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In the span of a weekend the Phoenix Suns fired the wrong guy and then they hired the wrong guy.

The whirlwind 48-hour so-called interview process that followed the surprising firing of head coach Alvin Gentry and subsequent hiring of Lindsey Hunter on an interim basis was nothing more than a charade. And make no mistake about it, Gentry was fired, it wasn't a mutual decision to part ways.

Neither Elston Turner and his 14 years of coaching experience or Dan Majerle and his five-plus years had a snowball's chance in hell of getting the job.

Not as long as general manager Lance Blanks, who has ruined this team with bad move after bad move, was still employed.

Blanks was always hiring his no-experienced buddy Hunter, whom he brought in not as a coach, but as a player development guy, who somehow was allowed to bark out instructions from behind the bench even though he wasn't on the coaching staff.

Blanks even told people at the time he hired Hunter not to be threatened by Hunter because he wasn't going to be coaching.

How loyal, experienced coaches who were next in line could be passed over by someone who has been here for just a few months tells you everything you need to know about Blanks.

The same Blanks who inked Michael Beasley to a three-year deal, but didn't want O.J. Mayo.

The same Blanks who traded Goran Dragic and a first round pick to Houston for Aaron Brooks.

The same Blanks who signed Eric Gordon to a max contract offer sheet with no chance of actually being able to land him.

Yes, that Blanks who appears to be in way over his head as a general manager just as president of basketball operations Lon Babby is at his position.

The reality is that Hunter would have been hard-pressed to get a job as a head coach in the D League but somehow was good enough, with no experience, to get the head job here.

Look, this is the worst hiring since Michael Jordan pegged Sam Vincent to coach the Charlotte Bobcats. It's downright ridiculous and proves that the Lance/Lon duo doesn't have a clue.

The players were asked there opinion and the majority wanted Majerle. Neither Majerle or Turner were at Sunday's practice and you can bet your bottom dollar they both will want out after witnessing this joke of a process. And that's a shame as both are qualified good basketball men.

The sad part is that the owner Robert Sarver, who at times gets a bad rep but desperately wants to win and has spent the money to win, has been snowed by the duo he now has in charge.

Hopefully by the off-season Sarver comes to his senses and will find the right people to run his organization.

The boys he has in charge now are running it into the ground.

John Gambadoro, Co-host of Burns & Gambo

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  • Abuse
    azgbayfan wrote...
    Totally agree
    I so rarely agree with Gambo when it comes to the Suns that I am kind of concerned that something is wrong. Blanks is incompetant. Babby talks a much better game than he plays and Sarver is not without blame whatsoever. It was Sarver who fired Kerr and that brought in Warrick and Turkoglu. He also signed Frye to ridiculous extension. With Hunter at the helm the Suns may very well get that top 3 lottery pick and then Suns nation will find out that those picks do not come with a guarantee and take years to develop if they pan out at all.
  • Abuse
    SCSSAL wrote...
    Read My Mind
    The reason they hired Hunter, is the same reason Sarver signed babby n blanks (or better well known as "Dumb n Dumber") lowest paid and no experience...the trifecta is now complete!
  • Abuse
    ginobiliflops wrote...
    I can't say W T F?
    We just ran 4 coaches out of town in a few days. Can we get a buying group ready to save this franchise? The killer B's, Babby, Blanks and Bobert, ( I know his name is Robert but I don't want to call him that) have completely destroyed everything I loved about this franchise. Can we start a Kickstarter fund and at least have someone with some GD common sense run this franchise? If only there was a way...
  • Abuse
    tutimes wrote...
    Everyone loves and misses Kerr all of a sudden
    But seem to forget he's the reason we have Robert Sarver as an owner in the first place. It was Kerr's reccomendation that got Sarver the team, and Sarver returned the favor by making Kerr the GM. People also seem to forget all the bone-head moves Kerr made, like trading Shawn Marion for Shaquille O'Neal, and trading Kurt Thomas for cash consideration. We only had one really successful year with Kerr in charge, and that was the same year he stepped down to be an analyst.
  • Abuse
    dech4 wrote...
    For once I agree with Gambo
    Couldn't agree more, Gambo nailed this one! The Suns and the three at the top are a complete and utter joke. The big three have taken the franchise down a path that has made a diehard and lifelong fan have no interest whatsoever. Can't see myself even taking note of the scores anymore.
  • Abuse
    ollieburger wrote...
    stupid move
    I'm done this is stupid ,they had the best coach in the NBANow there cutting money again ,if you cant afford the NBA then sell the team .Get out and take all the stupid people with you .maybe you can change the uniforms maybe red ! Dumb former fan too bad ,always loved the suns till now .you if you look at are players we dont have any who would start on another team .
  • Abuse
    tutimes wrote...
    It doesn't matter who the owner or GM is
    Because at the end of the day, this franchise is just flat-out cursed. The Colangelos did a lot of stupid things too, which people also seem to forget. Like trading Majerle for John Williams, trading Barkley for three players we didn't keep for a whole season, trading Michael Finley, trading Steve Nash, and trading Jason Kidd for Marbury. Not to mention making injured players lots of money, like Gugliotta and Hardaway. None of those moves got us anywhere either but a first or second round exit in the playoffs. Face it, the ownership has always sucked.
  • Abuse
    AzFoRkEm wrote...
    Lost Cause
    Sarver just sell the team already!!!! All Suns fans should put up some cash instead of buying tickets or merchandise and buy this team from that tyrant!! Let's get this going back into the right direction. I mean c'mon...Lindsey Hunter!! Really?!?!
  • Abuse
    Brian's Mojito wrote...
    None of this matters
    Whether the Suns picked Lindsey Hunter, Jim Boylan, or Dan Marjerle; none of this matters because Phoenix doesn't have the personnel to win a championship, much less make the playoffs. This is a "rebuilding" period. However, I put rebuilding in quotations because Sarver isn't fully committed to call this a rebuilding era. He's told the city of Phoenix the Suns are rebuilding but also will be winning games. You cannot do both at the same time in the NBA.
  • Abuse
    Teddy P wrote...
    Sarver
    Gambo, we all know the only reason you won't say anything bad about Sarver is that he is your source for the Suns. We all know that is why you were the first to break the news of Steve Nash to LA trade. I give you props for ripping the terrible combo of Blanks and Babby, but Sarver is just as much to blame.
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