Between the kid-gloves treatment of Draymond toward the end of the season, the Jamal Murray non-suspension and this decision, they are setting some terrible precedents.
He's a pretty good coach who is willing to take jobs for lots of money with aging stars and bumbling ownership.
Devin Booker’s head coaches
Theres just no way this is true.
What could he possibly have never been called before? The mind reels.
I'm not a big Booker fan, but it's hard not to feel like he's gotten shortchanged here. The wrong guy is the wrong guy and obviously coaching matters less in the NBA than in some other sports, but continuity matters, and here's a top 15 guy who through no direct fault of his own just hasn't had even a real chance at it.
He's a good coach, was undervalued in Milwaukee, will likely be a better match in terms of both offensive and defensive sets with the talent he'll be coaching than Vogel was....yet it likely won't much matter as the core issue is the type of talent the Suns have (or, better said, a very talented teams whose talent is repetitive rather than complementary).
I feel like that is pretty optimistic with this team, barring some serious personnel changes. Durant was great this year, but another year older. Beal I guess could be more reliable next year, but seems like he might be done as an All-Star level player. They can shuffle the supporting cast around, but its hard to envision given their available assets that much of an improvement. In a West where there are a lot of improving younger teams, it will be tough to see them getting out of the first round, they feel like a play-in team at best.
Excellent
Any chance after KD/Booker have burned through 2 vet coaches and Beal 1, that they'll be loathe to throw a 3rd under the bus and take some responsibility themselves?
Is there anything in KD's career that suggests he (let alone he and Booker jointly) will take responsibility? He's an all-time great player but this is not, imo, his strength.
Yeah, if KD is even on the Suns next year and things go wrong there’s almost no chance he (or Bill Simmons on his behalf) take any responsibility. He never has and I doubt it starts now
It’s funny you mention Bill because I am always surprised how easy he goes on the Suns, and how he says no team has a worse five year outlook than the Nets. I don’t think there is a team in the league whose unprotected picks I’d want more than the Suns.
Which available coach would you expect to exceed these numbers with that group?
That’s a good question. Not sure there is anyone that could propel them to a conference final but if I was in charge I would swing for the fences. Hope you get the next Daigneault or something. Has the hire a retread to push veterans over the top for a championship ever really worked?
Sure. Did it count as hiring a retread when the Bucks hired Budenholzer after his 5 years in Atlanta? Or when the Celtics hired Doc after 5 years in Orlando? Or do you need to have coached in multiple places to be considered a retread, like Vogel who had 6 years in Indy and 2 in Orlando before being hired by the Lakers?
I think with that core you have to bring in a veteran who understands how to handle this type of team. A guy like Daigneault can do well with an up and comer but fit really matters with the personnel that you have.
The other problem is that they are [laying "bench roulette' and they basically didn't hit this year. They are missing both size and a guy who can PG - they need to find two guys (at lezst) who can actually contribute, which is super tough given their limited avenues to add talent.
Positional/Role overlap is a problem there.
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I don’t have an answer but this isn’t tangibly different than what I’d expect from another year of Vogel.
