The argument was that he was canned because of the roster. This is not the case. It's quite possible that once Walton was canned, the FO moved towards "next year." To that end:
- Haliburton was showcased for a trade
- Illogical rotations/player usage resulted in losses
- Post trade, Fox and Sabonis had some time to work together, but when the games mattered, Gentry's substitution patterns impacted the game in a negative way. "One of Barnes, Fox, and Sabonis should be on the floor at all times." Yet that was rarely the case. Why is that? As a coach, he's sending a message moving forward to the FO.
- DDV not starting despite being the clear option.
If the FO was looking to win and really get into the play-in, rotations would look different. Gentry, while not a great coach, is not as incompetent as this past season would show. If he were truly going to be given the chance to be the head coach moving forward, he would have stripped down everything Walton was doing this year, and played more to the strengths of his team, with an eye towards next year.
He was not a casualty of "building around the wrong players." Let him enjoy his beer, and a FO job as his reward.