Sarver gives Gentry 'kiss of death', says coach's job is safe

Sarver couldn't have been more clear in saying the Gentry's job was not only safe now, but that he would be the coach all season. We know what that means...pack up, Alvin.

Not to question Robert's authenticity, but we must given how many times in sports an owner or GM made such a statement only to have the opposite happen. Sarver himself said the Suns wouldn't trade Shawn Marion only weeks before trading Shawn Marion for Shaq.

Words matter.

In a more recent example, Lakers owner Jim Buss expressed support for Mike Brown and spoke about "patience" just ONE DAY before the axe fell.

Would Sarver go back on this statement made to USA Today's Sam Amick?

As NBA teams struggle, their coaches' seats get warm

"(Gentry) is not an issue for us this year," Sarver said by phone. "We're not looking to make a (coaching) change." Asked repeatedly if he was saying Gentry would be the coach at season's end, Sarver said "yes."

Regardless of how you feel about the job Gentry is doing, it's pretty important for sports teams to be as honest as they can with their fans. In other words, Sarver has now committed to Gentry this season barring some kind of mega disaster.

Amick also addressed the Beasley situation, adding this to the discussion:

The nature of Beasley's role is at the root of the problem. Despite the fact that he was added to be a leading scorer and the closest thing to a star that the post-Steve Nash Suns had, there is an internal sentiment from some that the team has played more effectively when his role is limited.

This certainly sounds more reasonable than throwing around the word "toxic" as was reported yesterday. Maybe it's just a matter of interpretation, but "toxic" is a strong word to me that implies more than just failings on the court.