Terry Porter Says All the Right Things

Terry Porter's introductory press conference just finished up and while nothing particularly newsworthy or groundbreaking occurred, the new Suns coach said all the right things and impressed me.

He consistently discussed defense and the importance of having a philosophy, an identity, and "plays you live by" on that side of the ball. Porter also touched upon the importance of a solid bench and guys a coach can count on over the course of an 82 game season.

One gets the feeling if Porter and D'Antoni were in the same room together they would resist each other as like poles of magnets do.

It can be argued that Porter is simply saying what Kerr would like him to but these two really seem to be on the same page. A strong relationship and good rapport is evident and we can only hope they're able to come close to duplicating what RC Buford and Greg Popovich, Bill Polian and Tony Dungy, and John Schuerholz and Bobby Cox were able to in their next few years of working together.

About the only thing that struck me as interesting during the press conference was Kerr discussing the assistant coaching staff and letting it be known the choice of staff will be a team decision. Porter will surely have his input and Kerr will "pursue what will make Terry the best coach" but it's abundantly clear that Steve Kerr has grabbed a hold of the reins of this team and franchise and will be directing things from here.

The buck stops with Kerr.

The hiring of Terry Porter is his first imprint on the team. This morning's press conference confirms it is a step in the right direction.