Hunter spied on Gentry's practices

[Superbone]

I didn't read about it in depth. At a first glance it didn't look all that worrisome. Are you saying it's more damning than I'm taking it to be?

Steve

It's not something to love.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It's not something to love.

It was several years in the past and it never got beyond the "investigation" level. I'm not going to sit in judgement on someone who's not even been formally charged for anything. I love what I've read about the guy from people that have coached him and people that have worked with him. Until something tangible comes out, I'll stand by the "I love what I've heard about him" statement. I'm kind of surprised you don't feel the same way, we're almost always in agreement on these kind of things.

Steve

 

[BC867]

It's his job to evaluate the coach? I don't actually know the answer to this question. I thought it was the GM's job to build the roster, hammer out player contracts, etc., but I didn't think he had any oversight over the coach. When a coach gets fired, who makes the call?

That is a great point. Once upon a time, the Head Coach (or baseball Manager) reported to the GM.

Especially in these days of hands-on Managing General Partners, the GM provides the players and the Head Coach is supposed to make it work. Of course, it is incumbent on both of them to be on the same page.

The Head Coach (or baseball Manager) has far more public exposure than the GM or Managing General Partner, whose responsibilities take place behind the scenes (unless they are waving a foam finger behind the bench for the cameras to see).

 

[Covert Rain]

That is absurd. It is common to have closed practice if you mean closed referring to outsiders. It is certainly not common practice to close practice to the GM and other "team members".

The use of the term "spy" is total non-sense in this case. It is Blanks job to observe what is going on whether he does it by himself or tasks Hunter to observe practice.

This team is playing one of the 5 worse seasons in franchise history, you better take a look at what the team is doing in practice.

I said above that I didn't get the impression that the practices were always closed to him. The impression I received is that something happened and that was the result. Second, the term "spy" is not nonsensical if you hire a person under the label coach of first year development and that said "coach" is doing nothing but reporting back to management all that happens.

The only thing you got right is that it is Blank's job. It's not Hunters. Besides, how many times in sports do you hear a GM come out and say, we are evaluating the staff and coaches? It's pretty common. It's not like the GM couldn't have watched every practice.

If this is true, these actions only serve to piss off your coaching staff and breed an environment of distrust. Not to mention is ethically questionable.

 

[Errntknght]

The best thing about Hunter, IMO, is that he is strongly oriented toward defense. I also like his move of making an offensive minded assistant his second in command - and he seems comfortable with Kokoskov taking an active role during the games.

The few comments I've read from players sound good, too - they seem to know what he expects from them. We'll have to see if they play like that, too. One thing that always impressed me about Phil Jackson was that his lowliest sub played like he knew what he was supposed to do.

 

[Superbone]

It was several years in the past and it never got beyond the "investigation" level. I'm not going to sit in judgement on someone who's not even been formally charged for anything. I love what I've read about the guy from people that have coached him and people that have worked with him. Until something tangible comes out, I'll stand by the "I love what I've heard about him" statement. I'm kind of surprised you don't feel the same way, we're almost always in agreement on these kind of things.

Steve

Steve, it was a joke. I've liked most of what I've read about him.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Steve, it was a joke. I've liked most of what I've read about him.

Yeah and re-reading my response it came across more holier-than-thou than intended (I only intended to be slightly more holier than the rest of you heathens).

Steve

 

[JustWinBaby]

I don't see it as a problem that Hunter attended practices. I believe the problem was that Hunter was putting his two cents in during practice and it irratated Gentry. At practice I would expect one voice not two or three. Comments from the PDM should have been after practice to Gentry. That is what team players do. I don't think that Gentry necessarily had a problem with him attending practice and he shouldn't have IMO. Hunter should have been allowed to see his projects, Marshall, weakness and worked with him after the team practice.

When the truth comes out I expect something happened between those two in Detroit. Gentry lost his job in Detroit whle Hunter enjoyed two of his best seasons in the NBA under Gentry. They made the playoffs in a strike shortened season and was whacked the next year after starting out 28 and 30. If you look at that roster it was basically Grant Hill and not much else.

The comment that Hunter made during the Clippers game in the last minute might tell the whole story. He stopped Tucker on his way off the court after the Clips ran off a few points and told him that we no longer play Gentry defense around here. I thought that was about as cheap as it gets. After that comment he has a lot to prove to me. It is more than wins and losses.

I expect Alvin will not be inviting Lindsey over for dinner anytime soon.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The comment that Hunter made during the Clippers game in the last minute might tell the whole story. He stopped Tucker on his way off the court after the Clips ran off a few points and told him that we no longer play Gentry defense around here. I thought that was about as cheap as it gets. After that comment he has a lot to prove to me. It is more than wins and losses.

I expect Alvin will not be inviting Lindsey over for dinner anytime soon.

Hmm. I suppose he said this. Would it have been better if he had said "DAntoni defense" or "Barkley defense"?

The fact is that the Suns have been running a form of DAntoni's defense ever since DAntoni came (except for a brief Terry Porter interlude).

Yes, it came across as bush league. I really do not intend to be Hunter defender. I really like Gentry. I just like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

 

[sunsfan88]

The comment that Hunter made during the Clippers game in the last minute might tell the whole story. He stopped Tucker on his way off the court after the Clips ran off a few points and told him that we no longer play Gentry defense around here. I thought that was about as cheap as it gets. After that comment he has a lot to prove to me. It is more than wins and losses.

Where did you hear this?

Link?

 

[JustWinBaby]

Where did you hear this?

Link?

Barkley said it during the broadcast of the game. If you can replay the final minute or so ot the game you will hear Barkley's comment. I do not have a link to the game.

 

[Errntknght]

There seems to be plenty of ill-will between Hunter and Gentry - Alvin couldn't bring himself to say anything about Hunter when asked in an interview. His face looked like he had plenty to say but he kept his professional wits about him and declined to comment. I suppose it stems from their days in Detroit though Alvin is the coach who elevated Lindsey to starting PG, offensively challenged as he was. You'd think that would be a bond between them.
In 2000 Detroit fired Gentry midseason and after the season they traded Lindsey. It could be they were feuding and it spilled over to the whole team so the GM got rid of both of them - and each blamed the other. I can't imagine Gentry being involved in anything underhanded but I can't say the same about Hunter... I can kind of see him undercutting Alvin with the GM because he didn't have enough commitment to defense. The GM could have decided Lindsey was right, dumped Gentry then got rid of Hunter for being disloyal to his coach. If it was something like that, that would account for Gentry being paranoid when Hunter pops up again in his world - a direct threat this time. Obviously, he was right to be paranoid.