Terry Porter's New Assistant Coaches

jlove_26 · Post #1 » by **jlove_26** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:22 am

The first assistant coach has been hired. Drum roll please..............Dan Majerle.
http://www.ktar.com/sports/?nid=21&sid=872802

Post #2 » by **rsavaj** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:43 am

Beat me to it man; I was just about to post that I talked to Coach Gentry a couple hours ago at the team shop after the DBacks game. I don't know why he was just chillin at the team shop, but nobody was really paying any attention to him so I thought I'd try and talk to him; calling him "Coach Gentry" instead of just "hey" or "Coach" seemed to work, and I took a picture with him and asked him if he was going to stay. He said that he was, and that he definitely wasn't a NY kinda guy. I asked him if Phil and Dan were gone and he said "Yeah, we're hiring Dan Majerle and Bill Cartwright." I really, REALLY wanted to ask him his thoughts on A)the Shaq trade, B)Mike leaving or C)Whether or not Barbosa or Diaw would be here after draft day, but I thought that would be pushing my luck as a fan.

So, the coaching staff as of now(if he wasn't lying to me) is
Porter, Gentry, Majerle and Cartwright.

-SDU- · Post #3 » by **-SDU-** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:52 am

not a super awesome assistant group, but definately solid with alot of potential

im happy with it

kept gentry who will assist with keeping our identity, cartwright deserves respect and should be solid at assisting us with integrating shaq and our team into some triangle type offenses that worked with cartwright in chicago and shaq in LA and majerle will be the sort of guy who can work on peoples shots etc but should also still be a good younger mentor to our young players who will see him as a bit of an "inbetween" between old coaches and young players, because majerle still likes to think he is 21

:-)

Post #4 » by **tsherkin** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:44 am

Interesting. Of what value is Majerle? I suppose he might teach the perimeter guys how to defend and function as a shooting coach, and he's experienced and all that. He's certainly been watching basketball for a while now, doing commentary.

Cartwright is the interesting one but I'm pissed as Hell that Silas isn't coming aboard if this is the case. REALLY angry, he'd have been way better than Cartwright unless they intend to plumb Bill for triangle knowledge.

walkingart · Post #5 » by **walkingart** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:53 am

I like Cartwright and Majerle for one reason and one reason only, defense. Both guys were very solid defenders and hopefully they will be able to instill that mentality.

toucansma · Post #6 » by **toucansma** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:23 am

I am so psyched my favorite player of all time is going to be a coach! #9 :clap:

He is raw but will bring a lot. Barkley always said he was one of the smartest guys around in the NBA, and Barkley is not one to praise people. Dan will be great for the guards I think, making the young guys really learn to be a player on and off the court. He has a good pulse on the team from being around the organization the last few years. Plus he is the local Phoenix guy. My guess is he will be groomed eventually to be a H/C.

I am glad Gentry is staying so the players have someone still there to keep them at ease. He also knows the offense like the back of his hand.

Cartwright is supposed to be an excellent coach, so hope he works out well.

Won't there be one more coach added? To make a staff of 4 assistants and 1 H/C.

walkingart · Post #7 » by **walkingart** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:38 am

toucansma wrote:Won't there be one more coach added? To make a staff of 4 assistants and 1 H/C.

They might be retaining Humphries or looking to add a shooting coach ala Weber or Engelland(sp) to fill out the staff.

Post #8 » by **TASTIC** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:58 am

I really wanted Silas dammit.

Majerle is interesting, he's got some real media savvy so might be good for some quotes and interviews haha

Cartwright, don't really know a lot about him, but he's big and old so he might get through to Amare...I'd imagine he's lead assistant

skatesb16 · Post #9 » by **skatesb16** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:13 am

There's nothing that says we're not hiring Silas. I'm still hoping we get him, because we absolutely NEED him for Amare. And that staff doesn't look like enough. I think we need one or two more assistants to make it complete.

Really excited about Thunder Dan though. He'll bring a good defensive sense to the staff and also knows about the team inside and out, so there's some continuity there.

I really can't wait for next season!

Post #10 » by **tsherkin** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:21 am

Cartwright has been a head coach before; he did a decent job reaching Curry and Chandler as young players, worked with Jalen Rose and Jamal Crawford (difficult personalities)... He had 6 seasons as an assistant before that with the Bulls, so he was an assistant during the second three-peat (or the last two titles of that, anyway) and had the playing experience in the first three-peat (and 15 years as a player in total).

As a player, he learned from Red Holzman, Hubie Brown, Doug Collins, George Karl and Phil Jackson... In that last season with the Sonics, he played with Kemp and Payton, Detlef Schrempf, future NBA head coach Nate McMillan...

He was an assistant with the Nets for a while under Lawrence Frank, so he's been exposed to the Motion offense a little bit, not just the triangle.

I mean, I like Cartwright... but I wanted Silas. Maybe Bill, who's very soft-spoken but firm and has a crapload of viable NBA experience as both a coach and as a player, can get through to Amare. He's tough as nails, that's for sure, just like Silas. Wasn't a great rebounder in his day, though, and that worries me. Silas was a tough SOB and an outstanding rebounder (8 years at or above 11 rpg, peaked at 13 rpg). Silas has been the head coach of three different teams (San Diego Clippers, Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers). He was a two-time All-Star, won three rings (two with Boston, one with Seattle) as a player, and was All-Defensive First Team twice and Second Team three times. The man knew defense and rebounding and he knew postseason success.

