Phoenix Suns owner reposes faith in head coach Alvin Gentry – NBA Update
When Steve Nash left for the Los Angeles Lakers this off season, many people feared that the switch may start a long and gruelling re-building process for the Phoenix Suns. However, in the days following the sign and trade deal,
the Suns acquired Goran Dragic, a long time understudy of Nash, and also claimed power forward Luis Scola off the waivers. To add more steel to the roster, they also signed Michael Beasley, a player who has all the potential to be an All-Star.
All of sudden, the Suns looked potent, and even Nash had predicted that his former team will be the dark horses this season. They certainly started off on the right note, but as the season progressed, the wins started to disappear,
to the point that the franchise has now lost seven games on a trot, their longest skid since February 2004.
At 7-15 into the season, things are now looking bleak for the Suns’ playoff aspirations, and a lot of questions have been raised regarding the methods of coach Alvin Gentry. However as far as franchise owner Robert Sarver is concerned,
Gentry is still his man;
"We've got confidence in our coaching staff and we're not considering making changes," Sarver said in a telephone interview Monday.
"It's still early in the season," he added. "We're playing worse than our talent, and a lot of that has to do with confidence. It's up to the coaches and players to start playing better and to get that swagger back and turn things
around. Things can turn quickly in this league."
The Suns also had a poor start to last season. At one point, they were down 8-14, before an incredible 21-12 run came after the All-Star break and so nearly pushed them into the playoffs. The Suns do have the firepower to repeat
the act, but for that to happen, the time to act is now.
Their problems recently have also been highlighted due to fitness issues of Dragic and their surprise package P.J. Tucker. Dragic received two IV's before practice on Monday, but is still a long shot for playing against the Memphis
Grizzlies at home on Wednesday. Tucker on the other hand is still out with an MCL injury to his knee.
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