Tom Thibodeau insists he’s proceeding as if he’ll be coach of the Chicago Bulls in 2015-2016. As rumors about his future swirl harder than ever following Chicago’s season-ending loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, though, so too do those concerning candidates to replace him.
And a familiar name just might be the front-runner for the Bulls’ prospective job opening. According to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, Golden State Warriors assistant Alvin Gentry has emerged as the favorite to succeed Thibodeau.
Didn't get this into today's story, but plugged-in source considers Alvin Gentry the favorite to coach Bulls. "The guy I'd put my money on."
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) May 15, 2015
His might not be a sexy name, but Chicago would be hard-pressed to find a potentially available coach held in higher esteem than Gentry. He’s proven instrumental in Oakland as Steve Kerr’s lead assistant, and was similarly influential one year earlier serving the same role with the Los Angeles Clippers under Doc Rivers.
Gentry was fired as coach of the wayward Phoenix Suns midway through 2012-2013. He took over in the desert during the 2008-2009 season, subsequently leading Steve Nash and company to a 54-28 record and surprising Western Conference appearance the following campaign. The Suns sputtered from there after losing Amar’e Stoudemire in free agency and Nash began precipitously succumbing to effects of aging.
Always lauded for his offensive philosophy, Gentry made tweaks to Mike D’Antoni’s “Seven Seconds Or Less” ideology in Phoenix that led to crucial defensive improvement – and a near NBA Finals berth. The 60-year-old preaches flow and continuity on offense first and foremost, attributes that Chicago has sorely lacked throughout Thibodeau’s tenure. He’s a great fit for the Bulls from that perspective, as well one pertaining to locker room chemistry. Gentry would have no issues gleaning respect from Chicago’s veteran group, something that can’t be said for certain about less proven candidates like Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg.
Employment, though, is a two-way street, and it remains unclear whether or not Gentry is comfortable leaving Golden State. In addition to being one of the league’s highest paid assistant, he recently spoke glowingly of what’s being built in the Bay Area.
Here’s Gentry on the prospect of going elsewhere via Rusty Simmons of SF Gate:
“It would have to be a very good situation,” Gentry said. “What we’ve got here is very special, and I’ve been in the league long enough to know that I wouldn’t want to go into a situation that I didn’t think had the potential to be this way.”
It’s foolish to expect any team to win 67 games, but the Bulls are one of few that possess the necessary blend of talent and chemistry to perhaps come close to matching that level of success. Does Gentry agree? Time will tell.
Either way, we’ll no doubt learn far more about his interest in the job once it becomes available as Thibodeau and Chicago inevitably and finally part ways.
[SF Gate]