Silas has incredible pedigree and respect, I can't believe the Suns haven't already said "You're hired, be on our team" already. They talked with him, did he ask for too much money or something? He said he'd be fine as lead assistant...

Silas NEEDS to be on this team; Silas and Cartwright would be the ideal scenario.

Sarlonus · Post #11 » by **Sarlonus** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:33 am

According to the AZ republic our last assistant coach is...Igor Kokoskov! I really have no idea who he is but he was a Detroit Assistant with Porter. He has a lot of connections with the staff. Gentry gave him an assistant coaching job on the Clippers in 2002. He individually worked with Steve Kerr when he was a player. He also apparently will serve as the Georgian men's national team head coach. Interesting.

Mr. Sun · Post #12 » by **Mr. Sun** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:37 am

rsavaj wrote:I asked him if Phil and Dan were gone and he said "Yeah, we're hiring Dan Majerle and Bill Cartwright."

Phil is a traitor.

Purple Palace · Post #13 » by **Purple Palace** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:02 am

Hopefully this all pans out. I just hope for defense to be stressed a ton more.

Post #14 » by **TASTIC** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:19 am

I don't see Gentry...

Igor Kokoskov - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Kokoskov

chitownsunsfan · Post #15 » by **chitownsunsfan** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:48 pm

Hello all I am new to this board but I do know bill cartwright very well. I followed him in Chicago and In New Jersey. From what I have been reading some of you are not very hot on bill and wanted Silas. Well you cant knock Cartwrights 5 championship rings that he has or the fact that he was an allstar with the knicks avg. over 20 points. And then went to Chicago and had to go up against guys like kareem, Ewing, Hakeem. He even played against Moses and against Shaq. Every where he went he has made the bigs better from Tyson Chanlder and Eddie Curry. With the Nets look what Kristic and Moore did last year and what Boone and Williams did this year. I think you guys got one of the best assistant coaches out there, I know chicago really wanted to bring him in. For those who think he is old Bill is only 50, Anyway I will keep you guys posted on any news that I have, I am pretty close to some people in the league, Thanks for hearing me out

Post #16 » by **tsherkin** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:19 pm

It's not that I don't want Cartwright, I think he can bring a lot. It's that I think Amare would have benefited more from Silas because he was actually a good defender, not just a physical defender who rotated well. Silas was an OUTSTANDING defender and an All-Star, a great rebounder too (which Cartwright was not, even before the foot problems began).

Bill can bring a lot to the halfcourt offense that Shaq will recognize and he's got the coaching pedigree to command respect but I think the ideal scenario is of course to have him AND Silas.

chitownsunsfan · Post #17 » by **chitownsunsfan** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:51 pm

Well you do make some good points, but from watching Bill in the 90s I believe he was a great defender. Also from what I hear Silas is not here because Kerr had a problem with him. dont know why but thats what I hear. You guys will be suprised with what he brings to the table, he is a great guy and like I said before I know many teams where after him.

Post #18 » by **tsherkin** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:25 pm

He was a good, physical defender but Silas was All-Defensive First Team... twice. And 2nd Team three other times. That's a big gap.

Kerr is an idiot, I think, if he doesn't bring Silas in because of some personal issue. Silas has always been known as a valuable coaching asset. I like Cartwright, I think he can contribute a lot but they're missing out big without Silas. Especially with a n00b head coach like Porter, which was another terrible idea.

EDIT: Having played the n00b card, I did support the idea of Elston Turner or even Tyrone Corbin as the new head coach, though those were from the available options presented. If they were going to go n00b, though, I consoled myself with the idea that Silas would be there as a lead assistant to say "No, dumb-ass, do THIS!" He's been a head coach for over a decade, he would have been so valuable...

Post #19 » by **rsavaj** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:31 pm

tsherkin wrote:He was a good, physical defender but Silas was All-Defensive First Team... twice. And 2nd Team three other times. That's a big gap.

Kerr is an idiot, I think, if he doesn't bring Silas in because of some personal issue. Silas has always been known as a valuable coaching asset. I like Cartwright, I think he can contribute a lot but they're missing out big without Silas. Especially with a n00b head coach like Porter, which was another terrible idea.

EDIT: Having played the n00b card, I did support the idea of Elston Turner or even Tyrone Corbin as the new head coach, though those were from the available options presented. If they were going to go n00b, though, I consoled myself with the idea that Silas would be there as a lead assistant to say "No, dumb-ass, do THIS!" He's been a head coach for over a decade, he would have been so valuable...

I agree 100%

ma_falaa_50 · Post #20 » by **ma_falaa_50** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:09 pm

it seems to me that the buddy is in full affect with these hirings. Paul SIlas CALLED them for crying out loud. What else can a man do to get some due respect? I think Silas has coached LBJ so dealing with talented players is not a problem. what has cartwright done? just because he has a ring doesnt mean he is a good coach. If that was the case Lc Longley would be a good coach too.