How much longer would you give Porter?

[KJ7]

I think it's fair to say that none of us have been too impressed with Porter up until this point but I was just wondering whether ppl were under the "get out now" mentality or "lets wait and see a little longer" mentality.

Either way please state why and if you're in the latter say how much longer you would give him.

My Opinions

Personally I'm well in the first camp. The pendulum started to swing ever-so-slightly to the "wait and see" direction after the Blazers game but now it has swung back well and truly to "get out now".

We just haven't improved defensively especially in the one area where we have always struggled: Pick'n'Roll defense. If we are going to upset our offense by taking on a different style surely the compromise for that would be to get significantly better defensively. Just hasn't happened and what's worse it doesn't look like happening.

As a coach what worries me the most is Porter says things like "we are committing to many turnovers" rather than saying something like "our poor spacing is why we are committing so many turnovers. What we need to do is ... ".

It just seems like he states the obvious rather than coming up with solutions which really worries me.

[The Diesel]

I'm losing patience with him.

I was hoping he would prove me wrong in thinking it was a bad hire, but his offense is horrible and the defense has barely improved.

I stated all along I wanted D'Antoni to stay, and I feel more strongly about that after each game.

The fact that Flip Saunders and Tom Thibodeau NEVER EVEN GOT INTERVIEWED is a joke, in my opinion.

They deserved at-least an interview.

I blame Kerr and Porter for this mess.

The 11-6 record is misleading. This team is not as good as the record suggests.

[MaryvalesFinest]

The guy clearly doesn't know how to coach, running the offense through a 36 year old Shaq? Not giving Lopez any playing time and Singletary only 10 mins when he was doing great?

Porter should never have been hired in the first place, Kerr only chose him because they were buddies just like why Sarver chose Kerr as the GM. The Suns should have just gave Marc Jackson or Vinny Del Negro the coaching job but as for Porter he's probally going to be here until his contract is up since Sarver wouldn't want to fire him.

[The Diesel]

Any coach should be smart enough to know that you don't run your offense through a 36 year old Shaq when you have a 26 year old Amare who averaged 29 PPG last year after Shaq came to Phoenix.

Porter is trying to fix something that wasn't broken.

I wish D'Antoni was still coaching or Kerr had chosen someone else to replace him.

I can't believe that management forced D'Antoni out after the incredible job he did in Phoenix and replaced him with a guy like Porter.

Flip Saunders would have been a better choice.

[garrick]

Well I stated at the time of the hiring that Porter was known for not being good with his X's & O's and unfortunately that still seems to be the case.
He has totally gone away from the pick and roll and his rotations are terrible, the only good thing about him is that he plays the rookies more than Mike but that is about the only improvement.

If we continue to see more games like this I want him replaced with Paul Silas or Alvin Gentry.

[scootfu602]

The guy clearly doesn't know how to coach, running the offense through a 36 year old Shaq? Not giving Lopez any playing time and Singletary only 10 mins when he was doing great?

Porter should never have been hired in the first place, Kerr only chose him because they were buddies just like why Sarver chose Kerr as the GM. The Suns should have just gave Marc Jackson or Vinny Del Negro the coaching job but as for Porter he's probally going to be here until his contract is up since Sarver wouldn't want to fire him.

Well said. I was praying that they's hire M. Jackson. Too bad they didn't. My question is, will Gentry take over if/when Porter get's the boot?

[TASTIC]

I'm definitely in the Give him 10 games and we'll see camp.

Silas was the best option out there. Heck even Eddie Jordan or Carlesimo might be right for this team.
Nothing wrong with dumping it down to Shaq, but it's almost like he's purposefully ignoring Amare just to make a point that we're a half court team and we live and die by a 36 year old beast

[The Diesel]

What this team needed was a PROVEN coach like Flip Saunders because this current team (With Shaq, Nash, and Hill in their mid 30's) only has another year or two to win the title.

If we had a better coach, I would consider the team a contender. But not with Porter as the coach.

He's horrible.

[nashill]

9 more games and il join the porter bashing...

but i think he'll figure it out..

[nashill]

I'm definitely in the Give him 10 games and we'll see camp.

Silas was the best option out there. Heck even Eddie Jordan or Carlesimo might be right for this team.
Nothing wrong with dumping it down to Shaq, but it's almost like he's purposefully ignoring Amare just to make a point that we're a half court team and we live and die by a 36 year old beast

may be he is using amare in a wrong way but idont think he is ignoring him... suns went to pick n roll many times.. they went to him in the post many times..

