Would you want David Blatt as PHX Head Coach?

[RunSunRun]

Luke Walton? I'm pretty sure an assistance animal could win with that Warriors team.

Now I'm not saying he won't be a good or even great head coach someday, but giving him this Suns team combined with his limited coaching experience is just asking for failure.

[Orens]

Abseloutely yes.
Blatt has proved to be able to mentally prepare his players to the biggest stages, and overachieve each and every time. His teams are plain mentally tough. Even during the playoffs and with all the injuries, the Cavs made their best.

He got the Kerr's offer to be the Warriors assistant coach on the spot, was advised by him to go to the Cavs interview just for the experience, because no coach has ever made the transition straight from Europe to become a NBA head coach. He got a historic job offer on the spot, ahead of Lue who wa the leading candidate. Yes, he is that impressive. Kerr told him to go there, coach an up and coming team of Wiggins and Kyrie.

He couldn't have anticipated that LeBron would come over and make the whole Cavs franchise cave toward him. From basketball point of view, Blatt is the best coach they could have got, but he wanted Mark Jackson (Rich Paul's client) since coming back and compromised for Tyronn Lue. He also wanted Kevin Love, even though it cost them Wiggins, and wasn't coming back until Tristan Thompson's 82M$ deal. Blatt never stood a chance there.

Blatt had the toughest job on sports AS A NBA ROOKIE, but he'll be incredible for a foundation like most of us want the Suns to be - a maximum-effort, overachieving team putting emphasis on team-first players over me-first players such as Dragic, IT and the Morrii. Pretty much like, well, the Spurs and the Warriors.

[Cutter]

I'll pass.

[thamadkant]

Just saw a video showing Cavs rebelling against Blatt for benching Jefferson and Williams against Warriors. Showed Lebron playing flat against Blazers when they lost by close to 30 points. Then they played Suns... And same body language from Lebron and I point that out during the game thread how Lebron was walking casually... Playing at 2nd gear.

Well it looks like a few players from the Cavs wanted Blatt out for a while now it seems.

[Damkac]

Don't want.

BTW LeBron is a$$hole

[TeamTragic]

The real question being do you want a worse coach than Hornacek?

[bwgood77]

The real question being do you want a worse coach than Hornacek?

No, and that's my biggest fear when we move on from him.

[lilfishi22]

I'm actually thinking we should make a move for Walton. He has AZ ties, and he has had a good experience within a championship team. He is young, and seems fairly smart.

My preference would be Walton but he's probably one of the most prized young coaches out there right now. That can be considered both a good thing and a bad thing. Good thing is, he has championship experience both as an integral part of a title winning coaching staff and as a player as you've mentioned. He's also had run some great plays in tight situations which is always a good sign for a young coach.

Bad thing is, he's going to be highly sought after so he'll be offered the money and he'll get to choose. If he got to choose, I think he'll go to a better situation than an ugly one like ours (unless we hit the jackpot with a #1 or #2 pick). The other consideration is the fact that he's only been an assistant coach to Kerr who already had a very strong staff around him, the roster has been absolutely stacked with extremely versatile and capable players (including a potential 2xMVP) and they are running an offense that is a perfect fit for those players. Can he recreate that and instil some of those principles with a significantly less talented, less disciplined and less well fitted Suns team? I don't know but he could grow frustrated with the situation very quickly considering how spoilt he was with the Warriors. As talented as Walton may be, if he isn't ready to ride it through with us, then there's no point of signing him because this will be a long journey back to the top for us, like it or not.

I know beggars can't be choosers but I would place a very heavy emphasis on a head coach who will have the patience, emphasize younger player development and discipline.

[Orens]

I'm actually thinking we should make a move for Walton. He has AZ ties, and he has had a good experience within a championship team. He is young, and seems fairly smart.

My preference would be Walton but he's probably one of the most prized young coaches out there right now. That can be considered both a good thing and a bad thing. Good thing is, he has championship experience both as an integral part of a title winning coaching staff and as a player as you've mentioned. He's also had run some great plays in tight situations which is always a good sign for a young coach.

