Alvin Gentry: ‘Scola is a true professional’
Nov 28, 2012, 8:38 PM | Updated: 10:45 pm
From 2008 to 2012, Luis Scola started all 304 NBA games in which he appeared . That wasn’t expected to change after signing with the Phoenix Suns over the summer, but after their disappointing 5-7 start, Suns head coach Alvin Gentry made it clear changes were going to be made.
In a move Gentry labeled one of the hardest decisions he has ever had to make, Scola was moved to the bench for the first time since his rookie year in order to give the starting five more athleticism.
“I’ve been a fan of his since the day he walked in the league and to have to take him and put him on the bench,” Gentry told Arizona Sports 620’s Burns and Gambo. “I just thought that Markieff [Morris] and Marcin [Gortat] is a little bit better fit out there than Scola.”
Scola initially struggled in his new role, scoring only four points on 2-of-4 shooting and providing a single rebound in 19 minutes of play against the Portland Trail Blazers last Wednesday. But in his last three games coming off the bench, Scola has scored in double digits while shooting 56 percent from the floor.
Gentry added that although Scola has expressed a desire to return to the starting lineup, he has remained a “true professional” and only wants to help the team win.
