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Western Notes: Suns, Turner, Clark, Baynes, Mavs

January 24th, 2013 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns' decision to name Lindsey Hunter their interim head coach after letting Alvin Gentry go has now resulted in the team losing two assistant coaches. According to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, lead assistant Elston Turner and the Suns have agreed to part ways. The decision came on the heels of assistant Dan Majerle, upset that he didn't receive a shot at the head coaching job, leaving the organization.

Let's check in on a few more updates on the Suns and a handful of other Western Conference clubs….

Suns owner Robert Sarver remains confident in his staff and his long-term plan for the team, as Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic writes.
Earl Clark, who is in the last year of his contract, has raised his stock with his recent play for the Lakers, but he's not looking ahead to the summer quite yet, as he tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "It's not like I'm this big free agent where I'll be at SportsCenter and people are asking me where I'm going," Clark said. "I'm focusing on the game and trying to continue to play well."
The newest Spur, Australian center Aron Baynes, spoke to David Pick of Sportando about his decision to sign with San Antonio and what Spurs fans should expect from him.
In his latest column for the Dallas Morning News, Eddie Sefko explores whether coach Rick Carlisle's ability to connect with players could help the Mavericks in recruiting free agents.

Suns Notes: Majerle, Turner, O’Neal, Hunter

January 23rd, 2013 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

It seems as if there has been some unease in the Suns' coaching ranks since Alvin Gentry and the club parted ways last week, with three assistant coaches having been worthy candidates for the interim job. Here's the latest on that situation, along with other notes out of Phoenix:

Although assistant coach Dan Majerle has left the Suns, GM Lance Blanks doesn't think that relationship is in disrepair, telling Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic that he had "positive" discussions with Majerle. "Dan told [Lindsey Hunter] and me that he wanted to move on," Blanks said. "Change is hard for people, and I understand that."
According to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (via Sulia), Majerle, rather than Hunter, likely would have been the players' choice for interim coach had they been given a vote. Elston Turner, who also hoped to land the interim job, has been counseled to remain on the team's staff in hopes that "being a good soldier in this situation" will result in a chance at a head coaching job in the future.
While Blanks and Jermaine O'Neal both downplayed reports of an altercation between the two, Bucher says (via Sulia) O'Neal is upset that the Suns plan to diminish his role. Bucher wonders if the Suns may eventually trade or release O'Neal, speculating that the Celtics, Heat, and Sixers would have interest.
Hunter appeared on KTAR in Phoenix, admitting that he was surprised to be named the team's interim head coach. Chris Fedor of Sports Radio Interviews has the quotes.

Suns Name Lindsey Hunter Interim Coach

January 20th, 2013 at 6:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

6:29pm: NBC/Comcast analyst Ric Bucher tweets that it is now a tough situation in Phoenix for Elston Turner, who he considers to have Tom Thibodeau-esque potential. After the Suns didn't allow him to follow Rick Adelman to Minnesota in 2011, Turner was passed over for the Blazers' job this summer and now has lost out to Hunter in Phoenix. Bucher speculates that based on the "dynamic" in Phoenix, it is hard to envision Turner or Majerle staying beyond their current contract obligations should Hunter remain at the helm.

12:55pm: Majerle isn't the only assistant coach on his way out of town, as player development coach Sean Rooks is leaving for a job overseas, Coro notes, adding that Rooks' move is unrelated to the other changes in Phoenix. Also, Elston Turner was absent from practice today, according to Coro (Twitter links).

11:08am: Majerle will likely leave the team after getting passed over for the interim job, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. A source indicates the same to Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).

10:11am: The Suns have named assistant coach Lindsey Hunter as interim head coach, the team announced on its website. Hunter replaces Alvin Gentry, who parted ways with the team on Friday. The team went with Hunter over fellow Phoenix assistants Elston Turner, Igor Kokoskov and Dan Majerle.

Hunter was a front-office favorite, though owner Robert Sarver reportedly has an affinity for Turner. Suns players made a push for Majerle yesterday as the team was considering its internal candidates. Hunter was part of the final three in the running for the Magic head coaching job over the summer. His formal title with the Suns had been player development coordinator, a position he took over this season after joining the team's scouting department last year. He spent 17 years in the league as a player, retiring in 2010 to a player development role with the Bulls.

The Suns, in last place in the Western Conference with a 13-28 record, next play Wednesday against the Kings. The team wants to place greater focus on bringing along its young talent, so given Hunter's previous responsibilities with the club, the hiring makes sense. Phoenix brass reportedly felt Gentry wasn't the right man for its new emphasis on youth.

Suns, Alvin Gentry Part Ways

January 19th, 2013 at 6:22pm CST by Luke Adams

6:22pm: Mike Monroe of San Antonio Express-News (via Twitter) cites a plugged-in source who says that Hunter will be the team's interim coach. Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic tweeted that that some of the Suns players spoke to the front office earlier today and lobbied for Dan Majerle to get the position, adding that their request has also been under consideration.

