Former Suns GM Kerr ‘relieved’ for Alvin Gentry
Jan 19, 2013, 12:56 AM | Updated: 1:29 am
The reaction to the Suns’ decision to part with head coach Alvin Gentry has been mostly negative, as it seems fans attribute the the team’s 13-28 record more to the talent the front office assembled than the guy in charge of making it work.
That’s not exactly inaccurate.
Still, as far as former Suns GM and current TNT basketball analyst Steve Kerr is concerned, this is not the worst thing that could have happened to Gentry in his career.
“I’m sad for him, I’m also a little bit relieved for him,” Kerr told Arizona Sports 620’s Doug and Wolf Friday. “I know that he was under a lot of pressure, I know that this was a situation that was very difficult for him.
“It’s always tough in the NBA when you don’t have enough talent to really win.”
Does anyone want to argue that assertion?
The Suns’ leading scorer, Goran Dragic, is averaging just 14 points per game. The team does not have one double-digit rebounder, and they are not exactly racking up assists, either.
Yet, Gentry was tasked with keeping this team competitive, and while they were in most games this year, they weren’t winning enough of them. Thus, the move.
“I think there’s just kind of circumstances that lead you down that path where as a coach maybe you just can’t reach the players, there’s a frustration that sets in, and it’s kind of like everybody just knows that it’s probably time,” Kerr said.
Kerr added it was probably apparent to everyone that the timing was right and a decision to cut ties made sense, as hard as it may have been.
“I’m sort of relieved for Alvin, but more than anything I’m sad because he’s one of my favorite people on Earth. Just a tremendous human being. Funny, witty, cares about people.
“And he did a great job for the Suns.”
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