PHOENIX SUNS

Analyst: Alvin Gentry deserves credit for late-game lineups

Nov 16, 2012, 2:18 AM | Updated: 4:48 am

With nine new faces on the roster heading into the 2012-2013 season, Suns head coach Alvin Gentry said he would not be afraid to go off of feel in late-game situations, rather than playing traditional rotations.

Through nine games, the veteran coach has more than kept his word.

In the Suns’ 112-106 loss to the Chicago Bulls in overtime Wednesday night, Gentry relied on four players off his bench — Sebastian Telfair, P.J. Tucker, Shannon Brown and Markieff Morris– along with a combination of Marcin Gortat and Luis Scola down the stretch.

And while Phoenix’s valiant comeback effort was thwarted in the extra period against Chicago, Gentry has not shied away from the unconventional.

In Monday night’s win over the Nuggets, Gentry looked to a completely different set of players, as Michael Beasley, Goran Dragic, Jared Dudley and Markieff Morris paced the Suns to victory in the waning moments.

During their 4-5 start this season, the Suns have not closed out a fourth quarter with the same five-man unit in consecutive games.

It begs the question: can Gentry’s mixing and matching be sustainable across an entire 82-game season?

“It’s actually very sustainable, because it’s upfront and honest,” Suns radio analyst Tim Kempton told Arizona Sports 620’s Doug and Wolf Thursday. “It’s visible, you can see it. What more do you want from him? He’s not playing games with them, he’s not talking behind their backs.”

Although the Suns have received huge individual performances off the pine late in games this season — whether it be from Brown’s three-point shooting, Tucker’s energy on the glass or Telfair’s ability to space the floor — Phoenix has still made a poignant effort to find a closer, but consistency has been lacking in that department.

As a former player, Kempton said Gentry should be respected by his team for the job he is doing in the fourth quarter of games, not vilified for it. Without a closing lineup set in stone, Phoenix’s coach has chosen to give playing time based on merit and merit alone.

“From a player’s standpoint, I would love [what Gentry’s doing],” said Kempton. “Hey, if he’s giving me a chance, all I have to do is bust my butt, and I am making my time.

Phoenix Suns

Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket against Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minneso...

Kellan Olson

What Suns have to replicate, fix to avoid 3-0 hole vs. T-Wolves

The formula for the Phoenix Suns to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves is there. The doubt is in their ability to achieve that.

2 hours ago

Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns warms up before the start of game one of the Western Conferenc...

Kellan Olson

Kevin Durant preaches execution over ‘rah-rah speeches’ for Suns

Kevin Durant did not choose to emphasize communication much as a key for the Suns to stay consistent and instead focused on execution.

17 hours ago

Grayson Allen #8 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the second half in game one of the We...

Kellan Olson

Suns’ Grayson Allen questionable after re-injuring ankle vs. T-Wolves

Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen is questionable for Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday after re-injuring his ankle.

17 hours ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Is Kyler Murray in the Danger Zone with Marvin Harrison Jr.?

With there being widespread speculation that the Arizona Cardinals will take wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the 4th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Wolf & Luke wonder if he would be the right piece to help propel quarterback Kyler Murray to an explosive season.

19 hours ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Bickley Blast: Suns’ superteam is failing ‘spectacularly’

With the Phoenix Suns in a 2-0 hole to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first round playoff series, Dan Bickley wonders if the team can even the series up and take it back to Minnesota.

21 hours ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Do the Phoenix Suns have any fight left?

Video: Felisa Cárdenas and Jeremy Schnell/Arizona Sports Subscribe to the Arizona Sports daily newsletter: https://bit.ly/3QWcj1x Read articles from Arizona Sports: https://arizonasports.com/ Download the Arizona Sports app: https://arizonasports.com/the-arizona-sports-98-7-fm-app/ Sign up for texts from Arizona Sports: https://arizonasports.com/text-alerts/ Listen live to Arizona Sports: https://arizonasports.com/listen-live/ Follow the team: https://bit.ly/3R0PIAJ ARIZONA SPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArizonaSports/ X: https://x.com/azsports TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@arizonasports987 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arizsports/ ARIZONA SPORTS PODCASTS: https://arizonasports.com/category/podcasts/

2 days ago

Analyst: Alvin Gentry deserves credit for late-game lineups