has the franchise turned over a new leaf? maybe? I am more optimistic with porter as far playing young players than I was with MD as HC.

now we got a coach that can coach real.
of course was ift funny when we scored 140 points a game, but you can

I'm curious as to why people think that a new coach will automatically play the young players that the old coach didn't.

I also want to know how any free agents will be signed without making a S&T move, since the Suns are over the cap. The MLE will only go so far.

^^^ Because Steve Kerr and Terry Porter have a good relationship and are on the same page. They both want to play the rookies, they've already made that clear