Igor Fired

[Hoop Head]

now you're admitting that a better coach could have got more than twice as many wins and had this team competing for a playoff spot?

Can you read, seriously?

I said "I DOUBT Popovich could have won 40 games with last year's opening day roster" so where are you getting this idea that I'm now saying a better coach COULD have won twice as many games?

 

[Proximo]

Reading between the lines, I think Booker got Igor fired.

His comments regarding Igor were not very positive, but other players seemed to have higher opinions. Tyler Johnson and Oubre and Bender all had good things to say.

If the Suns don't get Monte Williams I am very worried all the forward momentum we seemed to be gathering at the end of the year will be gone.

 

[Superbone]

no coach needed to get to the playoffs or would be expected to... and if this FO actually believed they could and should, they're... well... out of their minds as usual. It was taking a step BACKWARD from the worst record in franchise history that was a problem and major red flag as far as Igor was concerned, IMO. That and the lack of development of Ayton and Josh Jackson and to a certain extent Bridges which were the final straws that broke Igor's back.

Yes, player development was supposed to be one of Kokoskov's strong suits. Good point.

 

[1tinsoldier]

Can you read, seriously?

I said "I DOUBT Popovich could have won 40 games with last year's opening day roster" so where are you getting this idea that I'm now saying a better coach COULD have won twice as many games?

my bad. but that you do believe a better coach could have gotten just under 40 wins clears you of hypocrisy? they would have been competing for a playoff spot along with Sacramento all year

 

[Yuma]

I guess the assistant I am most disappointed in is Corliss Williamson. The Big Nasty was a beast screening out and using elbows. Either his style no longer translates to the modern NBA, or he was unable to light a fire under Ayton. I was expecting as the season wore on to see more physicality from Ayton based on just having Williamson on the staff. I would be OK if the new coach wanted to bring in someone else for Williamson.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Reading between the lines, I think Booker got Igor fired.

His comments regarding Igor were not very positive, but other players seemed to have higher opinions. Tyler Johnson and Oubre and Bender all had good things to say.

If the Suns don't get Monte Williams I am very worried all the forward momentum we seemed to be gathering at the end of the year will be gone.

there were comments throughout the year by others that were quiet seeds of dissatisfaction. I remember Ayton saying something along the lines of "I've played it coach's way all year... now i gotta play my way". Of course his way looked exactly like it did before, but not a vote of confidence nonetheless. Also, I think Jackson made some kind of comment about being pissed that no one stood up or barked in refs face after the toronto game. And then you had Booker yelling at Igor and the bench to get Okobo out of the game (or maybe it was Melton). And the dust-up on the sideline with Bridges.

Was it an avalanche of things to point to? No... but there were definitely some signs.

 

[Yuma]

there were comments throughout the year by others that were quiet seeds of dissatisfaction. I remember Ayton saying something along the lines of "I've played it coach's way all year... now i gotta play my way". Of course his way looked exactly like it did before, but not a vote of confidence nonetheless. Also, I think Jackson made some kind of comment about being pissed that no one stood up or barked in refs face after the toronto game. And then you had Booker yelling at Igor and the bench to get Okobo out of the game (or maybe it was Melton). And the dust-up on the sideline with Bridges.

Was it an avalanche of things to point to? No... but there were definitely some signs.

Maybe I am old school, but it points to a lack of respect or fear to yell at your coach out on the floor and nothing happens to you!

 

[Hoop Head]

my bad. but that you do believe a better coach could have gotten just under 40 wins clears you of hypocrisy? they would have been competing for a playoff spot along with Sacramento all year

You still don't get it. I never said what you're claiming but you won't let it go. Why should I waste anymore time talking to you when you can't understand such a simple statement? Maybe ask someone else to explain it to you because I don't have the time to dumb it down for you.

 

[taz02]

I don't think anyone has anything "bad" to say about Igor, he seems like a good guy. He just isn'

Questions for those who seemed to scoff at the notion that Ayton wasn't being used right. Do you believe James Jones is wrong here, because it was one of the reasons Gambo gave for why the Suns moved on from Koko?

I don't know if Jones is the right guy or not. Time will tell. There are some positive signs.

My biggest question/concern with Jones is the same concern I had with Igor....leadership. This team is desperate for a leader, its clearly not Sarver, it wasn't Igor and the confusion about who is in charge now or rather the need to have three (3) people doing one job is a red flag for me.

I do think this can all work, including Jones as the "GM" if the right coach is hired to lead the team.

I do think Jones, as a former player and someone who seems to be good at identifying players with the right mind set, (Oubre', TJ2, and Crawford as opposed to Ariza, Anderson and Chandler) will identify the right guy to coach the team. hiring the right guy is a different story.

