Suns: Charles (Bayfield) in charge
Oct 3, 2012, 7:10 PM | Updated: 8:54 pm
October 3, 2012: Suns practice ends early Wednesday
LA JOLLA, Calif. — Before a practice can end, head coach Alvin Gentry will call out a player’s name and send that player to the free throw line.
It’s very simple: make the shot and practice ends; miss the shot and everyone must run the length of the floor, down and back.
After Kendall Marshall and Michael Beasley missed their attempts earlier in camp, Gentry decided to switch things up a bit.
He had the team’s video coordinator Elvis Valcarcel shoot Tuesday night. He missed.
Wednesday morning, it was Charles Bayfield’s turn. Bayfield, the team’s director of security, calmly walked out on to the court, took two dribbles, bent his knees and let it fly…GOOD!
What ensued was a raucous celebration led by Luis Scola and Marcin Gortat.
“It was about 13 (players) to five that he wouldn’t make it,” Gentry said. “His shot looked pretty pure. I was very impressed.”
Bayfield, with a big smile on his face, humbly and politely declined comment afterward.
The question before us now is: Who’s next?
• Lon Babby, president of basketball operations
• Trevor Bukstein, director of basketball opertations assistant
• Vince Kozar, manager of basketball communications
• Mark West, vice president of player programs
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Goran Dragic did not practice, missing his third straight session after rolling his ankle a week ago in a pickup game at US Airways Center.
Of course the morning session in camp is only a walk-through.
Dragic is improving and is expected back soon.