Phoenix Suns: 5 candidates to be the long-term head coach
Interim head coach Jay Triano is doing well after the firing of Earl Watson, but here are five head coaching candidates for the Phoenix Suns’ long-term future.
It took the Phoenix Suns all of three games to fire head coach Earl Watson, and though the immediacy of that decision caught some off guard, it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. When you lose two of three games by 42+ points, your job security is going to come into question.
That decision looks even better in retrospect, with interim head coach Jay Triano doing a superb job simply from being competent by comparison. The Suns are still one of the league’s worst defenses and are only 7-11 since he took over, but that’s miles ahead of what the team saw under Watson last year and through those embarrassing first three games.
However, Triano has been hesitant to declare this is something he wants to do beyond this season, and after promoting Watson from interim to full-time coach last time around, the Suns need to do their due diligence this time around.
Triano will likely get the rest of the season to prove himself, and the Suns shouldn’t be in a rush to find a replacement just yet (with the exception of our No. 1 candidate). They need a quality head coach tailored to developing youth, but not necessarily a championship-caliber coach since Phoenix is still so far away from playoff contention.
Bearing all this in mind, here’s a look at a few candidates that the Phoenix Suns should consider as their next head coach for the long haul.
Honorable Mentions
Steve Nash — Nash’s name is always going to come up in conversations like this given his obvious connection with the franchise, his high basketball I.Q. and his current role as a consultant for the Golden State Warriors. Taking another chance on a first-time head coach is risky for a rebuild that needs to start gaining traction though.
Sean Miller — The University of Arizona’s season has been overshadowed by scandal and an underwhelming 3-3 start. If this continues, maybe now is the right time to make the jump from the Wildcats to the NBA without having to relocate too far away from Tucson.
John Calipari — This is nothing more than a courtesy nod for the simple fact that Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis went to Kentucky. The odds are slim to none coach Cal would give up being the man down in Lexington to return to the NBA, where he’s already flamed out once.
Adrian Griffin — Currently an assistant for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Griffin has strong ties around the league. It feels like he’ll get his chance sooner or later.