Head Coach Jeff Hornacek and the Phoenix Suns came into the season expecting to fight for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Instead, the Suns are suffering through what’s likely to be their sixth straight season without making the playoffs. That’s the longest playoff-drought in the history of that proud organization.
Things started to go downhill with the trade of Marcus Morris to Detroit and the negative reaction it caused in his twin brother (and current Sun) Markieff Morris. At one point, Morris was suspended for a pair of games for throwing a towel at Hornacek.
Then the team lost star point guard Eric Bledsoe for the season following a season-ending knee operation.
Add to that the nagging injuries suffered by the team’s other point guard, Brandon Knight.
Roster turnover and the ability to build chemistry hurt the team as well, as only 5 players remained from the team Hornacek coached his first year (a team that went 48-34).
Earlier this season, in a fairly rare in-season move, the Suns fired a pair of assistant coaches. It was an effort to right a sinking ship, but as it turns out it was all for naught.
The 52-year-old Hornacek, was 101-112 in his three seasons as Suns head coach. He becomes the NBA’s fourth head coach to be fired this season, joining the likes of Houston’s Kevin McHale, Brooklyn’s Lionel Hollins and Cleveland’s David Blatt.
