Ashy Larry
09-22-2010, 11:36 AM
With the franchise nickname looming as a dead giveaway, its head coach has no problem reciting a prevailing company disposition.
"Around here, we think of it as the glass being half-full," Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry says.
On this morning, less than two weeks from the official launch of the second training camp under his watch, "here" happens to be the busy practice court conveniently tucked inside U.S. Airways Center. "It" is the prospect of a season without Amar'e Stoudemire.
Gentry is seated in the top row of a spectator gallery rising above one baseline. He is joined by members of a basketball support staff whose numbers seem to contradict the perception that Suns owner Robert Sarver has continued squeezing the budget enough to make a dollar holler.
As 75 percent of Gentry's anticipated rotation sweats through a reasonably competitive five-on-five run, several employees from various departments drop in to witness this unofficial preamble to camp. As many around the league have suspected for years, this really seems like an organization loaded with people who care about the product.
Yeah, the glass-half-full vibe looks alive and well, even though the prospect of duplicating last season's Western Conference finals trip may be compromised by glass of a different shape. This important shape is square and represents the retrieval of missed shots.
And, based on a roll call following the NBA's summer free-agent bonanza, this is a franchise with glass that needs to be cleaned. A review of the previous season reminds us the Shaq-less Suns were ranked 29th in defensive rebounding efficiency.
"Again, we're undersized,'' says Gentry.
Although Stoudemire's rebounding may never cause him to be mistaken for Bill Russell, his move to New York leaves the Suns seemingly hurting for a front-line finisher and even more bankrupt on the glass than before.
Cue Alvin.
"We take what we have,'' Gentry -- sounding very much like someone whose belief is multiplied every time he addresses the issue -- says, "and play according to our strengths."
But leaning on those strengths -- forcing a fast tempo, crisp execution when that tempo downshifts and becoming kind of stingy on defense when it matters most -- was not enough. No, with some spending loot quickly available, the Suns sort of fortified themselves by adding even more perimeter-oriented talent.
The cricket sound emanating from Phoenix during the early days of the free-agent summer was replaced by a hue and cry that wondered why the Suns needed even more snipers to flank point guard Steve Nash. Well, it certainly looks like Gentry and his bosses are fully intending to space the floor even more drastically than last season.
Until further notice, big-ticket acquisition Hedo Turkoglu -- who, at a reported 6-foot-10, is about the same height as Stoudemire -- may be listed at the four spot in the starting lineup. We say listed because the Suns line up with basketball players on offense, not in positions.
Sure, that gets dicey at the other end for a card-carrying small forward, but Gentry is hoping Hedo's ability to shoot from range, put the ball on the deck and create opportunities for himself and teammates will make defensive life miserable for any power forward assigned to guard him. Having Turkoglu and playmaking three-man Grant Hill on the payroll also has encouraged Alvin to design more catch-and-shoot maneuvers for Nash, who (check the three percentages and add 'em up) is the NBA's greatest shooter.
It should be noted that without Amar'e playing screen, roll and hammer, the Suns will be challenged to duplicate last season's league-best offensive efficiency mark of 115.3 points per 100 possessions.
But with Nash waving the maestro's wand and several cold-blooded shooters on hand, scoring probably won't be the issue that topples the playoff hopes of Suns fans.
"Our goal, obviously, is to become better at team defense," Gentry says.
While the eye test and fourth-quarter numbers suggest the Suns weren't exactly waving the white flag at crunch time last season, they still checked in at 23rd in defensive efficiency. Right, Stoudemire contributed to that ranking by often seeming incapable of guarding a bear in a phone booth, but he did pose a shot-blocking threat when in a crusty mood.
So, how can the 2010-2011 edition be less accommodating? Well, a healthy Robin Lopez as goalkeeper would be a great start, newcomer Hakim Warrick has the length and interest to defend (Lou Amundson is a free-agent goner, by the way), and Josh Childress has returned from Europe with enough lateral agility to (maybe) defend two positions.
Oh, yeah ... we have another important variable that will be greatly encouraged when camp open Sept. 28 on the mean streets of San Diego.
"To become a good defensive team you have to increase your defensive awareness," Gentry says. "We just have to improve in our approach."
With Gentry -- who quietly turned in one of the best coaching performances in the league last season -- around, the message won't be a secret. As one of the most improved NBA coaches (it really happens, folks) while coaching to the strengths of his roster, Alvin also has generated enough respect from his players to have them buy in. In this league, psychology often trumps Xs and Os. It helps that Gentry is working with a lot of players who "get it."
Anyway, so while we still may not see pressure defense, that doesn't mean the Suns will be immune from big-picture pressure on defense, right?
"We put more pressure on ourselves," Gentry, referring to living up to last season's unexpectedly strong finish, says. "We'll continue to set the bar high."
They now have one less player around to jump over that bar, but they still have Nash to pass under it.
