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Earl Watson FIRED!!!!

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How Hot Is The Seat?

Poll ended at Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:53 pm

1
2
3%
2
2
3%
3
3
5%
4 ("he's heating up")
7
12%
5
1
2%
6
1
2%
7 ("boom shaka laka")
7
12%
8
1
2%
9
0
No votes
10 ("he's on fire")
36
60%
 
Total votes: 60

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Earl Watson FIRED!!!! 

Post#1 » by ImNotMcDiSwear » Wed Oct 11, 2017 2:52 pm

OK guys. The clock is ticking, albeit quietly for now. You could tell in that last press conference that Watson did not feel comfortable in his seat. 32 turnovers, getting blown out with what should be a solid roster, even if a bit young, is not a good look, and not what this FO wants, that's for sure. They might be ambivalent about winning, but getting blown out on the reg is in nobody's interest.

If Earl can't produce some positive play this season for this squad, he's toast, and the question is when. How bad we play --> how hot is the seat. And on a scale of 1-10, that seat is ___ hot.

It's only October, but still, no one wants a wasted season. He seems to have the locker room, though, for the most part, for now.

Will update every month...
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#2 » by bwgood77 » Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:22 pm

Not hot. We were projected to be the worst team in the west, or at least the team with the worst record and that was before injuries to Williams, Reed, etc. With a solid vet in Dudley out as well and now TJ out for the last game, along with the collective age of our players, I don't think expectations our very high.

Sure, that last game was a disaster on all levels, but it's one game, and it happens. They are testing lineups with some of our young guys who have barely played starting or playing together and still feeling things out.

I'm not necessarily a fan of Watson, but bringing in someone else when the team is so committed to Watson could backfire at this point.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#3 » by Qwigglez » Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:26 pm

I'm not a fan of Watson at all. I'd prefer he step down peacefully and have a new role on the team as team motivator/preacher. I'd say his seat isn't too hot yet.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#4 » by MathiasPW » Wed Oct 11, 2017 4:03 pm

Watson will be to the Suns what Mark Jackson was to the Warriors. He will glue the team and develop players (on his own weird way) until we are ready to compete and then a good coach will take over.

As long as he has the players engaged and competing, he'll be around
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#5 » by Saberestar » Wed Oct 11, 2017 4:14 pm

Not hot at all.

McDonough and Sarver know that is really difficult to win with a young team, so they are gonna understand the loses.

If we could have signed Millsap or Blake Griffin this summer everything would be different now, but with this roster they are gonna be patient with Watson.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#6 » by jcsunsfan » Wed Oct 11, 2017 4:44 pm

This team is young. He will get a lot of slack. However, its time they improve. Without clear improvement, he should be on the hot seat. If its a personnel problem (Bledsoe?) then they need to deal with it.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#7 » by Book1Nation » Wed Oct 11, 2017 4:46 pm

It's not hot at all. I think I'm like most here when it comes to Watson, I like the guy as a motivator and how he is a players coach, but when it comes to X's and O's he's lacking. I see other teams pick us apart with screens, ball movement and off ball movement and get good looks consistently on offense, while we go ISO 90% of the time.

But with this team, I think we win 20-25 games this year, and then next year he has to win ~30-35 games. I think by Booker's 5th season, he'll still only be 22 entering the year (LOL), we need to be a borderline playoff team/competing for the 8th seed. If that doesn't happen, Watson is gone entering the 2020/2021 season. But these next 2 years are his, unless we completely tank and win like 10 games this year and next year.

2017/18: 20-25 wins
2018/19: 30-35 wins
2019/20: competing for 8th seed
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#8 » by Bogyo » Wed Oct 11, 2017 4:54 pm

Golanator wrote:It's not hot at all. I think I'm like most here when it comes to Watson, I like the guy as a motivator and how he is a players coach, but when it comes to X's and O's he's lacking. I see other teams pick us apart with screens, ball movement and off ball movement and get good looks consistently on offense, while we go ISO 90% of the time.

