The Phoenix Suns are in the midst of another season in the NBA cellar at 19-53 and have been in full tank mode the second half of the season.
They have been lead by Interim Head Coach Jay Triano for much of the season, as Earl Watson was fired three games into the 2017-18 season.
There have been rumors about who the Suns could pursue to be their next head coach for months and now according to their GM Ryan McDonough, the search is officially underway.
From Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
The Phoenix Suns are beginning their search for a new head coach now, a process that will include interim coach Jay Triano, general manager Ryan McDonough told ESPN…
“This is going to be a competitive marketplace,” McDonough told ESPN. “There are three of us with interim coaches in place, and we want to be able to hit the ground running. We don’t want to have to wait until the end of the regular season for candidates who aren’t with teams now. At the end of the regular season, we’ll be able to talk with coaches on non-playoff teams and we’ll need to work with playoff teams on what their approach will be on contacting (assistant) coaches still in the postseason.”
It is smart for the season to attempt to get a leg up on their competition because as McDonough said, they are one of three teams with an interim coach who will be hiring a new coach next season and there could be a few more firings once the season is over (New York and Orlando).
This likely still won’t be a hire the Suns make until after the season, especially if they allow Triano to interview for the position going forward once the season is over, but there are some serious candidates out there now that they can interview now so why not get the process started.
While Jason Kidd would be interesting as a former Suns point guard and Jay Wright of Villanova has been rumored (they will have to wait a little longer to interview him), I believe that David Fizdale is the right move for this franchise as a player’s coach who is known for his popularity among players and his ability to develop talent.
