The Alvin Gentry Death Watch Thread

[RunDogGun]

GD2, well I don't want to fire Gentry just yet, but on a few occasions we've had guys get hot going into the half, and he refuses to start them in the third. So he let's the hot hand sit the halftime, and then usually the first seven minutes of the third. So in realtime, they sit for about a half an hour until they aren't hot anymore. It is like he has to start the exact same way as the first regardless if someone is sucking. He has a long leash for some, and a short leash for others, but he says he doesn't do that. He went from looking like a genius last year, to looking like he just got lucky with the group he had. Not sure if that helped.

[JohnVancouver]

They extended him until 2013 and probably still paying Porter so realisticly I think it will be halfway through next season if they are doing really bad or at the end of next season. If they miss the playoffs two years in a row, I think they probably fire him.

i remember thinking yer posts were good and i never understood the agitation they would sometimes cause...

...but now i not only agree 100% w all of yer posts, but also yer posts contain 100% of what is in my head

i like the new you

Mary has burst forth from the coccoon like a brilliant new creature .... but I miss the old MVF sometimes.

[cedric76]

Why on hearth would he not start gortat

dudley+Gortat ahve to be starters

[Mr. Sun]

Sarver is going to do something real stupid if we lose to the Cavs at home.

[lilfishi22]

Sarver is going to do something real stupid if we lose to the Cavs at home.

Like what?

[Wannabe MEP]

what annoys me the most is that gregg popovich is a freaking genius and Gentry is an idiot. didn't he learn anything from him when he was part of Pops staff?

I don't think very many (any?) teams win championships without a guy like Pop: an intense, sharp-minded strategic thinker. Most of the greatest coaches--you can just look at them to know that they're deeply analyzing: Pop, Phil Jackson, Coach K, Larry Brown, John Wooden, even Bob Knight.

I don't believe Alvin Gentry has it in him. Not because he's stupid or anything, but simply because of his personality. He's not a natural strategic mind. He's a diplomat, relationship guy who leads by improving the atmosphere and mentoring players.

We need an intense, strategic mind. But honestly, I don't think it has to be the head coach. I think Gentry could still be head, but with a strategic assistant who Gentry listens to.

Marc Iavaroni???

[King4Day]

This mess isn't Gentry's fault. People are now just throwing him under the bus trying to find an excuse.
When you lose Amar'e, Lou, and Leandro, and add Warrick, Childress, and Hedo, it's going to take a long time to figure things out.

Then trade away Hedo, Richardson, and to a lesser extent, Clark, and add 3 MORE new players in Pietrus, Gortat, and Carter, tell me how it's Gentry's fault that he's doing what he can to find the right combinations.

He's being asked to integrate 5 new players along with more minutes for an improving Dudley and figuring out why Lopez and Dragic have regressed.
He hasn't had a chance and will literally need the rest of this season and the start of next to get THIS team gelling. That's how long it took for Richardson to pan out. Jrich was terrible with us until that time.

Can't blame the coach for the lack of chemistry. The ultimate problem with this team is that we no longer have an anchor in the middle with Amar'e. We can't spread the floor anymore. That's the problem. He's being asked to soften the blow of that loss and find the new guy that can take that burden or at least the lot of players who on any given night can be the man (carter, gortat, Dudley...)

[BurningHeart]

You can't blame the coach for lack of chemistry. You're very right. However, Gentry has big problems that extend to before this bunch was shuffled. His ability to recognize proper substitution sets have always been iffy, even before his time in Phoenix. This was very evident during the WCF last season.

Gentry is not completely absolved of the problems either. He can't be sitting there saying "we gotta figure it out" when we're down 30. It's his job to figure something out.

I don't want Gentry gone. I like his personality especially in regards to the kids, instilling confidence. However, doing things like getting buddy buddy with the enemy in Kobe Bryant really doesn't help.

Can't fault him for being a nice guy, but he needs to learn how to be cerebral. It comes with time.

[Wannabe MEP]

Can't fault him for being a nice guy, but he needs to learn how to be cerebral. It comes with time.

Do you think he can develop that? I'm not sure he can.

[BurningHeart]

Can't fault him for being a nice guy, but he needs to learn how to be cerebral. It comes with time.

Do you think he can develop that? I'm not sure he can.

I really don't know.