The Phoenix Suns are out of contention and coach Jeff Hornacek is out of patience
You’ve heard the old adage of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, right? The Phoenix Suns have heard it as well, they just don’t care. After years of trying to make players something they aren’t, they’ve now found themselves at rock bottom with a mismatched roster full of skilled but improperly fitted individuals.
Having individual talent in a team game has its benefits — as a potent scorer will demand more attention on offense and can use that to his team’s advantage. The caveat is that a player must be put in position to take advantage of those talents, so that the team can succeed.
Look no further than the San Antonio Spurs for proof of what happens when a team’s individuals are put in position to take advantage of their greatest strengths — and they do just that — for the betterment of the team. That’s the biggest difference (yeah, Gregg Popovich helps too), in that a team with selfless workers will always trump the selfish team.
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The Suns have talented players, but for one reason or another, management hasn’t been able to put them in position to succeed. It could be the coaching staff that’s failed to create the kind of scheme to get the most out of the roster, or it could be the players, who have chosen to put their individual desires and opinions ahead of coach Jeff Hornacek‘s — the very definition of a coach who has lost the team.
Coming off of a 30-point drubbing at the hands of the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s become apparent that the answer is likely a combination of the two. Playing a game in which your starting backcourt combines for a single assist in 66 minutes of action tells me either coaching staff, the players — or both — have checked out.
How does Devin Booker, rookie phenom 3-point assassin — not attempt a single 3-point shot in 27 minutes? How does Brandon Knight take 20 shots and not get to the foul line a single time (it’s the third time in his career and shocker, his team is 0-3)? How does Mirza Teletovic, the league’s No. 3 spot-up shooter, play just 14 minutes in a game where Sonny Weems, Lorenzo Brown and Archie Goodwin are getting run?
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Those are all questions that can’t be accurately answered — either we’re pointing a finger at the coaching staff for not directing the players or we point at the players for not taking direction.
I’m of the philosophy that no matter what, players are responsible for their on-court actions. I don’t believe that coach Hornacek instructs Booker to take three shots a few feet inside the 3-point line. I don’t believe that Knight is thrilled about shooting 6-for-14 on uncontested shots. Finally, I don’t believe running the offense through P.J. Tucker is the way to go, but that’s where we are these days.
In that clip, you’ll notice a handful of issues plaguing the Suns this season:
- Tyson Chandler getting beat on the glass
- Turnovers leading to transition opportunities the other way
- Porous perimeter defense leading to dunks
- Bad communication on picks
Common sentiment among fans and writers are that no matter who is at fault, it’s Hornacek who will be the fall guy.
Jeff Hornacek will get another shot at a head coaching job. But this soiree is Phoenix is on the cusp of being kaput
— brittrobson (@brittrobson) January 17, 2016
Even the coaches own words sound like a man (and a team) defeated (via Paul Coro, Arizona Republic):
"“A guy doesn’t have pride to go out and stop someone,” Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. “They shoot 57 percent. You can’t have the coaches go out there and guard them. It’s just straight-line drives. That’s pride. These guys can call themselves basketball players. Until you try to go out there and stop somebody and get in front of somebody and take a charge and do something … we’ve got one or two guys maybe on this team that do that.”"
Coach Hornacek has teetered between taking blame and sharing blame this season — but that quote is a direct shot at the effort of the players. He’s right, but it’s not going to matter — the 13-29 Suns are out of options and at least a new coach can provide a new voice for the players to ignore.