The Phoenix Suns continue to be upheaval when it comes to basketball decisions with the sudden, yet not surprising firing of head coach Igor Kokoskov.
It can’t be understated that when it comes to the reasons why the Phoenix Suns have been labeled as incompetent, it starts with owner Robert Sarver.
Never mind James Dolan, Sarver is one of the most uninspiring sports franchise/club owners in all of sports. The impulsive decisions are mind boggling and you may ask yourself, where did it all begin as the Suns currently hold the second longest playoff drought in the NBA.
It’s hard to tell where it began ,considering the last five years have been tumultuous.
Hey, speaking of five, did you know that the next head coach for the Phoenix Suns will be Devin Booker’s fifth head coach in five years? Booker is not even 23 yet and he’s already seen more head coaches than Kevin Durant has his whole career. Does that sound like something that should make sense?
A normal organization should value continuity, organization, and stability. Those three qualities are what makes an organization run at optimal capacity. Clearly, that’s not what fans have here in the Suns.
Firing Igor Kokoskov after one season is the exact opposite. You can’t build a team from the ground up if there are constant changes being done. That’s how bad teams stay bad.
Now was this season exactly a vote of confidence for Kokoskov? The team failed to win 20 games again so on the surface, no. However, people need time to figure it out. Just what exactly was expected from Kokoskov given the hand he was dealt?
Let’s be honest. If you expected this Suns team to win even a meager 30 games this season given the construction of the roster, then I’m unsure of what to tell you.
Kokoskov was given Ryan Anderson who barely played, Trevor Ariza who was later traded long before the All-Star break, no meaningful point guard play until more than half the season was over, Jamal Crawford and Jimmer Fredette.
And that’s before we get to the fact that they passed on Luka Doncic to take Deandre Ayton with the first overall pick in the NBA draft. This isn’t really an indictment of Ayton the player as it’s more of an indictment of the Suns process.
You had Kokoskov who coached Doncic on the Slovenian national team, where they had success and continuity together. If there is anyone in the league who knows Doncic, it’s Kokoskov. Yet they hire the coach and pass on the player. Then we fast forward a year later and the coach is no longer there. So, what was the point?
However, again, Kokoskov and Doncic had continuity together which the Suns seem allergic to having any resemblance of.
What’s next? Who knows? James Jones and Jeff Bower are going to bring in the guy they want. Should they be trusted to find the right guy and stick with him? Tough to say!
With that said, good luck to the next head coach and his coaching staff because it appears if you don’t become the Houston Rockets in your first year, you’ll be given the pink slip.
Once again, good luck!