[eastsidecrossover]

Kerr is not going to fire Porter. He is too stubborn and wants to put his stamp on this team. I think he will trade one of these guys before he lets porter go.

I was happy when they hired porter. I know we could have got a better coach, but thought he would have had this team playing better.

Flip would have been the better coach then porter.

Also, they had a thing about MD on tnt the other week and it was good. I still contend he is a great guy. When I meet him at the steve nash roast, you could just shoot the breeze with the guy and just smile. Really nice. great offensive coach, but stubborn.

Im going to give him time. I just have a bad feeling about that this is not going to end pretty. Kerr is going to want to change up this team and establish the team he wants.

I think the guy is a moron, but you never know, maybe he might pull off a Mitch cupcake (lakers GM) on pull off some great moves. naaaahhh, sarver owns the team. never mind.

[jazzy_jeff]

9 more games and il join the porter bashing...

but i think he'll figure it out..

If having one of the five best records in the NBA less than a quarter into the season is how he does before he's figured out, then things aren't so bad, are they?

[mkot]

I know some people are holding hopes, I was too last week, but I've seen enough.

Can him now.

Read an article last week, Porter told Bucher that he tells the guys we need to feed Shaq and if that isn't working, they need to attack the basket and make a play themselves.

That's right folks, that's all we have been seeing all season long. If the first option has taken away, there's no second and third fourth option. WTF? Is this suppose to be a joke? So we either have Shaq kick it out or play 1 on 5 basketball. That's not an offense, that's just street ball. Just throw it to the big guy, no screening, no cutting, just standing and watching.

And it's not even about the half-court offense. Now we lost Shawn and have Shaq, we HAVE to slow it down. But if we want to play slow, we need to get stops. But unfortunately, we are just very bad at this end. Guys aren't communicating and rotating. Now we aren't even switching and our pick and roll defense is still very terrible. At times I think our defense had regressed from the MikeD's era.

We're just bad all around. Throwing the ball to Shaq all the time is just part of the problem. Mainly, it's our supposed to be improved defense that sinking this ship. We have guys that are offensive minded, where they tend to let their offensive play dictate their defensive play. When we don't score and the energy level is down, we aren't defending and teams score at will. Porter said he is here to improve that, he failed miserably.

Also, again, his rotation sucks. Seriously, this is driving me nuts. For starters, Shaq, Nash and Raja shouldn't be playing 12 minute stretches, someone please tell him he's going to break them down by game 50. Also, he's limiting Boris, Hill and LB to no more than 24-28 minutes per game with that strategy. If they're playing good, those guys should be playing 30-35 minutes. Especially Boris, dude is quietly playing his best ball since 05-06 but Porter isn't giving him enough roles and minutes.

Maybe it's still too early, but I'm losing patient and I don't see anything improved so far to give me hopes that he'll get it. At the very least, a coaching change is fair to be concerned.

[Togo]

If Magic can get his coached fired, I don't see why Nash, Bell, and Amare can't get theirs fired. This guy traded in his Corvette offense for a 1988 Bronco II offense. It is beyond my comprehension. The defense is no better. I wouldn't be surprised if by trade deadline we have some players asking for trades. I put no credence in Kerr's ability to scout players (Dragic), or to make intelligent, sound moves. Maybe Shaq, and Hill can take the team off of Sarver's hands now?

[The Diesel]

Kerr and Porter were very good friends when they were team-mates in San Antonio, there is NO WAY Kerr will fire him this season.

I just wish we chose someone else.

And I'm still angry that Flip Saunders and Tom Thibodeau weren't even interviewed for the job.

But Kerr should be worried that 3 starters are already complaining about the offense. (Nash, Bell, Amare)

I thought Porter's Head-Coaching experience was going to command respect, Kerr!

Kerr has ruined this team.

- Letting D'Antoni leave

- Hiring Porter

- Trading Marion for a 36 year old Shaq

[BurningHeart]

Mkot's post is spot on.

I also don't think Flip Saunders is the answer. The guy doesn't motivate his guys either. They went to how many ECFs and did jack? And they don't have any reasons to fail, like we did.

Fire Porter AND Kerr NOW. There's no time to waste. We cannot sit by and wait for something to happen. By then, the team will have completely turned on the coach and become disinterested. The chemistry will be ruined, and Amare will undoubtedly want to leave the team.

