BREAKING NEWS: Steve Kerr, New Suns GM

[OldDirtMcGirt]

I have no idea what kind of GM Kerr will be, but we just lost a legitimate capologist in Griffin. He was supposed to be one of the best in the NBA.

I agree. I would've rather had Griffin as GM, but at least Kerr is an upgrade over D'Antoni.

 

[az1965]

Why didn't people like Kerr's opinions? Because he picked against the Suns? Well guess what? He was right. The guy knows basketball and he understands the importance of defense to winning a title. He has a lot of championship experience and he's a close friend of Sarver's and Sarver trusts him immensely. What that means is that when Kerr wants something done, even if it means spending more money, the owner will have his back.

Conversely, Kerr will do whatever Sarver would want...

 

[az1965]

I agree. I would've rather had Griffin as GM, but at least Kerr is an upgrade over D'Antoni.

Which is not saying much...

 

[scoutmasterdave]

I agree. I would've rather had Griffin as GM, but at least Kerr is an upgrade over D'Antoni.

I'm not sure that Kerr is an upgrade over D'Antoni (we'll never know, really), but the situation is better - the head coach should never be the GM.

 

[devilalum]

I think this has been Sarver's plan from day one. Kerr was in all the initial meetings. Sarver wants his own guys and wants to make his own mark.

Its gonna be rough. It's a lot easier to take over a losing team with no where to go but up. Given where the Suns are now the only way Sarver/Kerr can be deemed a success is to win a championship.

 

[Gaddabout]

Wait a second! This move was apparently in place whether or not Griffin left. Apparently Kerr was being put in place (probably since the day Colangelo left), and the Suns have offered Griffin perhaps some broadened responsibilities for more money.

If the Suns keep Griffin, I'll be OK with it for now. Kerr strikes me as a guy that loves to hear himself talk.

 

[Cheesebeef]

How about giving it a rest!!!!!!!!!!!! GEEZ!!

IMO, George's thoughts are a pretty good benchmark of how I view things in the sports world. If he thinks something is going on or has an opinion about something, I'm usually thinking he's wrong and in this case, don't we all hope that he's wrong? Or do you want Kerr to be a bad GM as George's depressed state would indicate he would be?

 

[slinslin]

And what would have made Griffin a better GM?

 

[Gaddabout]

And what would have made Griffin a better GM?

You mean besides the fact he's been with the Suns for 14 years and has been involved in most every decision for the Suns the last 5?

 

[slinslin]

So to summarize some of the decisions made in the last 5 years

- not extenting Joe Johnson before he became a RFA
- trading away a #7 pick for a future pick that wasn't even lottery because they supposedly expected Iguodala to not be there
- trading/selling other picks
- Extending Diaw before he became a RFA
- Signing Marcus Banks
- Drafting Casey Jacobsen over Tayshaun Prince, Nenad Krstic and Carlos Boozer

 

[TBaslim]

I think this has been Sarver's plan from day one. Kerr was in all the initial meetings. Sarver wants his own guys and wants to make his own mark.

Agreed 100%. This move is not a suprise at all. It was very clear when Sarver bought the team that Kerr would become involved on the basketball mgmt side at some point down the road, in some capacity. It was also clear that if BC ever left, Kerr was candidate numero uno for the job. Coach D was a transition GM, just to put some time between the BC era and the Kerr era.


I think Kerr is a class guy and very smart. My concerns are:

a) He is totally green as a GM. Is he going to keep the experienced team BC put together to help him? Griffin? Mark West? Scouts? Hope so.

Especially that he keeps whomever has been the key brain in the Sun's draft scouting for the last 10 years. If that is a team or one person - it has been phenomenal. Even players they never drafted but liked have been good (Iggy, Thabo, etc).

The franchise ability to judge talent has been very high compared to the rest of the league - hope they don't lose that with the GM change.

b) He has the world's biggest man love for the Spurs. It is actually quite nauseating.

Does this come from his history there, or his love for their playing style? If the former - fine - whatever. If the latter? Oh boy. Watching Kerr try to turn the Suns into the Spurs, without Tim Duncan, will be painful at best.

I just hope he is smart enough to see what a great team the Suns are (playing a different style then the Spurs or the Bulls), and bring some outside perspective on the few key tweaks and changes needed to get them over the hump.

Oh, and if he can bring the Spurs habit of using late draft picks wisely on overseas players who show up years later as studs? That would be nice too.

 

[azirish]

You mean besides the fact he's been with the Suns for 14 years and has been involved in most every decision for the Suns the last 5?

But besides that?

Clearly the Griz think he has something to offer in that he's the first guy they're talking to.

The whole situation is weird. Is Sarver jumping the gun on Griffin leaving or is Griffin interviewing because he knew Kerr was coming in?

 

[Gaddabout]

So to summarize some of the decisions made in the last 5 years

- not extenting Joe Johnson before he became a RFA
- trading away a #7 pick for a future pick that wasn't even lottery because they supposedly expected Iguodala to not be there
- trading/selling other picks
- Extending Diaw before he became a RFA
- Signing Marcus Banks
- Drafting Casey Jacobsen over Tayshaun Prince, Nenad Krstic and Carlos Boozer

Gosh, you're right. This team is awful. Let's clear out all the dead weight.

