In the up-and-down churn in Phoenix, Gentry remains a rock
In the up-and-down churn in Phoenix, Gentry remains a rock
That's four losses in a row now, the latest against New Orleans a particularly wincing hit to playoff aspirations. And while Steve Nash is back from injury, he is not back to being Steve Nash.
This is not good for the Suns. There is no room on the calendar for patience. where to buy cheap NBA Jerseys?ujersy is a good choice.
Alvin Gentry is in there, in the middle of it all, coaching a roster in constant turnover and a defense that is badly regressing. Phoenix could be 16 games away from tumbling from the Western Conference finals to the lottery. But Gentry, not yet a year removed from a brief stint as the team's de facto general manager, is locked in.
Of all people to have become invaluable. Gentry got his first shot as a head coach with the Heat as an interim, another with the Pistons as an interim ... the only time Gentry got a job without having to step over a body was with the Clippers.
The Suns, his fourth stop, have provided security no one could have predicted. Gentry stayed in Phoenix when Mike D'Antoni left for the Knicks, choosing to remain in an adopted hometown rather than join the rest of the staff in New York. Terry Porter, brand new to the job in that summer of 2008, was hired as D'Antoni's replacement. Gentry stayed on Porter's bench.
After a new defense-first approach sputtered, Porter was fired after 51 games, and when interim coach Gentry re-instituted the speed game, he became a hero in the locker room. Amar'e Stoudemire was lost to a serious eye injury, but the Suns kept winning, beating all expectations with 54 wins and a credible showing in the conference finals. So Gentry got the full-time job in the offseason.
When Steve Kerr and David Griffin, the leaders in basketball operations, quit in the summer, Gentry and owner Robert Sarver worked the personnel department until Lon Babby and Lance Blanks were hired.
The Suns lost Stoudemire to free agency, traded for Hedo Turkoglu and then traded him away, and now are 33-33 while dropping from 11th in shooting defense in 2009-10 to a tie for 22nd.
Being at .500 is not terrible under the circumstances. The Suns are still in striking distance of the playoffs at 2 games behind eighth-place Memphis. But being in 11th means that for the Suns to make the playoffs, several teams must trip. recommend directory:Jason Kidd #2 Dallas Mavericks NBA Blue Jersey Size 52.
Yet Gentry has evolved into a stabilizing force with a franchise that faces an uncertain future. He is, all of the sudden, a constant.
"I don't know about that one," Gentry said, laughing. "Constant in what way?"
The rare recognizable Sun who has been around and, based on every indication, will stay around. The guy who delivered the offense that keeps the fans happy and the scoreboard spinning, even if it's not the same Seven Seconds Or Less offense of D'Antoni.
A constant.
"It feels good to have a little stability, I think. Obviously things have changed since I was first there. Steve [Nash] is the only guy left on our team from the first team we had here. There's no other guys left and there's no other coaches left other than me," Gentry said. "But I still think still we've got a lot of winning that we can do here."
Babby, the president of basketball operations, ranked only Nash and Grant Hill ahead of Gentry as the face of the franchise. He called Gentry's contract extension last offseason a no-brainer.
"I know in Detroit, there wasn't, maybe, an appreciation overall, in the organization, across the board, for him," said Hill, who played for Gentry with the Pistons. "An appreciating him like there is here. It's taken him a long 20-some odd years to finally get the opportunity he has now and to get the respect, the appreciation, to really do it his way. And he's doing it.
"I see things from all the different influences, but I also see a lot of him, a lot of his own personality. He's tough, he's demanding, but he's a lot of fun. He can put all of that together. As a guy who's played for him and known him for a long time and somebody who considers him a friend, I'm glad he's been given this opportunity. It's probably a little overdue, but he's certainly doing a good job."
In a role he never had before, in an opportunity he never could have seen coming, in a place he never wanted to leave, Alvin Gentry has become a constant. recommend directory: Dirk Nowitzki #41 Dallas Mavericks NBA White Jersey Size 48. DJ in London About LEDS Strip,you may know Something about LEDS Strip Cowboy and Native American Decor In Your Abode and Patio South Africa For Travellers A Midsummer's Night Dream Setting Bridesmaid jewelry customs from different countries Iconic Attractions to Visit on Your Mauritius Honeymoon Tour Starting a PhD in Australia as an International student Bangladesh vs South Africa, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, Live Score Card Check your tyres before you holiday trip Saving money while studying in Australia, a guide for Australians and International students Himachal holiday packages: true glory of nature