Fire Porter, put in Alvin Gentry if necessary. At least he was here during D'Antoni's run, and I'm sure he'll do a much better job with the defense than Porter.

[Frank Lee]

Kerr'veball should take a page from Bob Hope and adopt his theme song ' Thanks for the Memories' for in another month or two that is all we will have.

His influence on RSarver has taken a team on the brink to a team in the drink. After BC's departure, and that remarkably entertaining and semi successful 1st Nash Season, both these front orfice dolts thought it was so F'n easy. Sure, all we gotta do is add a free agent or two, to WIN NOW, and we can go to the bank...ching ching was in the ears of RSarver. He saved MONEY by allowing D'Ant to screw up an off season as GM..... Then these assclowns proceeded to mortgage our future, surround themselves with YES MEN and pompously profess every move they made was the right one reeking with purpose and logic.

The best thing we can hope for is for RSaver to hit hard financial times and be forced to sell this team. ( I knew that GD ChickenDance would one day haunt us. What a tell-tale sign that was.)

Maybe Kerr'veball would step down...but that is highly unlikely...and then, who the F would want to work for either of these Blow-it-alls...

Maybe Kerr'veball yanks the string on his puppet Porter...and hires who ??? (Gawd, I'd be happy with even John McLeod ) No self respecting coach will want to jump into this firepit with the ever present Meddler looking over his shoulder. The Meddler who forges an off season policy based upon financial constraints disguised as his 'Vision' , rather than the coach, GM, and F'n owner being on the same page. If that F'n former Mildcat had a pair, he'd coach this team, after all, he is the 'architect' of this cardhouse.

This is a huge mess, much larger than just Terry Porter.

I am convinced we will languish away as long as Sarver and Kerr are involved, as it appears our options for improvement are dwindling down to a complete rebuild. And ask yourselves, are these the two guys you want doing that ??? Do you really think ANYONE wants to play for these idiots? Who gives a crap how nice it is in Febuary...because, after the weather , there is very little to entice any Free Agent to come here.

They dont know what the F they are doing.




I am Frank Lee and I approve this message.

[lilfishi22]

What did Kerr expect would happen when an inexperienced, unproven coach to just waltz into a championship-caliber team and started telling the players to do this and that. Even before the training camp started, this was an issue i brought up, I didn't know if the system would work or not but how could a coach with two years of head-coaching experience expect to command to respect of guys who's been in the game for 10-15 years?

Now that he's killed the only thing that has kept us in the game for so many years, I don't see why our vets would keep listening to Porter. Even Amare is having second thoughts about Porter when he was Porter's biggest advocate during the training camp. The problem is that, there is almost no chance we could get rid of Porter soon enough before the damage (time wise) is done. Even if we're struggling real bad, Kerr would give Porter more chances, until we've gotten to the point where we are looking like we won't even get into the playoffs, and then I think the damage would've been done then, because by that point it's unlikely we'll find a coach who could bring together a team in disarray and without an identity and make something work and get to the playoffs. Basically, if Porter/the team doesn't figure it out by about 10-20 games, he's gotta go and that's being lenient. If it was up to me, he'd be gone already.

I'm all for Kerr having faith in Porter's coaching and his philosophies, but I really really hope he sees this as business and not friendship. Kerr hired the guy with the right vision, but wrong system. But was pisses me off was the fact that there were other proven but not necessarily better coaches, that didn't even get an interview. Porter would be a decent coach with a young team, but right now, he's not even ready to lead a championship-caliber team into the playoffs.

[scootfu602]

I know some people are holding hopes, I was too last week, but I've seen enough.

Can him now.

.

I agree with mkot....can him NOW...Give Gentry a run at it I guess. I don't know if they'd briing in someone fresh in a season

[JohnVancouver]

9 more games and il join the porter bashing...

but i think he'll figure it out..

If having one of the five best records in the NBA less than a quarter into the season is how he does before he's figured out, then things aren't so bad, are they?

--As J Barry pointed out, the Suns record is deceiving. They haven't beaten anyone of note, won squeakers against vastly inferior teams and even winning, they've looked like crap - no consistency, no identity, no cohesion, no commitment to a discernible plan

yeah, I know - Jon Barry. But even a blind pig finds an acorn now and then. The other way to look at it is if even Jon Barry can figure it out ....