The Jeff Hornacek firing: A front-office analysis
The Vertical Insider Bobby Marks, a former longtime assistant general manager with the Nets, takes a hard look at the Phoenix Suns’ dismissal of coach Jeff Hornacek.
DECIDING FACTORS
The NBA is an unforgiving business.
Winners of only two games since mid-December, everything that could go wrong went wrong in Phoenix this season. Predicted to challenge for a playoff spot, the Suns find themselves buried in the bottom of the Western Conference standings and out of the playoffs for a sixth straight year.
High expectations, coaching turmoil, injuries and on-and-off-court distractions have turned a once-proud franchise into a perennial lottery team.
LONG-TERM PLAN
Stability
The Feb. 18 trade deadline will be the first step in determining the fate of current Suns players. The Suns are known as active shoppers and could move some expensive pieces. The remaining players will help determine the path the Suns take this offseason.
The current roster is a mix of youth and veterans, but many players overlap positions. The $27 million backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight is basically redundant. Will a new head coach’s system work with both players? Where does former top-five pick Alex Len fit in the long run, especially with the $48 million signing of Tyson Chandler in the off-season? And of course there is the Markieff Morris situation. Morris, with one of the friendliest contracts in the NBA, has been difficult to move because of off-court distractions and declining play. Teams will think twice about investing in him long-term.
The Suns need to find the right head coach, not just the right person to fit the style of players they have. A new system will dictate which players fit and which won’t. Unfortunately, some of those players might be traded in the next few weeks.
JOB APPEAL
High
Out of the possible head-coaching vacancies, the Suns’ job will be close to the top. Warm weather and desirable living conditions are certainly attractive. Even with the Suns’ poor record, this is not a total rebuild. It’s mainly a team that has lost its way.
With an average age of 26 years old, Phoenix ranks among the top 10 youngest teams. The youth is certainly attractive. Devin Booker, 19, has shown the Suns they have a starting shooting guard for the future. Former first-round picks T.J. Warren, 22, and Archie Goodwin, 21, have had career years.
The Suns likely will have a top-five pick and the Cavaliers’ first-round pick in the June draft. Phoenix also has all of its own first-round picks going forward and multiple first-round picks from the Heat in the near future.
Phoenix could have $20 million in cap space this summer, but that factors in the current group in place, which is likely to change.
ONE MORE THING
With a handful of possible coaching openings in the offseason, Jeff Hornacek will certainly be on the list of people to interview. An unbalanced roster, injuries and the dismissal of Hornacek’s top two assistant coaches made the coaching situation in Phoenix nearly impossible.
