TYLER BASSETT

Phoenix Suns: Have a plan and then execute it

Apr 14, 2011, 3:53 PM | Updated: 7:03 pm

A little more than two weeks ago Phoenix Suns Team President Lon Babby told Sports 620 KTAR’s Doug & Wolf the Suns “seem to be just good enough to lose.”

In being just good enough to lose, you win some but not enough, especially games you feel like you should be winning.

The season is now over and the Suns finished with a record of 40-42.

They finished in 10th place in the Western Conference with a record just below .500.

That screams mediocrity.

In 2009 they were mediocre. 2010 saw them bounce back and end up in the Western Conference Finals.

Now, we sit in mid-April of 2011 fresh off what was a hard-to-believe-at-times mediocre season.

Naturally, the question to follow is… What’s next? Where are we going?

I don’t know the plan. I’m not supposed to.

But does the brain trust of the Suns have (and know) a plan?

Looking back at the two in-season trades they went one for two.

They went one for two in having a plan and then executing that plan.

First, get rid of Hedo Turkoglu. Had to do it in whatever way they possibly could. They did a good job in getting Marcin Gortat back but wow did they miss Jason Richardson’s fourth quarter scoring this season. Mickael Pietrus was putrid in the clutch. Vince Carter? As bad or worse.

That’s usually what happens when you trade. You get better in one area and take a hit in another.

Second, a down to the final minute trade with the Houston Rockets — Aaron Brooks for Goran Dragic and a first-round draft pick.

So I ask again, what was the plan and was it executed?

I have no idea what the plan was and therefore I’m left to assume the execution of the idea was poor — very poor.

We don’t understand why the move was made. Our questions and doubts from that day couldn’t be more on target as we sit here two months later.

Have a plan and execute it.

Taking the words straight from Babby himself, “we seem to be just good enough to lose,” the plan for the Suns this offseason should be to go in either direction from there — up or down. Yes, I just said the plan may be to go down.

Either go get help for Steve Nash and “be good enough to win,” or go into a full rebuilding phase and “be bad enough to lose — a lot.”

Treading water and hovering around the .500 mark in hopes of making the playoffs and wishing for a once-every-ten-year’s playoff run as a lower seed cannot be the plan.

Creating the plan is the most difficult part.

In moving forward, start by making a choice on Nash. When the decision is made it should be clear with the direction of the team. If Nash is here they need to be in the top five of the Western Conference; there is no point in keeping him and missing the playoffs.

Do not have a plan for mediocrity. That’s worse than rock bottom — for the time being, at least. If horrible decisions are made while at rock bottom then you may get stuck there for a long time. Let’s worry about that when the time comes.

Whatever the decision is, hopefully it’s not to be “good enough to lose” anymore.

That’s false hope.

—–

TY’s Outtakes

What I learned this week…

I learned it’s going to be really tough for me to move away from Arizona. I went golfing on Saturday — rainy and cold — and was bundled up like I was headed to Flagstaff to go snowboarding. It was an April day in Arizona. If I ever live north again, I’m in big, big trouble.

Tweet of the week…

Flying to Malaysia with charl! Glad one of us has a green jacket on!!! http://twitpic.com/4jqjufless than a minute ago via Twittelator Favorite Retweet Reply

Rory, if I were you, there is no way I would be getting on a plane with that jacket unless it was mine. Not after taking a four shot lead into a Sunday at the Masters.

Suggestion of the week…

This is pretty weird and cool at the same time (thanks Adam). Head Tracking for iPad: Glasses-Free 3D Display.

Speaking of, I just got my iPad last night. I’m excited.

Tyler Bassett

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Phoenix Suns: Have a plan and then execute it