Steve Kerr leaving Suns

[Andrew]

Source

Less than three weeks after the Phoenix Suns’ surprising run to the Western Conference finals, general manager Steve Kerr is parting ways with the franchise after owner Robert Sarver asked him to take a 10 percent pay cut, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Kerr’s stunning departure threatens to throw the franchise into turmoil and could hasten the departure of free-agent forward Amar’e Stoudemire this summer. Stoudemire’s agent Happy Walters met with Kerr as recently as last week to discuss his contract status, but is still waiting on a formal proposal from the team.

“Aside from the money, obviously an important factor for where Amar’e will sign is the direction of the organization, and Steve leaving signals a new direction for the Suns,” Walters told Y! Sports. “We need to see what that direction is. Amar’e has a great deal of respect for Steve, and so do I. Steve and [coach] Alvin Gentry made a great team there and now a big part of that team is gone.”

I guess asking him to a take a paycut after the team's just enjoyed their best season in a few years is a little insulting but I wonder if there's more to the story, perhaps a reduction in Kerr's power or a disagreement with Sarver over the future direction of the team. In any case, it'll be interesting to see whether this changes anything with Amar'e.

As for Kerr, I wouldn't mind if he returned to TNT.

[Rip32]

I hope he goes back to TNT as well. Teamed with Marv Albert and Mike Fratello they had one of the best sportscasting trios around. They were all three together on what, NBA Live 05?

That is strange that he'd leave over a pay cut. There has to be more to it, plus, firing your GM when you have to sign one of your best players is never a good thing. This could end the Amar'e era in PHX.

[Andrew]

NBA Live 2005 featured Marv and The Czar, while NBA Live 06-10 featured Marv and Kerr.

Amar'e has struck me as the most likely big name to jump ship this offseason for a while now due to his past disputes with management, though I've also thought that perhaps the Suns' playoff run (and of course, Marion being long gone) has since smoothed things over. It's sounding like this could throw a spanner in the works again, of course everything is treated as a sign of this or that when it comes to the top free agents but this certainly has to be taken a little more seriously than, say, LeBron's choice of baseball cap.

[Modifly]

There's definitely something going on in the background more than just a 10% paycut. Kerr wouldn't leave over a paycut, I think there's a high chance that there are disagreements within the management team, causing Kerr to quit.

As for Amare I think he's definitely leaving. I'd be really interested to see how he performs without Nash setting him up. I'm going to take a risk by saying that around 50-60% of his points were set up by Nash, resulting in layups/dunks. He's got that mid-range jumper but playing without one of the best point guard in the league is still going to be a lot more difficult for him. We'll get to see his real talent this time. I'm not saying that he's not good or anything, just that it'll be interesting how he's like without one of the best point guard setting him up.

[benji]

Little known fact, more than half of Amare's shots are jumpers from outside the paint.

There's also a chicken and the egg issue with inside baskets. (And all assists.) If Amare and Dwight are blowing to the basket past everyone getting easy dunks and close baskets they're going to be assisted a lot even if they did all the real work. (Should be noted that basically 90% of Dwight's shots come in the paint.)

As always in these situations (especially in the players play worse with more minutes myth case), I'm interested if people can come up with examples of players who fell apart offensively when separated from a player credited with creating all their points for them. Not out of any "prove me wrong" thing I should note, but I'm interested in seeing if there are actual counter-examples that can better inform evaluation of players potential future outcomes.

[Andrew]

Offhand. I can't think of any players that I'd say completely fell apart offensively; at worst, they tapered off a little bit and even then you could probably attribute it to different factors such as a different place in the pecking order on their new team, a new coach/offensive strategy, etc.

[benji]

Most importantly, age.

[Modifly]

Little known fact, more than half of Amare's shots are jumpers from outside the paint.

There's also a chicken and the egg issue with inside baskets. (And all assists.) If Amare and Dwight are blowing to the basket past everyone getting easy dunks and close baskets they're going to be assisted a lot even if they did all the real work. (Should be noted that basically 90% of Dwight's shots come in the paint.)

As always in these situations (especially in the players play worse with more minutes myth case), I'm interested if people can come up with examples of players who fell apart offensively when separated from a player credited with creating all their points for them. Not out of any "prove me wrong" thing I should note, but I'm interested in seeing if there are actual counter-examples that can better inform evaluation of players potential future outcomes.

Little known fact indeed, I've always thought that the majority of his shots were inside the paint. Still, I think it's going to be more difficult for Amare to blow past players getting easy dunks and layups once he's no longer with Nash or someone of that caliber who has great court vision and passing skills. He's not going to fell apart offensively, but MAYBE things will get more difficult for him?

[benji]

I suppose it's possible, but you may be ignoring that it's highly likely he winds up with Wade and/or LeBron, not exactly slouches at finding teammates

Now if he comes to Detroit, he might suffer from Ronald Stuckey. But who doesn't?

[Murat]

Good luck to him in future... I think he will be a manager of another team...

[Modifly]

I suppose it's possible, but you may be ignoring that it's highly likely he winds up with Wade and/or LeBron, not exactly slouches at finding teammates

Now if he comes to Detroit, he might suffer from Ronald Stuckey. But who doesn't?

Ah, if that's the case and he ends up with Wade and/or LeBron, then I suppose he's not going to have much trouble continuing right where he left off getting to the rim.

[Martti.]

I think it will be even better for him with Lebron or Wade, because they demand more help from defenses, giving him more easy close shots. Plus he can still do pick and rolls and pick and pops with both of them.

[Andrew]

Good luck to him in future... I think he will be a manager of another team...

Perhaps, but I reckon he'll be back behind the mike first.

[Murat]

Good luck to him in future... I think he will be a manager of another team...

Perhaps, but I reckon he'll be back behind the mike first.

Yes. Steve Kerr had a successful manager career, and basketball career. It will resume for him...

[Rip32]

Steve Kerr had a successful manager career

When does one prolonged playoff run equals success?

[Andrew]

Indeed, before last year Kerr wasn't exactly being touted as doing a stellar job.

[Murat]

He had 5 championships (player career). But GM career is as not successful as his player career.