Phoenix Suns name Alvin Gentry head coach

alvin gentry

The Phoenix Suns today announced that the club has reached an agreement with interim head coach Alvin Gentry to retain him as the 14th head coach in franchise history.  Gentry and Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr will be available to the media on Tuesday, May 12.

“Alvin is the right man to lead our team into the future,” said Kerr.  “Our players have great respect for him and the job he did last season, and he’ll provide the continuity we’ll need going into next year.  I’m excited for Alvin and his family, and for our organization. This is a great fit.”

Originally promoted to the role of interim head coach on Feb. 16, Gentry’s 31-game tenure with the Suns in 2008-09 saw him compile the highest winning percentage of any interim coach in the NBA last season (.581).  Gentry’s  18-13 record at the helm of the Suns included both the club’s longest overall win streak of the season (six games) and longest home win streak (nine games), despite playing without leading scorer and All-Star starter Amar’e Stoudemire for all but two of those games, and without Steve Nash and Leandro Barbosa for a combined 10 games.

Gentry returned the Suns to the franchise’s high-scoring roots as Phoenix averaged an astounding 117.7 points following his promotion, raising its overall scoring average five full points in just 31 games to 109.4 points for the season, tops in the NBA.  The Suns opened Gentry’s tenure with three-straight 140-point efforts, the first time the NBA had seen such prolific scoring since the 1990-91 campaign.  Among the most impressive scoring feats achieved by Gentry’s Suns’ in his 31-game term: six scoring efforts of at least 130 points, more than any other NBA team managed in 82 games; and, a string of 10 consecutive 30-point quarters, the longest streak of its kind in 17 seasons.

Gentry helped lead the club to a 46-36 finish, the second-most victories for a non-playoff team in the 25-year history of the NBA’s 16-team playoff format.  The Suns, which were 14-3 (.824) at home under Gentry, closed the season by winning nine-straight games at US Airways Center, registering wins over playoff teams Philadelphia, Denver, Utah and Houston.

A 30-year coaching veteran, Gentry originally joined the Suns’ staff as an assistant on June 1, 2004, and served in that position the last four-plus seasons before earning the midseason promotion in 2008-09.  Gentry is at the helm of his fourth NBA team after stints with the Los Angeles Clippers (2000-03), Detroit Pistons (1997-2000) and Miami Heat (1995).  Gentry’s 1998-99 Pistons earned a playoff berth.  In 2001-02, his second season with the Clippers, he guided Los Angeles to an improbable 39-43 (.476) record, the team’s highest win total in nearly 10 seasons, a season after leading the club to a 16-win improvement in 2000-01, his rookie campaign with the club.

In 21 seasons in the NBA, Gentry has worked alongside or under some of the game’s most respected coaches, including Larry Brown, Kevin Loughery and Doug Collins.  The 54-year-old Gentry received his first assistant coaching job in the NBA under Brown with the San Antonio Spurs in 1988-89 after serving under Brown with the 1988 NCAA Champion Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team.

Ron Artest foul downgraded

The AP reports: Ron Artest will play in Game 4 of Houston’s Western Conference semifinal against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The NBA ruled Saturday that Artest’s hard foul on Pau Gasol(notes) late in the Lakers’ 108-94 win on Friday did not merit a one-game suspension… League spokesman Tim Frank said Saturday the foul was downgraded to a flagrant one.

InsideHoops.com expected this would happen.

Fan discussion of the news is in this forum topic.

Lakers beat Rockets 108-94 to take 2-1 series lead

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant scored 33 points in the Lakers’ 108-94 victory in Game 3 on Friday night that gave them a 2-1 lead in the series… Lamar Odom had 16 points and 13 rebounds and reserve point guard Jordan Farmar had 12 points and seven assists in place of the suspended Derek Fisher, who was ejected from Game 2 for a hard hit on Luis Scola when he set a pick. Artest, who scored 25 points, was ejected for a flagrant foul on Pau Gasol in the final minute, the only carryover of the rough play that turned testy in Game 2.. Yao Ming added 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Rockets but he was bothered by a sore left foot in the final minutes and was limping as he left the court… The Rockets had a 56-43 edge in rebounding.

Howard powers Magic to 117-96 win over Boston

The AP reports: Into the stands. Off the backboard or in another player’s face, Dwight Howard sent Boston Celtics’ shots everywhere. Howard had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks to lift the Orlando Magic to a 117-96 victory over the Celtics on Friday night and a 2-1 series lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal… Rashard Lewis had 28 points, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 24 for Orlando, which played without starting point guard Rafer Alston. He was suspended by the NBA for slapping Eddie House in the back of the head in Game 2. Paul Pierce broke out of his series slump to score 27 points, and Rajon Rondo added 15 for the defending champion Celtics, who trimmed a 20-point deficit to seven before the Magic regained control… Anthony Johnson had 13 points in place of Alston.

Chuck Daly dies

chuck daly dies

The Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment mourn the passing of Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Daly.  The 78-year-old, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February, passed away this morning in Jupiter, Florida on May 9 with his family by his side.  Funeral arrangements are pending, but services will take place next week in Jupiter/Tequesta, Florida.

