Dan Bickley

Phoenix

Sports columnist at KMVP-FM (Phoenix, AZ)

Co-Host at Podcasts Bickley & Marotta

Journalist/columnist for over three decades. Scars to prove it. Radio host on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Author of three books. Guitarist for Whiskey's Quicker.

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Articles

Suns owner Mat Ishbia's internal memo is troubling

3 weeks ago | arizonasports.com | Dan Bickley

Mat Ishbia does everything fast. That includes falling from grace. Has the perception and popularity of a sports owner ever plummeted so quickly? It isn’t just the shocking transformation of our beloved NBA franchise into the Phoenix SpartSuns, where he made a general manager out of a Michigan State pal with zero experience in a front office role; and then hired a rookie head coach spawned in the Michigan State video room.
The Suns are at a Michigan State crossroads

3 weeks ago | arizonasports.com | Dan Bickley

The Suns wear purple and orange. They’re turning green and white. They are an NBA franchise run through the Spartyfy app, where anything you can do, a Michigan State alum can do it better. Now we’re at a real crossroads. The Suns have whittled their extensive head coaching search down to two candidates. Predictably and alarmingly, the unknown from Michigan State (Jordan Ott) has survived every cut. The other candidate seems far more qualified.
Is it time for D-backs to move on from Lovullo?

1 month ago | arizonasports.com | Dan Bickley

Early has become ugly. It’s nearly June, and the Diamondbacks are not a good team. They are far worse than a losing team. They are a team that looks lost. The lowly Pirates landed the most recent haymaker, scoring 19 unanswered runs over a swath of two games to win a shocking series at Chase Field. A series where the Diamondbacks went 13 innings without scoring a run. Red flags are everywhere. The bullpen has demoralized the team. Shaky defense speaks of a snakebit group losing confidence and belief.
Pacers' rise in NBA postseason a reminder of Suns' past failures

1 month ago | bvmsports.com | Dan Bickley

Hindsight is the devil for all failed regimes. But if James Jones had only known then what he knows now, the Suns wouldn't be in a dire predicament. At the NBA draft in November 2020 - a strange date and a strange scene necessitated by the pandemic - Jones selected Jalen Smith with the 10 th overall pick. He passed on Tyrese Haliburton, the star point guard from Iowa State. Haliburton had fallen into Jones' lap. Jones refused to take the gift. It felt like madness in real time.
Pacers' rise a reminder of Suns' past failures

1 month ago | arizonasports.com | Dan Bickley

Hindsight is the devil for all failed regimes. But if James Jones had only known then what he knows now, the Suns wouldn’t be in a dire predicament. At the NBA draft in November 2020 – a strange date and a strange scene necessitated by the pandemic – Jones selected Jalen Smith with the 10th overall pick. He passed on Tyrese Haliburton, the star point guard from Iowa State. Haliburton had fallen into Jones’ lap. Jones refused to take the gift. It felt like madness in real time.
The Cardinals will be a playoff team in 2025

1 month ago | arizonasports.com | Dan Bickley

The Cardinals’ schedule release was a banger, just as advertised. Linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. showcased his considerable rap skills in a big-budget hype video that even came with merchandise. It wasn’t Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl. But it was an impressive effort from a football player who performs under the name of “Rocketship.”Still, it was the words that Wilson Sr. said about the Cardinals after a recent charity basketball game that really have people talking.
Mikal Bridges trade could lead Suns' redemption arc

1 month ago | arizonasports.com | Dan Bickley

The Suns need some good publicity. Here are a pair of quick-fix, slam-dunk maneuvers for a team in the midst of a credibility crisis in Arizona:1. Announce and unveil the Jerry Colangelo statue in the plaza outside PHX Arena. The statue is already bought and paid for by a group of donors that includes Michael Jordan and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. It’s currently sitting in a warehouse gathering dust, an insult to a visionary owner who helped put the city of Phoenix on the map.
Suns dodge major blow during NBA draft lottery

1 month ago | arizonasports.com | Dan Bickley

It’s a turbulent time on Planet Orange, which means no news is good news. Reprieves are small victories. Whew. The Suns emerged from the NBA draft lottery unscathed. It could’ve been so much worse. The big winner was clearly the Mavericks, who took the No. 1 overall pick and the right to select Duke star Cooper Flagg. It is a soothing cure for all the vitriol in Dallas, where basketball fans revolted following the controversial trade of superstar Luka Doncic.
James Jones departs as top Suns exec with complex legacy

1 month ago | arizonasports.com | Dan Bickley

Legacies can be complicated, especially for a 57-year-old basketball franchise still seeking its first NBA championship. Consider the footprint of James Jones. The former Suns general manager was once two victories away from immortality and a spot in the team’s ring of honor. Now, he is unceremoniously replaced by a man with very little experience and very few credentials. The Suns came full circle under the stewardship of Jones, from the bottom to the top and all the way back down.
Suns GM Brian Gregory draws conflicting feelings

1 month ago | arizonasports.com | Dan Bickley

The Suns have a new buzzword: Alignment. It is repeated so often that press conferences sound like trips to Discount Tires. New Suns general manager Brian Gregory said the word frequently in his introductory press conference on Tuesday. He also spoke of vision, identity and grit, the same copy points Mat Ishbia stressed in his end-of-season press conference. I left feeling conflicted. I do not believe in the approach, the methodology, or the organizational flowchart.