Bad thing is, he's going to be highly sought after so he'll be offered the money and he'll get to choose. If he got to choose, I think he'll go to a better situation than an ugly one like ours (unless we hit the jackpot with a #1 or #2 pick). The other consideration is the fact that he's only been an assistant coach to Kerr who already had a very strong staff around him, the roster has been absolutely stacked with extremely versatile and capable players (including a potential 2xMVP) and they are running an offense that is a perfect fit for those players. Can he recreate that and instil some of those principles with a significantly less talented, less disciplined and less well fitted Suns team? I don't know but he could grow frustrated with the situation very quickly considering how spoilt he was with the Warriors. As talented as Walton may be, if he isn't ready to ride it through with us, then there's no point of signing him because this will be a long journey back to the top for us, like it or not.

I know beggars can't be choosers but I would place a very heavy emphasis on a head coach who will have the patience, emphasize younger player development and discipline.

I don't think we can judge Walton's coaching abilities based on the Warriors situation, when Kerr basically put him in a cruise control, just like we can't judge Blatt based on the LeBron situation. Both are nothing like the Suns'. But Blatt was hired for a rebuilding team who has suffered from locker room turmoil and had a couple of great young prospects as a result of a playoffs drought, which pretty much resembles the Suns.
He's never had that team, but has shown the ability to recover from tough situations and let his roster peak when it counts - Last year's playoffs, the Cavs dismantled the East without both their starting bigs and had a 2-1 lead on the Warriors despite losing Kyrie in game 1. He maximized the Cavs' roster and the role players (Mozgov, Dellavedova) have overachieved immensely. That's what he's done his entire coaching career overseas, almost exclusively with inferior rosters.
The players didn't hate him, LeBron just never wanted him there, and he obviously has such a huge presence, so Blatt never got a fair shot. Had he wasn't that good, he would've been long gone by now. Firing him even right now is foolish, but LeBron owns that joke of a franchise.

I'd abseloutely love having Blatt on the Suns, he is exactly the coach this franchise needs.

[AtheJ415]

Since Hornacek defenders believe you can't criticize a coach for losing the locker room and poor leadership and use of players so long as the roster has guys who aren't incredibly coachable, I'll say absolutely. It can't be his fault, right?

[blacksun]

He is just so weird. Its like he is disconnected with American basketball. But he has a great mind. Personally Id rather have a more experienced coach. Im tired of watching this locker room run itself ever since Gentry, Nash and Hill went away.

[lilfishi22]

Since Hornacek defenders believe you can't criticize a coach for losing the locker room and poor leadership and use of players so long as the roster has guys who aren't incredibly coachable, I'll say absolutely. It can't be his fault, right?

He should be criticized for losing the locker room, seemingly inconsistent disciplinary methods and poor in-game adjustments.

I don't think he should take as much blame for the lack of fitting players, lack of any passing talent and an over-abundance of agendas (Sarver's playoffs aspirations, McD's desire to increase player value and Kieff's personal issues).

[lilfishi22]

I'm actually thinking we should make a move for Walton. He has AZ ties, and he has had a good experience within a championship team. He is young, and seems fairly smart.

My preference would be Walton but he's probably one of the most prized young coaches out there right now. That can be considered both a good thing and a bad thing. Good thing is, he has championship experience both as an integral part of a title winning coaching staff and as a player as you've mentioned. He's also had run some great plays in tight situations which is always a good sign for a young coach.

Bad thing is, he's going to be highly sought after so he'll be offered the money and he'll get to choose. If he got to choose, I think he'll go to a better situation than an ugly one like ours (unless we hit the jackpot with a #1 or #2 pick). The other consideration is the fact that he's only been an assistant coach to Kerr who already had a very strong staff around him, the roster has been absolutely stacked with extremely versatile and capable players (including a potential 2xMVP) and they are running an offense that is a perfect fit for those players. Can he recreate that and instil some of those principles with a significantly less talented, less disciplined and less well fitted Suns team? I don't know but he could grow frustrated with the situation very quickly considering how spoilt he was with the Warriors. As talented as Walton may be, if he isn't ready to ride it through with us, then there's no point of signing him because this will be a long journey back to the top for us, like it or not.

I know beggars can't be choosers but I would place a very heavy emphasis on a head coach who will have the patience, emphasize younger player development and discipline.