SATURDAY, 2:18pm: The Suns are conducting interviews today, but have yet to name an interim coach, tweets Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. They have a little time to deliberate, since their next game is Wednesday against the Kings, and they don't practice until tomorrow, as Coro notes. In addition to Hunter and Turner, fellow Suns assistant coach Igor Kokoskov is a candidate as well, according to Coro (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 12:08pm: Alvin Gentry and the Suns have agreed to part ways, reports John Gambadoro of Sports 620 KTAR in Phoenix (via Twitter). According to Gambadoro, Gentry met with owner Robert Sarver and president Lon Babby this morning. The Suns' brass would like to focus on player development and the team's younger players, and didn't think Gentry was the ideal choice for that approach (Twitter links).

The top candidates to replace Gentry as the Suns' interim coach are assistants Lindsey Hunter and Elston Turner, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Wojnarowski notes that Hunter was installed by the team's front office, and is viewed as a potential future head coach, meaning the club may have preferred to give him a clean slate to take over in the offseason. Turner, meanwhile, is a favorite of Sarver's (Twitter links).

Given the Suns' place in the standings, the decision to part ways with Gentry isn't a huge surprise — Phoenix's 13-28 mark puts them last in the Western Conference. Still, it was just last month that Sarver asserted Gentry's job was safe. Ian Thomsen of SI.com also argued earlier this week that the coach wasn't the problem in Phoenix, though even Thomsen acknowledged that Gentry was likely the next coach on the hot seat.

In three full seasons and two half seasons with the Suns, Gentry compiled a 158-144 record, including a 54-win season in 2009/10.

Latest On Trail Blazers’ Coaching Search

August 1st, 2012 at 7:29pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 1, 7:29pm: The field of finalists has been trimmed to two, with Steve Clifford and Elston Turner out of the running, Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports. That leaves Terry Stotts and Kaleb Canales as the two remaining candidates.

JULY 26, 12:25pm: The second round of interviews will include owner Paul Allen and will begin on Tuesday, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Haynes also hasn't heard anything about a fifth candidate being in the mix.

JULY 25, 5:34pm: There could be a fifth "mystery" candidate involved, according to Jason Quick of The Oregonian. While his identity is unknown, the fifth candidate is not represented by Warren LeGarie, the agent for GM Neil Olshey, or Steve Kauffman, another prominent agent in coaching circles. If the Blazers go with the fifth candidate, it would be late in the process, Quick hears, so it appears he's regarded as a fallback option (All Twitter links).

3:14pm: The final four candidates for the Blazers' opening are Terry Stotts, Elston Turner, Steve Clifford, and Kaleb Canales, reports Jason Quick of the Oregonian (via Twitter). The team will conduct a second round of interviews next week with the remaining contenders, according to Quick (Twitter link).

3:11pm: Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin is also out of the running for the Portland job, having been informed by the team that he's no longer being considered, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.

3:07pm: After an offseason in which he interviewed for a number of head coach positions, Brian Shaw will be returning to Indiana as an assistant. According to Jason Quick of the Oregonian (via Twitter), Shaw and Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey spoke today and decided that the Portland coaching job wasn't a fit for the Pacers assistant, who also interviewed with the Magic and Bobcats.

Agent Jerome Stanley tells Quick that Shaw called Pacers coach Frank Vogel today to tell him he was eager to return and help Indiana pursue a title (Twitter link).

As for the Blazers, even with Shaw out of the running, there are still plenty of candidates for the club's head coach position. Quick confirms that the team has interviewed at least the following candidates so far: Warriors assistant Michael Malone, Mavericks assistant Terry Stotts; Grizzlies assistant David Joerger; former Magic assistant Steve Clifford, Suns assistant Elston Turner, Hawks assistant Lester Conner; Heat assistant David Fizdale, Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin, and former Knicks and Suns assistant Phil Weber.

Fizdale has withdrawn from consideration, while Clifford is nearing a deal to join the Bulls as an assistant, says Quick.

Northwest Rumors: Blazers, Lillard, Stiemsma

July 25th, 2012 at 9:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's been a busy day for the Timberwolves, who finalized their deal with Alexey Shved, and agreed to a three-team deal that appears to clear the way for an agreement with Andrei Kirilenko. They're also likely to put the finishing touches on contracts for Brandon Roy and Greg Stiemsma by next week, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). Wednesday was active for the Trail Blazers, too, as we heard they've narrowed their list of head coaching candidates. We've got more on both Northwest Division teams right here:

Suns coach Alvin Gentry did some campaigning for assistant Elston Turner, a finalist for the Blazers head coaching job, complimenting his work with young players and his acumen both offensively and defensively, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports. "After watching that kid (Damian) Lillard run the screen-and-roll, what better guy to have around than a guy who coached Steve Nash?'' Gentry said (All four Twitter links).
Gentry also had high praise for Lillard, the sixth overall pick by the Blazers in last month's draft, saying, "That kid is going to be great,'' as Quick tweets.
Greg Stiemsma reflected on his time in Boston, telling the Boston Herald he would have liked to return, but felt compelled to get the best financial deal for he and his family. The Celtics didn't have the cap space or exceptions needed to come close to the $3MM offer he agreed to with the Wolves.