Porter Fired In Half A Season

Terry Porter, head coach of the Phoenix Suns, was fired for the Suns poor performance this season. The firing comes at the All-Star break, amid rumors that Porter would be heading out the door. Last season, the Suns were 55-27 under head coach Mike D'Antoni. However, they lost in the first round in five games to the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs. It was another unsuccessful run in the playoffs for the Suns, who've strived in the regular season under D'Antoni.

Suns general manager Steve Kerr, who has won five championships as a player, felt the Suns should focus a little bit more on defense. Under D'Antoni, their offense has always been at the top of the NBA but their defense has always been one of the league's worst, which has held them from advancing to the NBA Finals. D'Antoni and Kerr fueded and D'Antoni left the Suns for the New York Knicks. Kerr then hired Porter, who promised a lot of focus on defense.

However, they have not played as well without their uptempo offensive style. Their record now stands at 28-23, which is good for ninth place in the Western Conference playoff race. If the playoffs started today, they would not be a part of it. The Suns have already traded mainstays Raja Bell and Boris Diaw to the Charlotte Bobcats and superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudamire are reportedly on the trading block. Suns assistant coach Alvin Gentry will take over.

Steve Kerr is now showing that the moves he made has been a mistake. The move he made last year getting rid of Shawn Marion for O'Neal has not necessarily worked out. Changing from an offensive oriented coach to a defensive oriented coach has also not gone well. I think Steve Kerr is proving that his success as a player will not be matched as a general manager. The Suns constantly gave themselves a chance to contend with their high-powered offense in the past. Now, their abandonment of that offense and a focus on defense has left them out of the playoff race and has pulled Steve Nash's numbers down. Porter also hasn't shown that he has been a good head coach at all, failing in Milwaukee with the Milwaukee Bucks before coming to Phoenix. Kerr should be the next one out if he doesn't shape up soon.