But with this team, I think we win 20-25 games this year, and then next year he has to win ~30-35 games. I think by Booker's 5th season, he'll still only be 22 entering the year (LOL), we need to be a borderline playoff team/competing for the 8th seed. If that doesn't happen, Watson is gone entering the 2020/2021 season. But these next 2 years are his, unless we completely tank and win like 10 games this year and next year.

2017/18: 20-25 wins
2018/19: 30-35 wins
2019/20: competing for 8th seed


Agreed. But the thing is - if we see it, other people (including Sarver) has to see it, and think about it, right?
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#9 » by bwgood77 » Wed Oct 11, 2017 5:57 pm

Golanator wrote:It's not hot at all. I think I'm like most here when it comes to Watson, I like the guy as a motivator and how he is a players coach, but when it comes to X's and O's he's lacking. I see other teams pick us apart with screens, ball movement and off ball movement and get good looks consistently on offense, while we go ISO 90% of the time.

But with this team, I think we win 20-25 games this year, and then next year he has to win ~30-35 games. I think by Booker's 5th season, he'll still only be 22 entering the year (LOL), we need to be a borderline playoff team/competing for the 8th seed. If that doesn't happen, Watson is gone entering the 2020/2021 season. But these next 2 years are his, unless we completely tank and win like 10 games this year and next year.

2017/18: 20-25 wins
2018/19: 30-35 wins
2019/20: competing for 8th seed


Except he's only under contract through 2018-19.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#10 » by Book1Nation » Wed Oct 11, 2017 7:09 pm

bwgood77 wrote:
Golanator wrote:It's not hot at all. I think I'm like most here when it comes to Watson, I like the guy as a motivator and how he is a players coach, but when it comes to X's and O's he's lacking. I see other teams pick us apart with screens, ball movement and off ball movement and get good looks consistently on offense, while we go ISO 90% of the time.

But with this team, I think we win 20-25 games this year, and then next year he has to win ~30-35 games. I think by Booker's 5th season, he'll still only be 22 entering the year (LOL), we need to be a borderline playoff team/competing for the 8th seed. If that doesn't happen, Watson is gone entering the 2020/2021 season. But these next 2 years are his, unless we completely tank and win like 10 games this year and next year.

2017/18: 20-25 wins
2018/19: 30-35 wins
2019/20: competing for 8th seed


Except he's only under contract through 2018-19.


Well yeah, but they'll bring him back if we show progress in 18/19.

Either way, I expect to be competing for a playoff spot by 2019/20. That would be Warren's 6th season, Booker's 5th, Chriss, Bender's and Ulis' 4th, Josh Jackson's 3rd, plus whoever we draft with this years high pick 2nd year. Anything less in unacceptable.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#11 » by bwgood77 » Wed Oct 11, 2017 7:57 pm

Golanator wrote:
bwgood77 wrote:
Golanator wrote:It's not hot at all. I think I'm like most here when it comes to Watson, I like the guy as a motivator and how he is a players coach, but when it comes to X's and O's he's lacking. I see other teams pick us apart with screens, ball movement and off ball movement and get good looks consistently on offense, while we go ISO 90% of the time.

But with this team, I think we win 20-25 games this year, and then next year he has to win ~30-35 games. I think by Booker's 5th season, he'll still only be 22 entering the year (LOL), we need to be a borderline playoff team/competing for the 8th seed. If that doesn't happen, Watson is gone entering the 2020/2021 season. But these next 2 years are his, unless we completely tank and win like 10 games this year and next year.

2017/18: 20-25 wins
2018/19: 30-35 wins
2019/20: competing for 8th seed


Except he's only under contract through 2018-19.


Well yeah, but they'll bring him back if we show progress in 18/19.

Either way, I expect to be competing for a playoff spot by 2019/20. That would be Warren's 6th season, Booker's 5th, Chriss, Bender's and Ulis' 4th, Josh Jackson's 3rd, plus whoever we draft with this years high pick 2nd year. Anything less in unacceptable.


Yes, we should, though it will be interesting to see how the rest of the west shakes out by then. The other rebuilding teams plus they perennial playoff teams. I imagine Memphis, the Clips, etc may have fallen off. Not sure about who else.