“The Daly family and the entire Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment family is mourning the loss of Chuck Daly,” family spokesman and Pistons Vice President of Public Relations Matt Dobek said.  “Chuck left a lasting impression with everyone he met both personally and professionally and his spirit will live with all of us forever.”

Daly, who coached the Detroit Pistons to NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990, was dubbed by his Pistons’ players as “Daddy Rich,” for his dapper wardrobe.  Daly also served as head coach of the Dream Team, the 1992 Gold-Medal winning USA Basketball Olympic Team, which has been acknowledged by many as the greatest basketball team ever assembled. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994 and the number 2 (for those 2 NBA Championships) was retired in his honor by the Detroit Pistons in 1997.

The Kane, Pennsylvania native coached the Pistons for nine seasons and is the winningest coach in franchise history with a record of 467-271 (.633).  He also coached Detroit to a franchise record 71 playoff wins during his tenure (71-42, .628).  Named head coach on May 17, 1983, Daly finished his first year with a 49-33 mark and a postseason appearance.  The Pistons reached the NBA Playoffs in each of his nine seasons, advancing to the Conference Finals five times with two Eastern Conference Championships (1989, 1990).

In 1990, the Pistons set the top two winning streaks in franchise history.  During the months of January, February and March, the club won 13 games and then 12 in a row with only one loss in between.  The 25-1 streak was the third-best streak in the history of the NBA during that time.

In addition to his Pistons coaching career, Daly also made NBA head coaching stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Nets and Orlando Magic.

His 30-plus years of coaching success at all levels carried over into his Pistons position.  Prior to joining Detroit, Daly spent four-plus seasons as an assistant to Billy Cunningham and the Philadelphia 76ers.  The Sixers went 236-104 in the regular-season during those four-plus years, winning two division titles and finishing second twice.

In his six seasons (1971-77) as the head coach of the University of Pennsylvania, he compiled a 125-38 (.744) record and won four Ivy League titles.  Daly led Penn to more NCAA berths and Big Five titles than any previous head coach in school history.  He was the head coach at Boston College for two seasons (1969-71) and served as an assistant coach at Duke University for seven years (1963-69).

A graduate of Bloomsburg University, after starting his collegiate career at St. Bonaventure, Daly earned a Master’s Degree at Penn State and began his coaching career at Punxsutawney High School.

Daly is survived by his wife, Terry, his daughter, Cydney, and grandchildren Sebrina and Connor.

Hawks injury update for Game 3

The Cleveland Cavaliers lead the Atlanta Hawks two games to zero in their second round NBA playoffs series.

Game 3 is Saturday in Atlanta.

Unfortunately for the Hawks, injuries are striking at a very bad time.

The latest info, direct from the team, as of early Friday afternoon, is that both forward/center Al Horford (right ankle sprain) and forward Marvin Williams (right wrist sprain) practiced today and will be game-time decisions for Saturday.

Star shooting guard Joe Johnson, who suffered a right ankle sprain during Game 2 in Cleveland, will also be a game-time decision for Saturday.

Steve Mills leaves Madison Square Garden

The New York Post (Marc Berman) reports:  Imagine how the course of Knicks’ history could have changed if Garden president Steve Mills and Magic Johnson had hooked up sooner — like in December 2003. Six years later, Mills is leaving the Garden to work with Johnson on various business ventures, MSG announced yesterday. A source said Mills will work on helping Johnson add boxing to his portfolio. Mills also will teach a course at his alma mater, Princeton, “Dilemmas in Athletics.” He found plenty of those in his nearly 10 years as a Garden executive — best known for hiring Isiah Thomas.

LeBron, Cavs coast past Hawks 105-85

The AP reports: LeBron James scored 27 points, ending the first and second quarters with last-second baskets, and Mo Williams added 15 points as the untested Cavs overpowered the Atlanta Hawks 105-85 on Thursday night to open a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal. Now a perfect 6-0 in the postseason, the Cavaliers tied a league record by winning their sixth consecutive playoff game by double digits. The only other team to do it was the 2004 Indiana Pacers. Maurice Evans scored 16 points and Mike Bibby had 11 for the Hawks, who were missing center Al Horford and forward Marvin Williams because of injuries. If that wasn’t bad enough, leading scorer Joe Johnson rolled his right ankle in the third quarter and did not return… In his second game since being named MVP, James dropped a long 3-pointer in the final second of the first half as the Cavaliers opened a 24-point lead that swelled to 36 in the third.

Live fan discussion of this game took place in this forum topic.

OKC Thunder May 8 pre-draft workouts

On Friday, May 8 the Oklahoma City Thunder will conduct pre-draft workouts with the following players hoping to be selected in the 2009 NBA Draft: Jerel McNeal (guard, Marquette), Jack McClinton (guard, Miami), Daniel Hackett (guard, USC), Paul Delaney (guard, UAB), Jermaine Taylor (guard, UCF), Garrett Temple (guard, LSU), Terrell Harris (guard, Oklahoma State), Courtney Fells (guard/forward, NC State), Josh Carter (guard/forward, Texas A&M), Joe Ingles (forward, Melbourne Dragons), Aaron Jackson (guard, Duquesne) and AJ Abrams (guard, Texas).