I don't think we can judge Walton's coaching abilities based on the Warriors situation, when Kerr basically put him in a cruise control, just like we can't judge Blatt based on the LeBron situation. Both are nothing like the Suns'. But Blatt was hired for a rebuilding team who has suffered from locker room turmoil and had a couple of great young prospects as a result of a playoffs drought, which pretty much resembles the Suns.
He's never had that team, but has shown the ability to recover from tough situations and let his roster peak when it counts - Last year's playoffs, the Cavs dismantled the East without both their starting bigs and had a 2-1 lead on the Warriors despite losing Kyrie in game 1. He maximized the Cavs' roster and the role players (Mozgov, Dellavedova) have overachieved immensely. That's what he's done his entire coaching career overseas, almost exclusively with inferior rosters.
The players didn't hate him, LeBron just never wanted him there, and he obviously has such a huge presence, so Blatt never got a fair shot. Had he wasn't that good, he would've been long gone by now. Firing him even right now is foolish, but LeBron owns that joke of a franchise.

I'd abseloutely love having Blatt on the Suns, he is exactly the coach this franchise needs.

I really don't know Blatt enough as a coach to make a judgement on him since I know he was given highly specialised team with very specific goals and personalities. I thought he handled them fairly well but apparently not based on what's been hitting the media.

Again, like I said, any coach we sign would have to have patience, ready to ride this through, emphasis youth development and discipline.

[Damkac]

Meanwhile...

The Cleveland Cavaliers have hired Mike Longabardi as an assistant coach.

Longabardi was recently let go by the Phoenix Suns.

Longabardi was in charge of the Suns' defense.

Tyronn Lue had been running the Cavaliers' defense as an assistant.

[TASTIC]

I'd be fine with him.

I just don't want Scott Brooks which is my main worry.

Give me Thibs and let him tell McD who he can work with and who he doesn't want. There's no chance he'd come to Phoenix though when there's bound to be way better teams with better futures and/or better rosters than ours...

[bwgood77]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/JerryEngelmann/status/690842781594599424[/tweet]

[Kerrsed]

I'd pass on Blatt. Sure, he is a Euro-League championship coach, but this aint the Euro-League! Its a different game. The players are way different.

Honestly, my 1st choice to take over is.......




Nate has lots of experience dealing with younger players and helping them develop.

"My biggest focus is player development," Bjorkgren said, "And keeping track of what these guys are doing before practice, during practice, after practice, preseason, before games. It's a lot of fun. We go in great detail on how to get these guys better."

If we were to give anyone the chance of ushering us into a new era of Suns basketball, i'd rather it be him over anyone else.

Here is a good read about him and what he see's in some of our youngin's:

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2015/10/2/9438967/new-phoenix-suns-assistant-nate-bjorkgren-talks-warren-goodwin-hornacek

[bwgood77]

I'd pass on Blatt. Sure, he is a Euro-League championship coach, but this aint the Euro-League! Its a different game. The players are way different.

Honestly, my 1st choice to take over is.......




Nate has lots of experience dealing with younger players and helping them develop.

"My biggest focus is player development," Bjorkgren said, "And keeping track of what these guys are doing before practice, during practice, after practice, preseason, before games. It's a lot of fun. We go in great detail on how to get these guys better."

If we were to give anyone the chance of ushering us into a new era of Suns basketball, i'd rather it be him over anyone else.

Here is a good read about him and what he see's in some of our youngin's:

http://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2015/10/2/9438967/new-phoenix-suns-assistant-nate-bjorkgren-talks-warren-goodwin-hornacek

I'd be much happier with someone like this than Thibs, who I thought you wanted before. I want an up-n-coming assistant with a good resume or an overachieving college coach (like Brad Stevens) not one who wins because he happens to be at the best program and does well recruiting (Calipari, Pitino who already both failed miserably in NBA).

I'd still love to get someone who has worked in some capacity for Rick Carlisle though. IMO he is the most overachieving coach given to the talent he takes over for the last 13 years or so.

I actually thought Hornacek was like that in year one, when all these no names flourished under him, and even midway through year two, before the trade deadline, despite a disgruntled Dragic....but of course it has gone downhill since then for many reasons, whether it be roster turnover, injuries (end of last season and tons this season) and of course some questionable rotation moves. I just get the bad feeling he is going to end up somewhere and have massive success.

[Hesh]

McD doesn't seem like that type of guy to do conventional things. Most GM's jump on that next known coach who's been given the short stick or is looking for a job. I don't think Blatt is a McD guy

[JayBenzy]

Blah on Blatt