Babby needs to upgrade FO, make tough decision about coach

[rsavaj]

I am beyond unimpressed with Vinny as coach. I honestly think he's holding that franchise back.

[DirtyDez]

One more year for Hunter that's it.

[lilfishi22]

There is a section on your front office here on the GM analysis thread: viewtopic.php?f=64&t=1243235&start=45#p35406728
My opinion is you should clean house and fire Blanks to start with.

Good analysis. I'd say the Dragic deal was above average but like you said, we didn't get him "on-the-cheap" either.

I definitely agree that Blanks has to go, I feel like we've stayed stagnant for the last 3 years and the only moves we've made are ones to rotate mediocre talent around hoping to sell a new face to the fans. I really can't think of any moves other than the Gortat trade I would consider a positive for this organisation. Lopez was pretty much done with us and getting back a reclamation project in Wesley was passable at best but hardly anything to write home about.

We need some real leadership and real talent in the front office. Someone who commands some level of respect around the league. I don't know who that guy might be or if there is even one available but Blanks is certainly not getting it done and needs to go.

[mybloodisorange]

I have to admit I do really love the Tucker signing; I hope we keep him around as a 6th man type or just to have someone to come in and play crazed defense when an opposing player heats up. Plus his hustle and attitude are amazing.

But ya Blanks needs to go without a doubt. As far as the coach honestly I dont think it will matter for at least 1 or 2 seasons before we are ready to seriously compete and contend. Keep him until a better option arises but nothing else.

And that's a pretty low bar.

[GrantHill]

If I'm Babby, I'll see if Tom Penn has any kind of interest in a GM job.

[bigfoot]

Hunter’s future

Scola and Dragic were asked whether they would recommend interim head coach Lindsey Hunter returning next season. Both players punted the topic.

“That’s a tough question,” Dragic said. “ ... I’m here to play basketball. It’s not my decision to make.”

Dragic did say he liked Hunter’s approach to practice.

“Alvin (Gentry) was a great coach for the veteran players; he knows when to give them a day off, but for our team we have a young team and we really need to practice hard every day,” Dragic said. “When he (Hunter) took over the team I think we maybe had one or two days off. I think it should be like that.”

Scola said he thought Hunter did “a great job. Circumstances were bad and he did as good as he could. But I don’t make those decisions. I’m just a player.”

Would a third coach in less than a year be unsettling for the team?

“I think it would be a sign of things being bad,” Scola said. “But things are bad.”

Suns owner Robert Sarver declined comment when asked about Hunter’s future, and Hunter said no time has been set for a postseason meeting with either General Manager Lance Blanks or President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/ar ... inale.html

Above from Coro ... seems like Dragic and Scola like some things about Hunter. Still not clear though if he will be back. Honestly he has the same number of wins (13) that Gentry got in the first 41 games of the season. He did it 1) without Gortat, 2) playing young guys (Wes Jo, Kief, Marshall) instead of vets and 3) without the benefit of a full training camp.

[rsavaj]

Hunter's tenure has been one of extremes. Good wins over playoff teams, and new records for franchise futility.

Hard to evaluate that.

[Christine-In-AZ]

Hunter's tenure has been one of extremes. Good wins over playoff teams, and new records for franchise futility.

Hard to evaluate that.

Have to admit that I didn't watch the games very closely this year, but I saw two different Suns teams after the AS break. One that showed plenty of potential/future promise, and one that had scattered focus/energy. I can't believe it was an accident that the Suns looked sad when playing poor teams, and pretty darn good against playoff teams. I think they tanked about 10 or 12 games. Due to that suspicion, I can't judge Hunter's coaching prowess.

I haven't heard even a hint of him wanting to, but I want Jeff Van Gundy to leave the booth and coach the Suns.