Sun Setting in Phoenix

Yesterday I explained why it was right to let Avery Johnson go, today I'll explain why current Phoenix Suns coach will resign. Let's start with the fact Mike D'Antoni firmly believes his offensive style of play can and does work. His belief of pushing the ball up and shooting within seven seconds (roughly) helped turn around a Phoenix franchise going nowhere. Where he and his team ran into problems was the playoffs. D'Antoni never seemed to grasp that his team couldn't will the opposition into playing faster and his team played too poor of defense, especially at critical junctures to win enough series.

Steve Kerr has a resume that included playing for championship teams in both Chicago and San Antonio. He was always a glib interview in his playing days and learned to make short direct comments on TNT as analyst. This hardly is cause to make him a GM of an already successful franchise, but he does have more rings than Luc Longley, so maybe that's enough. Of course having an already friendly relationship with owner Robert Sarver was, how do I say this, ahh, a bonus.

Right from the start friction ensued. Kerr, though a shooter with limited defensive skills believes he understood the value of defense and tried to "suggest" to D'Antoni more time needed to be placed on stronger defensive principles. Not surprisingly, D'Antoni embraced this like a head cold and went about his business. While mixed messages surfaced, the three Amigos (Sarver, Kerr, D'Antoni) seemed in agreement bringing Shaq on board was a great idea to enhance the Suns chances of winning NBA title. Of course this did not work, as the Big Cactus showmanship hustle was more for show than results. At 36, Shaq can still be effective, just not as an every game 30+ minutes starter. He was not the reason they lost to the Spurs, it was a collective effort.

Steve Nash is no longer a MVP player, he's probably the fourth best point guard in the West and will not become better at 34 years old. Amare Stoudemire actually flashed unseen defensive skills, but at the four spot, not as a center. Raja Bell is a nice complimentary player at 31 and was anyone really surprised Grant Hill broke down?

D'Antoni so firmly believes in his system, he takes on a Paul Westhead quality in believing offense can win, without enough defense. He also made mistakes against the Spurs, after Boris Diaw got his mojo on in what was a meaningless Game 4, he structured his offense to go thru Diaw in Game 5. Why?

Like Dallas, time has passed this team by. San Antonio had less talent, had to go even further further into bag of cheap tricks and through mental toughness survived to beat a mentally soft club.

Kerr has said he wants D'Antoni back, mostly because Sarver owes him 8.5 million for last two years. Kerr want him back IF D'Antoni will change and stress more defense and less offense. With this roster that seems impossible. Look for D'Antoni to resign with severance package, wholly committed to his beliefs in a new location. Kerr then can handpick his coach and seek more balance on both sides of the floor, meaning the Suns record plummets for the short term.