Mercury midseason hiring of Nick U’Ren another signal of Sky's mismanagement if they continue without separating roles

Emre Vatansever has taken over as the Sky’s coach/general manager on an interim basis following James Wade’s resignation. (AP)

PHOENIX — Mercury general manager Jim Pitman didn’t mince words Thursday about the demands of the role — the reason he has decided to step down from the position at season’s end to focus solely on his other job as chief financial officer for the Mercury and the NBA’s Suns.

Juggling two full-time positions, as Pitman has done for the last 10 years, isn’t a recipe for success, especially given the advancement of the WNBA and a collective bargaining agreement that has led to an abundance of movement in free agency. The Mercury and Pitman understood that and adjusted.