Suns owner laments millennial culture in assessing team's woes
For many, a new year represents fresh opportunities and a chance to improve upon the past.
For the Phoenix Suns, this theory may not hold true, as the team's prospects look to get much worse before they get any better in 2016.
The Suns lost an ugly one to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, pushing the reeling franchise to a 12-25 record, and further exacerbating their on- and off-court issues.
Suns owner Robert Sarver, for one, is not shying away from his role in his team's gradual descent into the quagmire it currently finds itself.
"The blame is to be shared from the top down," Sarver told AZ Central's Dan Bickley.
"Our leadership needs to communicate better," he said. "It needs to provide a better culture that provides for more accountability and more motivation. We have a lot of good, young players. They need to be playing hard, aggressively and on the same page whether we win or lose. That’s what I expect going forward."
Much of the Suns' turmoil this season has derived from Markieff Morris' response to the team trading his twin brother, Marcus, in the offseason, which Sarver bizarrely linked to the millennial generation.
"My whole view of the millennial culture is that they have a tough time dealing with setbacks, and Markieff Morris is the perfect example. He had a setback with his brother in the offseason and he can't seem to recover from it," Sarver said.
"I'm not sure if it's the technology or the instant gratification of being online. But the other thing is, I'm not a fan of social media. I tell my kids it's like Fantasy Land."
The ripple effect the drama surrounding Morris has had throughout the franchise is unquestionable. The loss of Eric Bledsoe and the shaky ground upon which head coach Jeff Hornacek presently stands also contribute to the ominous future facing the fragile Suns.
Credit Sarver for bypassing the first stage of grieving - denial - and skipping right to its fifth and final stage - acceptance - as he plans for a better tomorrow.