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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

30 Comments   |   Join the conversation »
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  • Abuse
    VAdevil9 wrote...
    The Suns...
    are the new Cleveland Browns.
  • Abuse
    HopWorks wrote...
    Nailed It Gambo!
    I have been mad as hell since I heard about this. I have been fuming since I heard about the Gentry firing, then I listened to Babby's press conference and comments on the Doug and Wolf show. The guy reminds me of David Stern! Self-righteous, confident, and clueless! You need to get Sarver on the show and let him listen to some listeners. Show him these comments. Even without all that, this move HAS to have him shouting "WHAT?" or we are in real trouble for a very long time. Thanks again Gambo for speaking my mind. DEAD ON BRO! Jim Rome who?? GAMBADORO IS BURNING!
  • Abuse
    BirdmanKickedYourAZ wrote...
    Wow
    I hope this is part of some plan to demolition the season and shoot for ben mclemore. Elston Turner should be the head coach of this team. So far the only intelligent decisions made have been all the draft picks and preserving cap space. Pretty much every personnel move has been a disaster. Beasley is a clown and joke. If Gentry's departure has anything to do with Beasley, Blanks and Babby should be fired immediately. I am hoping they are gone by the end of the year.
  • Abuse
    Kaos wrote...
    Colangelo made the biggest mistake..
    by selling the Suns to Sarver.
  • Abuse
    diehardcard wrote...
    I can't imagine
    Is there anything that Sarver could possibly do to save his reputation in Phoenix? We all HATE him. I've never met a Suns fan that was even ambivalent toward him, let alone liked him. Everyone HATES him. Why would you want to own a team in a city that loathes you? He should sell the team, but he won't. Anyone wanna bet that we'll be watching the San Diego Suns in 2016?
  • Abuse
    diehardcard wrote...
    Actually...
    Now that I think about it, all the Suns moves make a lot more sense, perfect sense even, if Sarver intends to move the team (he's hit the reset button on the franchise, so to speak, and alienated the entire fanbase). The only other explanation is massive incompetence. I find it hard to believe that a guy that's smart enough to make enough money to buy a franchise could be so incompetent. So he's moving the team. Better prepare yourselves, fans. It's coming.
  • Abuse
    Dukeit wrote...
    Suns FO a marking nightmare
    I have been a Suns fan for 40 years. The suns have not alway won but have always been entertaining. This year I have not been able to watch a whole game-its just bad basketball.One thing that could have brought back the fire to the fans was hiring Dan Majerle. The way he played would have been the way he coached. The day he coached his first game we could have all stood up and booed and the rest would be history. Colangelo would have never been this disloyal. Remember Frank Johnson...
  • Abuse
    Cardinals_Suns wrote...
    Remember the movie Major League
    this is the real Major League movie playing out here in Phoenix. If we come in last in the west and alienate our fanbase, then we can move the team to better weather. Get ready for the Seattle SuperSonics part 2... only this time it will be the Zombie Suns.
  • Abuse
    Boycott_Sarver wrote...
    Boycott Sarver!!
    Sarver has ruined this team. If you want to voice your opinions and try to make a difference and show a united front please join the facebook page "Phoenix Suns (Robert Sarver) Boycott"
  • Abuse
    SimpleBill wrote...
    Really?
    First you claim we "Hired the wrong guy," but never claim why he is the wrong guy other then his lack of experience. Everybody starts somewhere Gambo. His resume up till now is as good as any head coaches in the league. 17 years in the league, multiple championships, played and worked under a very respectful list of coaches, worked with Derrick Rose in Chicago when he entered the league (brought in under Del Nigro, another guy who nobody thought deserved a shot), was also considered a finalist for the Orlando HC gig.
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