Alvin Gentry: ‘It’s practically brand new’

After a busy offseason that saw the Phoenix Suns revamp their roster, the rebuilding process is nearly complete.

With so many new additions to his team, Suns head Coach Alvin Gentry said he just needs to figure out his starting five and what role each player will have in the upcoming season.

“We’re just going to take a look at see how players fit together,” said Gentry. “We had a pretty good gauge in the past about who played well with who and the matchups and the rotations. But, with this group right here it’s practically brand new. So we’ll take a look at it and try to make judgment call after the [first preseason] game.”

With the season opener only a few weeks away, expect Gentry to experiment with different rotations during the preseason.

“One of the things we have to figure out is the combinations of guys that play well together,” said Gentry. “So, you’ll see different combinations of guys maybe even different guys to start the second half.”

With so many new players taking the court, Gentry said certain players will get extended minutes to give them a chance to get used to one another on the court.

“I want guys out there long enough so they can get a feel,” he said. “I don’t want a guy to feel the pressure of making a couple mistakes and then being taken out. We’ll give guys some extended minutes. Most of the guys that go in are going to play seven or eight minutes straight so they can at least get a feel of the game.”

Even with just five players returning from last season, Gentry said he has been pleased with the amount of progress his team has made in getting a feel for their new teammates on the court.

“Where guys like the balls, the cuts and passes that you can receive from people, that’s what they’ve got to learn from each other,” Gentry said. “I think they’re all good guys. They genuinely like each other. Usually when that’s the case, the chemistry comes together pretty easily.”

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