But at that point if we are not making progress it won't just be Watson, it would be McD as well.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#12 » by dmastro32 » Wed Oct 11, 2017 9:07 pm

His hot Seat should be a lot hotter than it is. I want to say give him time but it’s consistently only a couple players improving. We need an upcoming coach. Preferably someone who has a reputation for growing players at the college level and getting more than expected out of his team. I would add Mark Few to the short list with Jay Wright.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#13 » by darealjuice » Thu Oct 12, 2017 12:49 am

It's not hot at all, and barring a shocking mutiny he'll at least play out his contract. People are just overreacting to a mediocre showing thus far in preseason when it's just preseason. The players all love him and work hard for him, which is arguably the most important thing of being a coach. If we don't start seeing results in both player development and the win/loss column by the end of his contract, then hopefully he'll be our Mark Jackson. His Xs and Os are the big gripe, but at this point he's got a solid and experienced coaching staff around him, a background of being coached by some of the greatest coaches in the history of the game, a lot of respect from around the league, and a very young team that needs time to develop and mesh before it's going to consistently execute at an NBA level, and he will get his shot to develop and produce as a coach before we move on.

All this talk of no one improving under him is pretty surprising to me though. If a lot of you looked at your own posts from the end of last season you'd see yourself constantly talking about how much Quese improved from the start of last year to the finish. Bledsoe had the best healthy year of his career, Booker doubled his shooting volume while maintaining his efficiency and posting very promising numbers in 2017, TJ has become a much more active defender and finally got his chance to show what he can do with real playing time, and Ulis and Jones are both supposedly much improved this summer according to Dudley despite not having the best preseason so far. Bender hasn't got the best shot at contributing, but in fairness he did get hurt last year and he has been extremely bad in preseason after ending Summer League on a high note. I don't think anyone should expect much improvement from Len at this point, but even then at least he put up some of the best numbers in his (mediocre) career last year.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#14 » by lilfishi22 » Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:17 am

I don't think it's warm, yet. The season hasn't even begun yet so he should have a fairly long leash. Expectations being low probably helps his tenure. That being said, I'm watching him with likely a more critical eye than most.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#15 » by Puff » Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:17 am

I can't believe what I am reading.

Earl Watson aka John Wooden yoga master - was not a very good player and sucks as a head coach. I have no idea why these players support him. They are not getting better in any phase of the game. They are and have been horrible on both ends of the court.

Just name one thing that Watson has improved on this team.

I can't even stand watching this guy on the side line coaching our team.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#16 » by lilfishi22 » Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:20 am

Puff wrote:I can't believe what I am reading.

Earl Watson aka John Wooden yoga master - was not a very good player and sucks as a head coach. I have no idea why these players support him. They are not getting better in any phase of the game. They are and have been horrible on both ends of the court.

Just name one thing that Watson has improved on this team.


I can't even stand watching this guy on the side line coaching our team.

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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#17 » by bwgood77 » Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:28 am

Puff wrote:I can't believe what I am reading.

Earl Watson aka John Wooden yoga master - was not a very good player and sucks as a head coach. I have no idea why these players support him. They are not getting better in any phase of the game. They are and have been horrible on both ends of the court.

Just name one thing that Watson has improved on this team.

I can't even stand watching this guy on the side line coaching our team.


Lets wait until the regular season to judge. Most of our best players haven't played much. But you still can't expect much. Even if you want to deny it, age and nba experience is a huge factor. We are not even barely playing anyone with more than like 2 full years of nba experience...except for Len and limited time for Chandler. Warren was out enough and benched much of his first season but him and Booker look good relative to experience. Bledsoe will be solid.

The west is really tough though. We will be hard pressed to beat anyone in the west. We didn't add any vets while LA added Brook Lopez and Bogut and Sac added George Hill and Zach Randolph...plus got Bogdan and two top 10 picks in a great draft in Bogdan and Justin Jackson...and they got Giles too...he won't do much quickly but was the #1 prospect before getting injured.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#18 » by batsmasher » Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:38 pm

Puff wrote:I can't believe what I am reading.

