- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help keep the future of New Times free.
"We're still going to play to win games. I told them, 'We're all paid a lot of money and we're supposed to be professional, so we're going to play out the season right.'"
So said Phoenix Suns head coach Alvin Gentry previous to Wednesday night's game in New Orleans against the Hornets, which the Suns (semi-surprisingly) won, 105-100, to keep their remote playoff chances alive. Alas, the flame guttered out later that evening when the Dallas Mavericks kicked the crap out of the Utah Jazz in Big D, 130-101. The highly motivated Mavs are trying to avoid a certain first-round death sentence against the L.A. Lakers by wresting the seven seed away from the Jazz.
The Suns, on the other hand, have jack squat to play for, and they'll just be playing out the string in upcoming road games against a couple of teams with even less on their plates: the Memphis Grizzlies tonight and the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow.
What say you now, Alvin?
Since nobody's gonna be watching anyway, we say it's time to blow this mutha out. Bench the starters. Start the bench. Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal, and Amar'e Stoudemire may all be history come fall, so why not begin the painful process of seeing who your stand-up guys are now, in real-time game conditions, when you've got zero to lose?
Why not start Goran Dragic, Leandro Barbosa, Louis Amundson, Jared Dudley, and Robin Lopez?
No more thinking old, Alvin. Time to think bold.
The Memphis and Minnesota games both tip at 5 p.m., and will be broadcast on Channel 45 (cable 9) and KTAR-AM 620. Info: www.nba.com/suns.
Keep Phoenix New Times Free... Since we started Phoenix New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Phoenix with no paywalls.
