Daily Links: Where Steve Kerr's job prospects are examined (via link)

by Phoenix Stan on Jun 22, 2009 10:50 AM MDT in Daily Links Comment 12 comments

Link 0'Day

Bickley: Clock ticking on GM Kerr's regime
Kerr has one year left on his contract. He's still the same man he's always been: Smart, dignified, honorable. But he's been roughed up by two years of serious turbulence. It's hard to picture him vying for a contract extension. Meanwhile, (Dave) Griffin is undoubtedly yearning for the job, for the chance to run his hometown team. He's done it before, when Mike D'Antoni was GM in title only. He has undying loyalty to the franchise, and he would do it relatively cheaply, to be sure. Don't think the owner, Robert Sarver, isn't aware of that.

Would you be shocked to see Kerr go?

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Humor for your Monday?

On Steve Kerr: If he doesn’t hit it out of the park with this draft AND make the playoffs, he should be gone. That said, I think Sarver will give him another contract because Steve is his buddy.

On going big in the draft – No, no, a thousand times no. The only big guy (C, PF) I would want in this draft is Griffin.

On Mark Cuban – Yeah, right. Who polices ESPN? Who evaluates and grades Cuban?

On Territorial claims – We would have HArden, as well as Iggy and Sean Elliot. On the flip side, Orlando might have ended up with Dwight AND Amare.

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Jun 22, 2009 11:57 AM MDT reply actions 0 recs

Kerr

I honestly don’t want him back that much. Not saying he isn’t a good character guy, but his (over?)ambition to make us like every other title team out there caused us to falter.

I wouldn’t mind him staying if he tried to keep the team doing what it does best…run. That said, can’t wait for the draft.

by Batmanthesunsfan on Jun 22, 2009 1:06 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

but his (over?)ambition to make us like every other title team out there caused us to falter.

Not sure what you mean. A more defensive minded team? Abandonment of 7SOL? I don’t think it was over ambition, I think it was simply that we hadn’t won a championship, or gotten that close with what we had. He was out to make changes for us to compete with San Antonio. Of course that gets into the whole huge debate about D’Antoni and the Shaq deal, etc…We’ve killed that.

I could see Kerr going only if he quit on his own, and i dont see that happening for another few years. Or if fan base/season tickets go in the toilet.

I do agree that we need to make the playoffs this year, but i dont see the draft as being the key. how often can you look at a draft pick immediately and say" “yep that was a great pick.” Obviously a 14 pick needs time to adjust to the NBA level…How will we know if the pick is a “home run” or not immediately? Of course there was Robin Lopez, which in hindsight we can see as crappy use of a #1 pick in my opinion.

The other thing is what moves Kerr makes or doesn’t make with Amare/Shaq/Nash. These potential moves or lack thereof could obviously have an effect on Kerr’s future.

by RD74 on Jun 22, 2009 1:24 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Consider

Robin’s progress vs Speights. Or Courtney Lee. Or McGee. These were all drafted after Lopez, and had better years. The draft is important. Especially when this team has a record of drafteing mid to late and getting guys like Nash, Finley, Ceballos, MAjerle, Hornacek, and lately, Barbosa, who was drafted by SA late and acquired for a later pick.

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Jun 22, 2009 1:53 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Too soon for Lopez

I still think it is too soon to call Robin a bust.

He didn’t get nearly the opportunity to play that those other guys did on worse teams (Lee being the notable exception) and of course we all know how long it took Nash to really blossom.

I have my doubts about Robin’s desire but I don’t think his rookie season playing behind the legend that is Shaq was any kind of indication. When I saw him play last summer in Vegas I saw a guy that had a huge impact on the floor and played with much more ferocity then we saw in Phx. That guy is in there somewhere and it may be that we won’t really see it until Shaq is gone.

Or he might be a bust. But the only guy that I would in retrospect take over him is Lee. McGee and Speights are skilled for sure but I think at Robin’s size and athletic ability he still has the larger upside.

I can’t wait to see him in Vegas again this summer.

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Phoenix Stan on Jun 22, 2009 2:18 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

I sure hope

you will get to see an exciting young rookie in the Vegas league. Maybe like:

PG Dragic
SG Jodie Meeks (#48)
SF James Johnson (#14)
PF Robert Dozier (#57)
C Robin Lopez

(I think JJ will be able to play some PF, also)

Any thought to which free agent v ets should be invited

April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?

by Hawk42 on Jun 22, 2009 3:51 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

What I basically meant was not just the Shaq trade but also the bringing in of Terry Porter. This is where that cliche “Don’t fix what ain’t broken” can come in. Kerr tried to incorporate a big guy that didn’t fit with the system. Don’t get me wrong, I love shaq to death but he just wasn’t the right choice at the right time I think. I would have let Shawn finish out the year with us and see what we could have done from there. Just another infamous Phoenix Suns “What if” moment.

But back to the original topic. My personal thoughts on the signing of Porter was Kerr trying to better us defensively in a drastic way. Maybe signing him as a assistant would have been a better choice and in turn promoted Gentry. Again these are personal thoughts that I have yet to express until now.

And I do agree…this draft/season will make or break Kerr’s future. I’m not saying he do something drastic or stand pat even, but instead have some success with this team. They’re definitely talented and capable enough to get something done.

As for Robin…I like the kid. I’m sure everyone can agree it is too early to tell how he will be in later years but I think he’s got a lot of potential

by Batmanthesunsfan on Jun 22, 2009 5:29 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lopez needs to get fired up…..and bring the Defense.

by cabezonication on Jun 22, 2009 3:43 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs

BSotS newbie

I personally think that Kerr is going to step down after this year, regardless if the team is able to improve upon last season and make the playoffs. He never really impressed upon me a true desire to be the GM of a sports franchise, and that image I have of him has just solidified itself over time. The reigns should then be handed over to Griffin, providing him with a legitimate opportunity to succeed or fail as the GM on his own.

by J Trull on Jun 22, 2009 3:45 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs