DON'T DO IT, STEVE

by GMoney, The Money Shot

Allow me to speak on behalf of all Phoenix Suns fans for a moment, please. I should begin by saying that I am not a Suns fan, I'm just using this forum to voice their concerns and demands. It doesn't really matter to me who they hire as their next coach. I don't care at all. But, this team has one (maybe two) year left to contend for a title before it will need to be blown up so, needless to say, the time is now. Their has to be a sense of urgency behind this decision. The Suns can't bring in a rookie head cheese either. I think that we can all agree that we are going to miss this style of play and these players when they are gone. So, since there is some new meat on the market, I ask only one thing of you, Steve Kerr:

Please don't hire Flip Saunders.

I'm sure that Flip is a helluva guy and a smart basketball tactician. I get that. But the guy has made it to zero NBA Finals in 13 years. And as I mentioned previously, with this team's age growing by the day and their productive shelf life's shrinking, I don't like the odds that the Suns and Saunders are a perfect match ready to win the O'Brien Trophy.

The guy has worked with some great players and great teams over his head coaching tenure, but always fell short. With Kevin Garnett in his prime and Sprewell/Cassell both actually trying, he wasn't good enough. In a rotten Eastern Conference with one of the best "teams" assembled in recent memory, he still couldn't get the Pistons even close to a Finals appearance. And when you look closely at Saunders' teams on their elimination nights, you can always see the players with frazzled looks. They always lose composure when the pressure mounts. They always seemed to shy away from the spotlight. It never looks like his players completely buy into his system either. Deron Williams would run through a brick wall for Jerry Sloan...I don't think any of Flip's former players would do the same for him. And that is what separates great from average coaches. That may be unfair, but it looks like it may be more fact than fiction.

Steve Kerr, we all see you taking your time over there. There is no need to make a hasty decision on your next (and possibly last since you really haven't been that special in the GM chair) head coach. But I'm warning you in advance; say thanks but no thanks on Flip Saunders. I'm not going to pretend to know who should be the next Suns coach for their last hurrah with this team, that's Steve's job. I'm only telling you that history shows us that Flip is not the guy that you want to bring in for a run at a title. I've had enough of watching Steve Nash and Amare exit the playoffs prematurely, give us all one more good run with these guys, Steve. I beg of you, just one more. For God's sake, please don't hire Flip Saunders.