Gentry: Show patience to Suns coach Kokoskov
OKLAHOMA CITY — Patience.
Alvin Gentry hopes the Phoenix Suns have some for his former assistant and dear friend — Igor Kokoskov.
“I think you just got to have patience and you got to let the thing grow and if they do, I think they’re going to have a team that’s going to be good and is going to be good for a long time,” he said.
Going into Monday’s game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City, the Suns (2-10) were riding a threegame losing streak and had the worst record in the Western Conference.
Entering Monday, only Cleveland (1-11) had a worse NBA record. The Suns have already suffered through a seven-game skid and appear on the early track to another lottery pick, but Gentry believes Kokoskov is the coach to lead them back to the playoffs since he did it with him on his staff in 2010.
“Igor is a great coach,” Gentry said about Kokoskov, whom the Suns hired in May as a first-time NBA head coach. “I hired him because he was a great coach and I rally for him there because I think he’s a perfect guy. Not only is he a good X’s and O’s guy, but I think he’s a great player development guy.”
Gentry gave Kokoskov his first NBA coaching job as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers back in 2000-01 and he brought him to Phoenix, where they helped lead the Suns to their last playoff appearance in 2010.
Kokoskov spent five seasons with the Suns as an assistant (2008-13) under Gentry.
“That’s half my NBA life,” said the 46year-old Kokoskov. “So, we’re not just colleagues. We’re friends and family friends.”
Gentry and Kokoskov faced each other for the first time over the weekend. The Pelicans took down the Suns in comfortable fashion, 119-99, Saturday at Smoothie King Center.
The main thing Gentry notices about Kokoskov’s Suns is their youth. Phoenix’s top three scorers — Devin Booker, rookie Deandre Ayton and TJ Warren — are between the ages of 20 and 25.
That’s not the ideal main ingredient for a winning recipe in Gentry’s opinion.
“It’s hard in this league to win with all young players,” said Gentry, 64, who has coached in the NBA since 1988-89 when he got his first job as an assistant with the Sacramento Kings. “They’ve got some good talent on there. I think that you have to be patient enough to let that talent grow and have it grow together.”
Before facing each other Saturday night for the first time, Kokoskov and Gentry hugged and shared more than a laugh or two. After talking for five or so minutes, Kokoskov recalled with the media how Gentry hired him when he was an assistant at Missouri.
“He didn’t know me really,” Kokoskov said. “We met in ‘99 when I was at Missouri.”
Kokoskov said Gentry was close friends with John Hammond, who was also an assistant at Missouri before becoming an NBA general manager.
“You can feel what kind of person he is,” Kokoskov said about Gentry. “You don’t have to spend much time with Coach Gentry just to feel that he’s a people’s guy. Such a likable and easygoing personality.”
Kokoskov continued to rave about the man who gave him his first NBA job when the loud voice from that same man intervened.
“I want to hear what he’s saying,” said Gentry with a big smile and laugh.
Gentry recalls those first encounters with Kokoskov and seeing a kindred coaching spirit in him.
“We started talking basketball and then all of the sudden, we were drawing on the board,” Gentry said. “Then we were talking and I was like, ‘Man, this guy thinks a lot like I think.’ Then some of the stuff that he did, because of his European background, I was like, ‘I wonder why we don’t do that over here.’ ”
Gentry stayed in contact with Kokoskov and had no hesitation in hiring him in Los Angeles.
“I said, ‘Hey man, you want to be an assistant on my staff? I’d love to have you,’ ” Gentry said. “That’s how the whole thing started really.”
Gentry is impressed with the staff Kokoskov has put together starting with one of “his guys” in Jamelle McMillan. The former Arizona State point guard was an assistant under him the previous two seasons.
“I think he’s one of the bright young coaches in this league,” Gentry said.
Kokoskov acknowledged Gentry’s contributions to the franchise. Gentry led the Suns to the 2010 Western Conference finals before losing to the eventual back-to-back NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.
“I hope the Suns Nation didn’t forget what he did for us,” Kokoskov said.
Phoenix has had five coaches since Gentry’s five-year run ended in 201213. Gentry admits to still following the Suns and rooting for them as he still has a home in Scottsdale.
Having his close friend and former assistant there gives Gentry more reason to pull for the Suns, but he hopes they give Kokoskov time to turn them into a winner again.
“You have to have patience,” Gentry said. “It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s never happened anywhere overnight.”