And that, at least, should make them interesting to watch.
http://www.foxsportsarizona.com/09/17/10/Suns-Gentry-taking-glass-is-half-full-ap/landing.html?blockID=312984&feedID=3702
"Around here, we think of it as the glass being half-full," Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry says.
On this morning, less than two weeks from the official launch of the second training camp under his watch, "here" happens to be the busy practice court conveniently tucked inside U.S. Airways Center. "It" is the prospect of a season without Amar'e Stoudemire.
Gentry is seated in the top row of a spectator gallery rising above one baseline. He is joined by members of a basketball support staff whose numbers seem to contradict the perception that Suns owner Robert Sarver has continued squeezing the budget enough to make a dollar holler.
As 75 percent of Gentry's anticipated rotation sweats through a reasonably competitive five-on-five run, several employees from various departments drop in to witness this unofficial preamble to camp. As many around the league have suspected for years, this really seems like an organization loaded with people who care about the product.
Yeah, the glass-half-full vibe looks alive and well, even though the prospect of duplicating last season's Western Conference finals trip may be compromised by glass of a different shape. This important shape is square and represents the retrieval of missed shots.
And, based on a roll call following the NBA's summer free-agent bonanza, this is a franchise with glass that needs to be cleaned. A review of the previous season reminds us the Shaq-less Suns were ranked 29th in defensive rebounding efficiency.
"Again, we're undersized,'' says Gentry.
Although Stoudemire's rebounding may never cause him to be mistaken for Bill Russell, his move to New York leaves the Suns seemingly hurting for a front-line finisher and even more bankrupt on the glass than before.
Cue Alvin.
"We take what we have,'' Gentry -- sounding very much like someone whose belief is multiplied every time he addresses the issue -- says, "and play according to our strengths."
But leaning on those strengths -- forcing a fast tempo, crisp execution when that tempo downshifts and becoming kind of stingy on defense when it matters most -- was not enough. No, with some spending loot quickly available, the Suns sort of fortified themselves by adding even more perimeter-oriented talent.
The cricket sound emanating from Phoenix during the early days of the free-agent summer was replaced by a hue and cry that wondered why the Suns needed even more snipers to flank point guard Steve Nash. Well, it certainly looks like Gentry and his bosses are fully intending to space the floor even more drastically than last season.
Until further notice, big-ticket acquisition Hedo Turkoglu -- who, at a reported 6-foot-10, is about the same height as Stoudemire -- may be listed at the four spot in the starting lineup. We say listed because the Suns line up with basketball players on offense, not in positions.
Sure, that gets dicey at the other end for a card-carrying small forward, but Gentry is hoping Hedo's ability to shoot from range, put the ball on the deck and create opportunities for himself and teammates will make defensive life miserable for any power forward assigned to guard him. Having Turkoglu and playmaking three-man Grant Hill on the payroll also has encouraged Alvin to design more catch-and-shoot maneuvers for Nash, who (check the three percentages and add 'em up) is the NBA's greatest shooter.
It should be noted that without Amar'e playing screen, roll and hammer, the Suns will be challenged to duplicate last season's league-best offensive efficiency mark of 115.3 points per 100 possessions.
But with Nash waving the maestro's wand and several cold-blooded shooters on hand, scoring probably won't be the issue that topples the playoff hopes of Suns fans.
"Our goal, obviously, is to become better at team defense," Gentry says.
While the eye test and fourth-quarter numbers suggest the Suns weren't exactly waving the white flag at crunch time last season, they still checked in at 23rd in defensive efficiency. Right, Stoudemire contributed to that ranking by often seeming incapable of guarding a bear in a phone booth, but he did pose a shot-blocking threat when in a crusty mood.
So, how can the 2010-2011 edition be less accommodating? Well, a healthy Robin Lopez as goalkeeper would be a great start, newcomer Hakim Warrick has the length and interest to defend (Lou Amundson is a free-agent goner, by the way), and Josh Childress has returned from Europe with enough lateral agility to (maybe) defend two positions.
Oh, yeah ... we have another important variable that will be greatly encouraged when camp open Sept. 28 on the mean streets of San Diego.
"To become a good defensive team you have to increase your defensive awareness," Gentry says. "We just have to improve in our approach."
With Gentry -- who quietly turned in one of the best coaching performances in the league last season -- around, the message won't be a secret. As one of the most improved NBA coaches (it really happens, folks) while coaching to the strengths of his roster, Alvin also has generated enough respect from his players to have them buy in. In this league, psychology often trumps Xs and Os. It helps that Gentry is working with a lot of players who "get it."
Anyway, so while we still may not see pressure defense, that doesn't mean the Suns will be immune from big-picture pressure on defense, right?
"We put more pressure on ourselves," Gentry, referring to living up to last season's unexpectedly strong finish, says. "We'll continue to set the bar high."
They now have one less player around to jump over that bar, but they still have Nash to pass under it.
And that, at least, should make them interesting to watch.
http://www.foxsportsarizona.com/09/17/10/Suns-Gentry-taking-glass-is-half-full-ap/landing.html?blockID=312984&feedID=3702