 

[Covert Rain]

I think this is a good move. D'Antoni seems to get overwhelmed at times whether it's managing the roster...or his bench usage.

I think this does 2 things. It allows D'Antoni to concentrate on just coaching. The other thing it does it allows the organization to move in another direction more easily should D'Antoni not get it done in the next 2 years.

I really think that D'Antoni only has next year and maybe next to get a title or he is gone IMO. It's much easier to let go of your coach if he is not also the GM.

 

[Griffin]

- not extenting Joe Johnson before he became a RFA
- Extending Diaw before he became a RFA

I think that's a bit unfair. Hindsight is always 20/20 as we all know. Almost everyone here was in agreement that extending Diaw was the right decision at the time. Do you really expect the front office to get it right every time? And how come he doesn't get credit for extending Barbs? Not to mention signing Nash, Bell and trading for KT.

 

[Gaddabout]

I think that's a bit unfair. Hindsight is always 20/20 as we all know. Almost everyone here was in agreement that extending Diaw was the right decision at the time. Do you really expect the front office to get it right every time? And how come he doesn't get credit for extending Barbs? Not to mention signing Nash, Bell and trading for KT.

Or drafting Amare Stoudemire.

 

[Chaplin]

People need to get over the whole "man love for the Spurs" stuff. I would agree with you if it was 2005 or 2006, but this year there was a noticeable difference in the way he worked games. But of course, nobody remembers that.

 

[WuRaider]

I'm more optimistic with Kerr trading for Kobe than I am with Coach D trading for Kobe, so good move.

 

[Covert Rain]

People need to get over the whole "man love for the Spurs" stuff. I would agree with you if it was 2005 or 2006, but this year there was a noticeable difference in the way he worked games. But of course, nobody remembers that.

I disagree Chap. Steve was definitely pro-Spurs. If you read his columns and listened to him talk about the Spurs and Suns there was a definite contrast. He seemed to praise the Spurs at every corner but was often critical of the Suns.

Having said that where are the Spurs now and where are the Suns? Maybe his criticisms were not well placed but spot on. Maybe, he sees things that need to be seen in the GM position?

 

[slinslin]

Or drafting Amare Stoudemire.

Which can almost completely be attributed to Jerry Colangelo.

Just like Barbosa can be attributed to Rex Chapman.

 

[Steel Sun]

A big "Bear Down" to Steeeeeeeeve Kerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

That's his only problem,he's a vilecat

 

[Mainstreet]

I think Sarver wants someone to take a fresh look at the Suns roster to evaluate where the team is headed and perhaps make some tough roster moves. Now this can be scary or it can be good. I do think D'Antoni was too close to the players as Coach to make the tough roster decisions. I just hope Kerr is the right man for the job but I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I disagree Chap. Steve was definitely pro-Spurs. If you read his columns and listened to him talk about the Spurs and Suns there was a definite contrast. He seemed to praise the Spurs at every corner but was often critical of the Suns.

Having said that where are the Spurs now and where are the Suns? Maybe his criticisms were not well placed but spot on. Maybe, he sees things that need to be seen in the GM position?

he called Suns in 7 before the series started. How that's pro-Spurs is beyond me.

 

[fordronken]

People need to get over the whole "man love for the Spurs" stuff. I would agree with you if it was 2005 or 2006, but this year there was a noticeable difference in the way he worked games. But of course, nobody remembers that.

And, people are pissed because he picked against the Suns, but the Suns lost all of those series! We didn't want him to be right, but he was. Maybe the things he knows will actually help us win a championship. Last time I checked, he has infinity times more of them than the Suns do.

 

[Muggum]

I know this: the Suns have always been, on balance, smarter than the other teams out there, due largely to the Colangelos' ability to gauge talent. Think about the draft: We don't have a perfect track record (Armon Gilliam, William Bedford, Casey Jacobsen, Kenny Battle), but we've found SO many diamonds in the proverbial rough (Amare, Marion, Barbosa, Hornacek, Majerle). Think about trades/free agency: Again, there have been mistakes (Penny, Googs, Robey, Hot Rod), but MANY more crucial successes: (Chambers, KJ, Barkley, Joe Johnson, Kidd, Nash). Bottom line, the Colangelos were smart dudes, and they ran a top-notch franchise for years.

Steve Kerr is a total crapshoot. I like him as an analyst. He seems very smart. But can he judge talent and bring it to Phoenix in the tradition of the Colangelos? Only time will tell. The uniforms haven't made the franchise great... the Colangelos have. If Kerr is a bust, we're on a one-way ticket to Celtic-land, circa the 1990's-2000's. This may be the beginning of the end for the Suns. But maybe not. Anyone who professes to know one way or the other is nuts. Only time will tell. Looking back, the crucial day was the loss of Bryan. This is just the natural, logical extension of that decision.

M