The Phoenix Suns have had a tumultuous season, but we now have some clarity toward what their future will hold. The Suns have agreed to a deal that will make interim coach Earl Watson the full-time head coach. The deal is believed to be for three years.
He's the Suns' fifth coach since Mike D'Antoni was let go back in 2008. From the Suns:
The Phoenix Suns have reached an agreement with interim head coach Earl Watson to retain him as the 17th head coach in franchise history.
“Earl did a very good job with our team last season after taking over as interim head coach during a challenging time for the organization,” said Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough. “Earl’s natural leadership qualities and his ability to connect with and motivate our players have stood out throughout his time here in Phoenix. We are excited to see what he can do with a healthy roster after having a full offseason to prepare.”
With the interim tag now gone, hear the team's high praise for newly-named @Suns Head Coach @Earl_Watson. #WeArePHXhttps://t.co/dWJpg3IXg1
— #WeArePHX (@Suns) April 19, 2016
The Suns fired Jeff Hornacek in his third year coaching at the end of January during the season and named Watson the interim coach for the final 33 games. Prior to that move, the Suns had also fired two of Hornacek's assistant coaches in what turned out to be a disaster of a season. There were big injuries to Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe, not to mention the chaos created by having Markieff Morris on the roster for much of the year when he was open about wanting to being traded.
In the final 33 games of the season, Watson coached the Suns to a 9-24 record. Over those 2½ months of the season, the Suns had the worst offense in the NBA and the 23rd-ranked defense. The excitement surrounding the team (or as much excitement as anybody could muster) was mostly due to the resurgence of Alex Len, who finished the year strong, and rookie Devin Booker, who was one of the best in his class.
