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Phoenix Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby leaves the podium after announcing the departure of head coach Alvin Gentry at US Airways Arena, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, in Phoenix. An interim coach has not been named but the Suns organization say one will be named in the next 24-48 hours. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
listen Listen: Suns Pres. of Basketball Opertations Lon Babby
Lon Babby joined Doug and Wolf to talk about the firing of Alvin Gentry and where the Suns go moving forward.

No one in the Phoenix Suns organization is saying Alvin Gentry is not a good basketball coach.

Gentry compiled a 158-144 record over parts of five seasons as the team's head coach, and reached the Western Conference Finals in 2010.

Yet, the team missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, and has a conference-worst 13-28 record right now.

But wins and losses, at least on a basic level, are not why the Suns and Gentry parted ways Friday.

"You can have a feeling, you can have a time when you feel like you're not progressing," Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby told Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf Friday. "That there's just a sense this has run its course and that we're out of ideas and we're out of solutions."

Babby explained that holds true for management and coaches, and added that "nobody stays in these jobs forever."

But he saw no need in giving specific details, other than to say it was more of a "feel" than a "specific thing" that led to the decision.

Adam Green, Web Content Editor - ArizonaSports.com

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  • Abuse
    irule wrote...
    Its Time
    for babby and sarver go. I have not watched a suns game in 2 years and I do not think I will ever watch another.
  • Abuse
    JW L. wrote...
    If Sarver wants the Suns to Progress
    ..he should fire his management team, hire someone with some actual NBA experience, and stay out of the team's affairs. Then the Suns should go in the tank and quit spending their free agent money on players that other teams have given up on. Since they are not a major market team and wont receive help from the league, their only hope is to luck out in the draft and hopefully follow the same path as OKC. All other paths are futile.
  • Abuse
    Jesus M. wrote...
    Not progressing?
    The suns upper management are 100% correct they are not progressing, but it is not Gentry's fault. It's the roster that was put together by Babby, Blanks and Sarver. Suns management has no clue as to how run a basketball team, and it's time for them to go before it gets any worse!
  • Abuse
    azsomebody wrote...
    You have to put something in to get something out!
    If the coach puts 200% in, but he has mostly zero to work with... well, 200% of zero is zero. The players were playing hard. The coach was coaching hard, but, with zero from the owner and administration, zero was the result. A new coach won't fix anything.
  • Abuse
    azcardsfan40 wrote...
    Alvin Gentry not the problem
    Alvin Gentry was not the problem the ownership is the team needs to rebuild not try to stay mediocre so the ownership can keep ticket sales up.
  • Abuse
    PHXtoPDX wrote...
    Preparation
    I thought preparation was on of Babby's 5 Ps...it sure doesn't look like he was prepared when he fired Gentry...I've lost all faith in this front office.
  • Abuse
    MagicMann wrote...
    Not progressing
    Let's apply this measuring stick to other areas of the team. Has the team progressed or regressed since ownership took over full control? Time to part ways. Has the team progressed or regressed since this management came in? Time to part ways.
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