 

[Folster]

Monty Williams will be a candidate until he speaks to Sarver one-on-one and then shortly thereafter removes himself from consideration, a la Mike Budenholzer.

 

[1tinsoldier]

Yes, that is very telling if true. Sounds like maybe there was good reason for him being an assistant for so long. Maybe that's where his value lies. Some people just aren't leaders and are unable to grow into that role. I'll admit even though I advocated for some consistency for a change, if that's the case, this was the right move.

there was a few of us suggesting that all season, and obviously a majority who believed it but who had better sense than i than to waste their breath arguing about it. as i recall, Superbone, you were among those who scoffed at the critics.

regardless. this is an important and much needed sign that the front office is committed to improving the situation
and i look forward to next season with renewed optimism that it will be more fun and rewarding for every one of us

 

[Yuma]

Monty Williams will be a candidate until he speaks to Sarver one-on-one and then shortly thereafter removes himself from consideration, a la Mike Budenholzer.

That's probably most likely. Or it could be like the Cards. They didn't move up to get Mahommes who they liked. Then the next draft they knee jerked and moved up to get Rosen. So we didn't give the money/power Budenholxer wanted, so we are going to give it to Williams.

 

[1tinsoldier]

there's only one way i believe today's move could go bad -- i Kidd you not!

 

[AzStevenCal]

uh, you might just be better off not saying anything for a while, like Sir* and *Head whose abundant and aggressively repressive posts you "liked" so much

I'm not trying to take a shot at you but you seem to be hung up on the use of the like button. Perhaps you use it differently but it doesn't always mean full support of everything in a post, at least it doesn't for me. I use it when it says what I would want to say but I also use it when I like the tone of the post even when I don't agree with some or much of the content.

And again, feel free to quote any of my posts on Koko. I think I've been very consistent about this team and about the youth and player turnover. Koko could turn out to be the greatest coach of all time or even the worst and I'd have said much the same thing. I don't see how anyone can tell which problems are coaching and which are the result of roster turnover.

 

[Yuma]

Koko could turn out to be the greatest coach of all time or even the worst and I'd have said much the same thing. I don't see how anyone can tell which problems are coaching and which are the result of roster turnover.

It depends on how he takes the criticism. Igor could learn on his next gig to address all the criticisms, be more decisive, better communicate, etc., at his next stop and be a much better coach. Sometimes you learn and grow more from your mistakes.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It depends on how he takes the criticism. Igor could learn on his next gig to address all the criticisms, be more decisive, better communicate, etc., at his next stop and be a much better coach. Sometimes you learn and grow more from your mistakes.

Sure, but to be clear, I really do not have a solid opinion of Koko as a Coach. I have a strong opinion about the mess he was given but I have no feel for how well or how poorly he navigated through that mess. I was against firing him in that situation but it wasn't because of Koko.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Maybe I am old school, but it points to a lack of respect or fear to yell at your coach out on the floor and nothing happens to you!

totally agree. but that speaks to a lack of Koko being able to command that respect/fear.

 

[swagron]

Maybe I am old school, but it points to a lack of respect or fear to yell at your coach out on the floor and nothing happens to you!

Booker definitely needs to be put in his place. He comes of as kind of punkish imo.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

this is why I railed against the team for not firing McD before last off-season began. Letting a lame-duck GM make the biggest decisions a franchise can make, with a lot of cap room, multiple first round picks, the first pick in the draft and decide the HC position made zero sense.

Agreed. We let McD not get a PG, sign Ariza who we traded, and hire Igor who is gone now. Great decision to let McD make those choices.

 

[1Sun]

Now Gambo is saying that Igor wasn't even sure that he wanted to remain head coach, anyway. Interesting...

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I did see Kidd over at the Village the other day...

 

[Town Drunk]

Kidd interviewed with the Lakers today. Take him!

 

[1tinsoldier]

Booker definitely needs to be put in his place. He comes of as kind of punkish imo.

i agree that he needs to be put in his place because he's a score leader, not a floor leader yet. but imo, not punkish, just somewhat immature and not as bright as he thinks he is. he needs a strong coach.

 

[1tinsoldier]

It depends on how he takes the criticism. Igor could learn on his next gig to address all the criticisms, be more decisive, better communicate, etc., at his next stop and be a much better coach. Sometimes you learn and grow more from your mistakes.

fair enough.

so i ask again...
does anyone here honestly believe Igor will ever again even be interviewed for a head coaching job in the NBA?

 

[Adrian]

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