With the recent news that Mike D'Antoni has accepted the offer from the New York Knicks to be their head coach, you would think the pressure would be on the man that chased him out of town to look for a replacement. If there is any pressure, Steve Kerr isn't feeling it yet, as he's stated there's "no huge rush" to get someone in place.
"We're going to make sure we cover our bases," he said. "There's not a huge rush because we're not one of five or six teams out there looking for someone, so we don't feel like we're competing with other people."
Kerr went on to say that he thinks the team's personnel is geared towards an uptempo style, but that he wants a coach who will emphasize defense and make sure the team improves at that end of the floor.
I hate to break it to Kerr, but D'Antoni wasn't the reason the Suns were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs in five games: he was. You can't expect to blow up a team's core that has essentially been together for more than three and a half seasons, and leave the coach just 28 games to figure out how to play with his new players. Especially with someone like Shaq, whose game (for better or worse) can't help but alter a team's style.
Whoever the Suns get to be their next coach, the fact that he has a defense-first mindset won't be enough. Unless Kerr makes some roster moves to get some perimeter defenders, the team is likely to end up finishing worse than they did this season.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. look to suns to replicate Miami's record this year or next. and I don't mean the championship season...
Posted at 1:21PM on May 13th 2008 by Michael gifford
2. Phoenix wasn't going anywhere in the playoffs whether they traded for Shaq or not. Even with Marion instead of Shaq, Phoenix wouldn't have been able to beat any of the top 4 teams in the western conference in the playoffs.
Posted at 1:21PM on May 13th 2008 by Martin
3. Hey Brett,
The only problem with your assertion is that not getting to the NBA Finals is and has been a reoccuring theme here in AZ. So, you ought to get your head straight. If I remeber correctly, Kerr has OH 6 NBA Championship rings... and the rest of the Suns organization (save the new addition of Shaq) HAVE ZEEEEEERO! Ask any NBA champion and they will inform you the defense wins championships... the Suns would have NEVER won it under D'Antoni! The only hope they have is to listen to Kerr as he tries to build a team reminicent of the ones he played for in Chicago!
He who has the rings has the knowledge son...
Posted at 2:04PM on May 13th 2008 by Big AZ Daddy
4. Headline was pretty good.
They will still make the playoffs next year, but the competition is going to be just as good as this year.
I think the Suns with Marion could have beaten the Spurs and maybe even the Jazz in the playoffs. But even with Marion they would still have trouble with the Lakers and Hornets. At least with Marion they would have had a higher playoff seed.
I can't see the Suns making any big trades, maybe some free agents. No one is going to trade for the aging Nash, O'Neal, or Grant. Amare, Diaw, and Barbosa are the future for the team. Trading Bell wouldn't solve anything.
Phoenix is in a really bad position here.
Posted at 2:23PM on May 13th 2008 by mtyoung
5. Wrong. It is his fault. Whether that is fair or not is irrelevant....the coach takes the blame for a teams' inability to grow. As stated before, he has bred such a culture of crying and blaming into his team, no one (other than Nash) takes any responsibility for their game and actions.
Blame Kerr, Blame Shaq, Blame Horry, Blame D'antoni....but I think the one that should see a little more blame is Amare. He continues to be one of the most stupid Basketball players in the entire league. Game costing turnovers, followed by mental mistakes, followed by terrible fouls continue to plague this team but he gets a complete and utter pass because he dunks really hard.
I actually feel sorry for Nash as I can hear the frustration in his voice when he talks about "mental mistakes" after every loss.
Posted at 5:17PM on May 13th 2008 by roger
6. "The only hope they have is to listen to Kerr as he tries to build a team reminicent of the ones he played for in Chicago!"
um . . . unless kerr is planning on cloning michael jordan, i don't think his ambition is to rebuild the '90's bulls. i think his time in san antonio is the major influence for the new phoenix suns blueprint.
oh, and i may be wrong, but wasn't it the suns (with marion) inability to beat the spurs in the playoffs the reason for the o'neal trade? the answer is . . . yes.
here's what kerr should do: hire avery johnson. draft a good point guard that will learn from nash and johnson and eventually, take over for nash. keep barbosa, bell, nash, o'neal and stoudemire. lose every body else and bring in a veteran free agent swingman (can't trust grant hill to stay healthy).
there you go. no thanks necessary. you still won't beat the spurs.
Posted at 2:28PM on May 14th 2008 by dave
7. Just for the record just because Steve Kerr has six rings as a player for the Bulls doesn't mean he will get six rings as general manager for the Phoenix Suns. The coach that will replace Mike D'Antoni will have to sell defense wins games mentality to his players and be a psychology major to handle his players egos. Good luck Steve in getting a coach that will get Phoenix a NBA championship.
Posted at 11:11PM on May 17th 2008 by George B Vieto
8. Blame Amare? The guy was drafted from High School. (Which stinks now that the NBA isn't allowed to find Amare's anymore. The talents who can't afford to go to college let alone for 2 years.) But who's there developing him, Barbosa, and Diaw? All I heard from Mike D was "Do the same as we've been doing but rebound more". What kind of a defense strategy is that? These players are developing or are they? It sure isn't because of Mike.
Talk Dan Majerle into being the next coach. He's loved by the fans and respected by the players. I'm sure he'd help develop the younger players while respecting the older ones too.
Posted at 1:13AM on May 18th 2008 by Kelsey