Suns players lobby for Watson to return as coach
PHOENIX -- Some spoke bluntly and others more subtly, but as they cleared out their lockers Suns players to a man lobbied for Earl Watson to return as coach next season, sans the interim label.
"At one point in the season we had the mindset that we were accepting losing. ... Once coach Earl took over we didn't accept losing anymore," Devin Booker said Thursday as the Suns conducted exit interviews after a disappointing 23-59 season ended the night before.
Watson took over after Jeff Hornacek was fired following a 14-35 start. The Suns' record didn't fare better under Watson, who was 9-24, but the play was more inspired and players bought in despite the counting losses.
"Being a young coach, a rookie coach, coming in under the circumstances that he came in under, I don't know many veteran coaches that could have done a better job really turning the tide and turning this team around," veteran center Tyson Chandler said. "Clearly we continued to lose some games but it was different. He's shown he's capable of running a team, demanding respect. Of course I don't make any decisions but I would definitely recommend him."
Watson did not have experience as a head coach before he was tapped for the job Feb. 1. He was an assistant in the D-League last season and was primarily a development coach, working with the guards, in his first season on Hornacek's staff.
Watson, 36, and General Manager Ryan McDonough were unavailable for comment Thursday as they conducted their own exit interviews with players.
The selection of the Suns next coach ultimately will be McDonough's, in conjunction with Managing Partner Robert Sarver. But if it is up to the players, a selection process isn't necessary.
"You can't keep changing coaches, right?" backup point guard Ronnie Price said.
Watson inherited a team that lost its starting point guard (Eric Bledose) to a knee injury, was essentially counting down the days until it could trade its opening-night power forward (Markieff Morris) and shortly thereafter lost its next two top scorers (Brandon Knight and T.J. Warren).
Watson immediately helped rebuild some of Morris' stock before a trade-deadline deal that netted a valuable draft pick, and turned the backcourt injuries and those to Chandler into opportunities for Booker and third-year center Alex Len to flourish.
The Suns were 9-24 under interim coach Earl Watson.
"I don't many coaches that would have been able to have the type of success -- it didn't necessarily show up in the record but the locker room success -- he had in inheriting the situation he did," Chandler said.
While the losses continued to mount under Watson, there was a noticeable difference in the team in the second half of the season. What changed?
"Coaching," Mirza Teletovic said. "When (Watson and staff) took over, they wanted us to play better, to play together. They were honest with everybody and guys bought it into it."
Teletovic finished as the team's third-leading scorer and set up himself for a hefty pay raise after he signed a one-year contract last offseason. He said he is very interested in coming back, interest that is tied to Watson's return.
"The most important thing for me is to see who's going to be coaching," Teletovic said. "If Earl stays there's a huge opportunity I'll be back.
"I think Earl set an unbelievable example for this team and it's very important for this team to have him coach. I think it's the right way to coach; it's the right way to be; it's the right way to win. Having him and the way we played the last three months, offense, defense, team chemistry, honesty between each other, it's going to be very important for me."
Watson's positivity is what won over the locker room more than anything.
"Everything was about what we can do to get better, rather than jaw jacking and going at everybody," P.J. Tucker said. "He is so positive it helped everybody, especially the young guys because we were such a young team."
Whether Watson's returns or not, the roster likely will be turned over somewhat. As Chandler said, "Anytime you have the season we did, just being realistic and honest, there's always a shakeup in the offseason, somehow, someway. You know almost for certain we're not going to come back with the same roster next season."
In addition to Teletovic, forward Jon Leuer and Price are the only major free agents. Bledsoe, Knight and Warren all are expected to be fully healthy when training camp rolls around in October. The Suns also have four selections in the June draft and the option to bring over Serbian shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic from Turkey.
By finishing with the league's fourth-worst record, the Suns have an 11.9 percent chance at the No. 1 overall pick and a 37.8 percent chance of moving into the top three. If the Wizards do not move into the top three in the lottery, the Suns will get Washington's No. 13 pick. The Suns also have Cleveland's first-round pick (No. 28) and their own second-round pick (No. 34).
"I'm actually excited going into this offseason. I feel like, even with this tough year, the franchise put itself in a position to have success this summer, which will translate into having success next fall," said Chandler, who used his exit interview with management to discuss the team's direction going forward. "Whenever you're trying to change culture you're going to have to shake some things up and it may seem like you're taking a couple steps backward to take steps forward. Some of the things that went on this season were necessary."
