Suns fill Remaining Assistant Coaching Vacancies
The Phoenix Suns and head coach Terry Porter have completed updating the rest of the coaching staff.
Three of four are familiar faces to most NBA and Suns fans, while the fourth is not as familiar, but does have some quality basketball background.
Alvin Gentry - A former head coach and lead assistant to former Suns coach Mike D'Antoni. For Gentry, this will be his 5th year on the Phoenix Suns coaching staff. His familiarity with all of the current players should help smooth the transition for Terry Porter as he implements a new system.
"Thunder" Dan Majerle - Thunder Dan is a former Suns player and Ring of Honor inductee. He has been a TV analyst for the past few years and has experience with the new head coach (teammates in Miami). While Majerle does bring some defensive skills to the table, he has no prior coaching experience, so I don't look for him to provide anything out of the shoot.
Bill Cartwright - An NBA champion, former head coach and generally speaking, a great tutor for young big men, Cartwright will likely be tasked with improving the team's interior defense. Bill also has experience w/ Kerr (on the Bulls) and played one season for the Suns (wow, really?).
Igor Kokoskov - This one is a stretch, but Porter has experience w/ Igor in both Detroit and w/ Gentry (Clippers), so they must have confidence in him. Of special note, is the fact that the Suns have made Kokoskov the first non-American assistant coach in NBA history - very hard to believe he's the first, but it's true.
Based on this assembly, it's clear that GM Steve Kerr and Porter will be focusing on improving the Suns defensive abilities and strategies. No one knows if the strategy will work at this point, but coming back w/ the same offense (2nd half offense) and an improved defense can't hurt.
Unless the coaches start working w/ Amare Stoudemire during the summer, I see him struggling the most w/ the new concepts and roles that will be dictated. Steve Nash will also figure to have a modified role, but only in the fact that the Suns probably won't be running the 7 second offense any longer.
While this figures to be a bumpy ride, you have to give some praise to Kerr for going out and getting a few experienced guys to help shape the team. While Majerle is new, he's familiar w/ the team and the players, so he may be able to help in ways we're not aware of at this time.
