The 2014-15 team was left suspiciously void of veteran leadership, a mistake you might expect from a general manager lost in the numbers, playing fantasy basketball. McDonough is partially to blame for the culture problem. Too many ex-players and coaches have lashed out at the Suns on their way out of the Valley, expecting a little more connectivity and honesty from above. Sarver also refused to pick up Hornacek’s option, which allowed him to enter the current season as a lame-duck coach. The ensuing chaos should not surprise anyone. And when Colangelo and former head coach Mike D’Antoni rolled into town together, with a one-win 76ers team that somehow beat the Suns on their home court, the outrage was palpable. Last year, the Suns allowed Marcus and Markieff Morris to act like fools without fear of repercussion. While Jerry Colangelo would’ve shipped both of them out of town on the very next flight, Sarver did the opposite. He was extraordinarily patient with the twins. We all know our NBA team is stuck in the middle, where franchises can wither for years without relief. If nothing else, General Manager Ryan McDonough has shown a knack for drafting the right players. If we can just get through one or two truly awful seasons … if the team can luck into a franchise player the way Carson Palmer fell into the Cardinals’ lap … maybe the Suns can finally stage a revival.Įxcept there’s no patience in the Valley for losers, and little faith in this organization. And Sarver is right. It starts at the top. On the very first play of the game, his pocket was picked by Kyrie Irving, who stole the ball for an uncontested layup. It was the kind of embarrassing moment that could make a teenager shrink, especially with LeBron James in town. Instead, Booker showed remarkable poise. The other night against Cleveland, Booker received a rare start. With a clean slate, the Suns might look different. Some of their young players speak to a bright future. Most notably, they are Brandon Knight (24), T.J. They need to be playing hard, aggressively and on the same page whether we win or lose. That’s what I expect going forward.” Our leadership needs to communicate better. It needs to provide a better culture that provides for more accountability and more motivation. “The blame is to be shared from the top down. “My job is to find the right people and the right culture to eventually be one of those organizations, and it starts with me. I’m not shirking responsibility. “The reality is, there’s only a half dozen championship-caliber organizations in the NBA over the last 25 years,” Sarver said. Reached overseas, Sarver took full responsibility. He said the Suns lack championship culture. He said that organizational leadership is to blame, and it all starts with him.Ĭlearly, the head coach is not the only one on the hot seat in Phoenix. Meanwhile, owner Robert Sarver is off buying a soccer team in Spain, having failed at two previous purchases. The optics are not good. The organization is mocked by former players and condemned by general perception. One year after shipping out unhappy players in a failed chemistry experiment, the Suns have already fired two of Jeff Hornacek’s handpicked assistants, further undermining his shallow base of authority. The Suns will likely miss the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season, setting a new franchise low. The Cardinals have reached unprecedented altitude just as the Suns have hit rock bottom. The distance between the two has never been greater, representing a dramatic overhaul in the personality of an adolescent sports market. A New York Times headline calls them the NFL’s “Most Dominant Team.” Bookmakers in Las Vegas place them as the favorites to win the Super Bowl. They finish off one of the greatest regular seasons in our history Sunday against the Seahawks. The Valley is full of breathtaking views. The Cardinals have the very best.
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