Earl Watson aka John Wooden yoga master

Here's your problem: kids love yoga. They think they're being empowered and stuff when in reality you're not learning any fundamentals and just agreeing with the snake oil salesman.

But alas, as with any unproven young coach, time is on their side. It's as if there's this expectation that overnight Earl's going to flick a switch and become a prodigious head coach.

The reality is, the only other team that has put this much young talent into major roles in the NBA is the early-process Sixers. And they did it with a 50-something year old coach that had paid his dues coaching for 20 odd years. He drilled the fundamentals into that team at a very very early stage. They produced RoCo and McConnell out of that.

We have a coach who seems a bit bemused by the idea of disciplining bad habits- defensive effort is optional, talking trash is fine and making the extra pass is foreign concept. Again, look at that early-process Sixers team... they went 18-64 in 14'-15' but were 4th in passes per game. They knew that despite not yet having the talent to be a good team, they'd still play like they were a good team - do the team things well and let the talent develop at its own rate.

Here, Earl seems to think you can get away with doing the opposite. Do all the things that will "help" you develop: jack 3s, do what you like, defend when you feel like it... and then the team concepts will come later? It won't work.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#19 » by popfan » Fri Oct 13, 2017 2:30 am

I watched at least 10 Suns game last year on League Pass. I saw them develop into competitive team. They showed absolutely zero respect for my Spurs, which is EXACTLY the way to compete. Their ruthless style of play reminded me of the Bad Boys of the 90s. What they did to Porzingus at home last year made me smile despite how brutally the Suns treated him. I was greatly impressed with the team unity. Earl Watson got Tucker, Chriss and Booker playing well beyond their years. Watson's the real deal.

The OP apparently has front row seats. The only way that he (the OP) could be so confused about Watson is if he were a racist. Seriously. How many threads do we see with the subject "<Name of Black Coach> sucks...when will we fire him?" Or here's another perennial joke thread -- "List the coaches that should be canned this year" -- where the consensus top 3 coaches are black.

Watson is a fine young coach. If you don't like him, just say so. That's fine. But don't come off like a dolt arguing that he sucks. If the Suns fire Watson, I'd like to think that Pop would hire him in an instant.
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Re: 2017-18 Earl Watson Hot-Seat-O-Meter: October Edition 

Post#20 » by lilfishi22 » Fri Oct 13, 2017 2:44 am

popfan wrote:I watched at least 10 Suns game last year on League Pass. I saw them develop into competitive team. They showed absolutely zero respect for my Spurs, which is EXACTLY the way to compete. Their ruthless style of play reminded me of the Bad Boys of the 90s. What they did to Porzingus at home last year made me smile despite how brutally the Suns treated him. I was greatly impressed with the team unity. Earl Watson got Tucker, Chriss and Booker playing well beyond their years. Watson's the real deal.

The OP apparently has front row seats. The only way that he (the OP) could be so confused about Watson is if he were a racist. Seriously. How many threads do we see with the subject "<Name of Black Coach> sucks...when will we fire him?" Or here's another perennial joke thread -- "List the coaches that should be canned this year" -- where the consensus top 3 coaches are black.

Watson is a fine young coach. If you don't like him, just say so. That's fine. But don't come off like a dolt arguing that he sucks. If the Suns fire Watson, I'd like to think that Pop would hire him in an instant.

Your post started as a good opinion piece from someone on the outside looking in then you insinuated the only way cozmofizzo could have his opinion on Watson is if he were racist; that's unacceptable. He's listed his gripes with Watson in this thread and in other threads and if you haven't been around the Suns forum before then you'd know there is are fans who have watched almost all the games, have watched how Watson has coached, has given him the benefit of the doubt and have come to the conclusion that he is a subpar coach. Race has never even been discussed when it comes to Watson's coaching ability. Watching 1000 Suns games doesn't give you the right to call someone a racist based on absolutely nothing other than your baseless opinion.

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