Watson was a short sighted choice by the Suns.
Relying on simple numbers, Watson performed worse than his predecessor Jeff Hornacek. Watson finished the season 9-24, .273 winning percentage, and before his dismissal, Hornacek was 14-35, a .286 winning percentage. A slight difference in an abysmal season, but it shows that Watson was not Norman Dale. Even considering injuries, Earl Watson didn’t do enough to be handed the job.
The Suns dropped the ball on retaining Watson when they had the opportunity to pursue other candidates with proven track records. It’s a solid list and it included:
255-139, .