G&A: Coaching is nice, but bad defenders are bad defenders
May 26, 2011, 9:49 PM | Updated: 11:14 pm
The Phoenix Suns want to improve on the defensive end of the court.
A report came out Thursday saying the Suns will likely interview Lakers assistant Jim Cleamons to be the team’s defensive coordinator, giving credence to what has been said by Lance Blanks, Lon Babby and Alvin Gentry since the season ended.
Unfortunately, it won’t really matter, according to Sports 620 KTAR’s Gambo & Ash.
“Here’s the reality,” Gambo said. “The Suns are what they are. You have to play to what your personnel is.
“The personnel here is that they play small and they play fast, and that doesn’t make you a good defensive team.”
Gambo pointed to Steve Nash and Channing Frye as being limited defensively, basically saying it will be nearly impossible to be good at stopping teams unless they make some roster changes.
“I’m not so sure that this would be an answer for them unless they were changing their personnel and getting more dedicated to defense by getting more players that are committed to defense,” he said.
Ash, who said it helps to have quick hands and good lateral movement when playing defense, went so far as to say playing defense really comes down to effort.
“Some of these guys don’t want to play it, that’s it,” he said of the Suns.
Indeed, if playing good defense is about want then the Suns, who allowed the second most points per game in the NBA last season (105.9), must have as much desire to play defense as the Coyotes have to play their next season in Winnipeg.
