JVG/Mark Jackson on Gentry

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Q. Mark, what do you think about having Gentry’s impact with Golden State? Did you feel that pace was a problem and do you think that that’s the trend going on in the NBA, particularly in the Western Conference, that you have to play fast? And do you think that’s what’s going on, obviously, with Golden State? But how much do you think he’s made an impact being the lead assistant there at Golden State?

JACKSON: Well, let me just try to answer it different ways, and then you page through it whatever way you want. Jeff has talked about it already. Monty Williams doesn’t get enough credit for the job he did in New Orleans. When you think about making the playoffs, there are so many key players, valuable players missing a huge amount of the season, keeping that team tied together and competing on a nightly basis and then making it to the playoffs, valuable experience.

As far as Alvin Gentry, proven coach, knows the game, has been successful. And this is a Warriors team that they played with pace before. They’ve had a great season. And that staff has done an outstanding job and is being rewarded. I wish them nothing but the very best.

But what I will say is you can’t take away what Monty Williams has been able to do to that New Orleans team. Sometimes you try to make changes too fast, and it can hurt you in the long run. You don’t appreciate what a masterful job he did during the course of the year. But I’m sure Alvin Gentry is an outstanding coach, outstanding offensive mind, and he’s going to do a very good job in New Orleans.

Q. Jeff, what is your reaction. You were a finalist for the job in New Orleans, and they went in another direction. Was input any factor, or can you comment on anything publicly about what your thoughts were and the job and what made you have interest to pursue it, the Pelicans opening?

VAN GUNDY: There’s only 30 jobs, and my interest was twofold, basically, was, obviously, going back to what Mark said, Monty Williams had done such an incredible job establishing a foundation and a culture. Think about what that organisation had been through -- the forced trade of Chris Paul, the injury to Eric Gordon, the injuries to Ryan Anderson, Tyreke Evans, all that along the way. So they have a good year in Monty’s first year. They’re forced to trade Chris Paul. They build it back up.

Listen, most times when you get a job in the NBA for whatever reason, there’s been a lot of losing that has gone on, and there’s been a lot of bad habits that need to be corrected. That’s usually not just a coaching issue, that’s a roster issue. In New Orleans’ case, the foundation is so solid because of the job that Monty has done, that Anthony Davis, his greatness, but also his character, and I think Dell Demps has done a good job of building the roster.

So the hiring of Alvin Gentry is a really, really good hire because what you need to succeed in the NBA today goes beyond having a really good coach. You have to be a really good coach that ownership and management believe in and support, and not support only when you’re winning but when you go through some difficult times. So I think the belief by ownership and management is sincere, and it’s squarely behind the vision that Alvin has for his team going forward, and I think he’s, like Mark said, just people are talking about his record.

Let me just say this. Your record is usually reflective of your roster, and if you’ve got good players, you’re going to win, and if you’ve got bad players, you’re going to lose. He had bad teams and bad players in his first stop, and I thought he got the most out of them. Then with Phoenix, I thought he squeezed everything out of Phoenix with Steve Nash, the Hall of Fame guard.

Now he’s getting another Hall of Fame player in Anthony Davis, and I think he’s going to do a terrific job, and I think the fans of New Orleans should be very, very excited about their star player and their head coach.

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