Ronnie Price went from sitting at home Monday night in Utah and wondering where his next NBA job would be to practicing with the Suns on Tuesday night.

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Paul Coro’s updates on the Phoenix Suns

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A late-night call on Monday led Price to a 4 a.m. wake-up call on Tuesday, followed by a 6:30 a.m. flight to Phoenix to sign with the Suns as their new third point guard.

Price went from an undrafted player out of Utah Valley State to a six-year pro with a defensive calling card but came out of the lockout last month as a free agent with no team. The Suns showed interest in him before signing Sebastian Telfair last week and circled back when it decided to waive an injured Zabian Dowdell.

“It’s been a long wait but I’m happy that the wait led me here,” Price said after practicing with the Suns at Grand Canyon University. “I’m very fortunate and thankful that I have the opportunity to play for this organization.”

Price will undergo a dramatic adjustment, like what Raja Bell once had when he came from Utah’s rigid system to the Suns. Price wanted to return to Utah but the Jazz put Earl Watson, Jamaal Tinsley and Keith McLeod behind Devin Harris for training camp.

“Just a fresh new start for me,” Price said. “This is a playing style that I always wanted to be a part of. They really get up and down the floor. It’s something that I wanted to do. I think, in my NBA career, I haven’t really had a chance to get up and down the floor the way these guys do and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

Suns General Manager Lance Blanks spoke earlier about how Price gave the Suns a different dynamic, defensive look. Price, at 6 feet, also keeps the Suns point guards on the smallish side but defends bigger than that with his toughness and athleticism.

“I’m a defensive-minded player first,” Price said. “I love my defense. It handles itself. I can guard the one and the two. It’s something I enjoy doing. Offensively, those things come naturally. When you’re playing in a fluent offense like this, every NBA player who can play the game should have a chance to make some things happen in this offense. If you sit around and wait for things to happen, you can get lost. If you just play the game and let the game come to you, then good things will happen.”

Price said he adapts quickly. Suns fans should take quickly to him too. He is a classy person who detests the Lakers like they do after having three postseasons end with losses to the Lakers.

“Probably most of my technical fouls have been against the Lakers,” Price said.

Price arrived in Phoenix, took his physical exam in the morning and was on the GCU court for the two-a-day’s second session by 5:30 p.m.

“The intensity level is still really good,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. “We have some guys that really compete and obviously adding Ronnie Price to the mix doesn’t do anything but make that a lot more intense. Defensively, he’ll get after you.”

Phoenix Suns update:

Ronnie Price went from sitting at home Monday night in Utah and wondering where his next NBA job would be to practicing with the Suns on Tuesday night.

A late-night call on Monday led Price to a 4 a.m. wake-up call on Tuesday, followed by a 6:30 a.m. flight to Phoenix to sign with the Suns as their new third point guard.

Price went from an undrafted player out of Utah Valley State to a six-year pro with a defensive calling card but came out of the lockout last month as a free agent with no team. The Suns showed interest in him before signing Sebastian Telfair last week and circled back when it decided to waive an injured Zabian Dowdell.

“It’s been a long wait but I’m happy that the wait led me here,” Price said after practicing with the Suns at Grand Canyon University. “I’m very fortunate and thankful that I have the opportunity to play for this organization.”

Price will undergo a dramatic adjustment, like what Raja Bell once had when he came from Utah’s rigid system to the Suns. Price wanted to return to Utah but the Jazz put Earl Watson, Jamaal Tinsley and Keith McLeod behind Devin Harris for training camp.

“Just a fresh new start for me,” Price said. “This is a playing style that I always wanted to be a part of. They really get up and down the floor. It’s something that I wanted to do. I think, in my NBA career, I haven’t really had a chance to get up and down the floor the way these guys do and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

Suns General Manager Lance Blanks spoke earlier about how Price gave the Suns a different dynamic, defensive look. Price, at 6 feet, also keeps the Suns point guards on the smallish side but defends bigger than that with his toughness and athleticism.

“I’m a defensive-minded player first,” Price said. “I love my defense. It handles itself. I can guard the one and the two. It’s something I enjoy doing. Offensively, those things come naturally. When you’re playing in a fluent offense like this, every NBA player who can play the game should have a chance to make some things happen in this offense. If you sit around and wait for things to happen, you can get lost. If you just play the game and let the game come to you, then good things will happen.”

Price said he adapts quickly. Suns fans should take quickly to him too. He is a classy person who detests the Lakers like they do after having three postseasons end with losses to the Lakers.

“Probably most of my technical fouls have been against the Lakers,” Price said.

Price arrived in Phoenix, took his physical exam in the morning and was on the GCU court for the two-a-day’s second session by 5:30 p.m.

“The intensity level is still really good,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. ”We have some guys that really compete and obviously adding Ronnie Price to the mix doesn’t do anything but make that a lot more intense. Defensively, he’ll get after you.”

And he’s got a little bit of this … 

Tweetin’ at www.twitter.com/paulcoro

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 09:52 PM

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By Seth Pollack

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Jul 12, 2011 – The Phoenix Suns are known as an offensive oriented team. The Phoenix Coyotes are more known for their defense and poor scoring proficiency. Both teams will try to address their weaknesses by making changes to their rosters but both teams also, in the same week, have added an assistant coach to help as well.

The Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday announced the hiring of John Anderson to serve as the team’s assistant coach. 

“We are very pleased to have John join our coaching staff,” said General Manager Don Maloney. “John has experience as an NHL head coach in addition to having won several championships as a head coach in the American Hockey League. He sees the game from an offensive perspective and he will be counted on to help improve our offensive performance. Both he and Jim Playfair will be great additions to Dave Tippett’s staff.”

The Phoenix Suns haven’t formalized their announcement, but according to a report in the Arizona Republic they’ve selected Elston Turner to be the team’s “defensive coordinator”.

Phoenix Suns hire Elston Turner as new defensive assistant coach
Turner will be charged with evaluating game tape and the roster and deciphering what strategies will work best for the Suns defense. He also will be in charge of the Suns’ defensive portions of practice. Each one will now have a committed 40-minute defensive session to improve on last season’s 26th-ranked defensive field goal percentage. Turner is being hired now, despite the lockout, to begin planning with Gentry on next season.

The impact of ability of an assistant coach on a basketball or hockey team to make a big impact is questionable, but at least the Coyotes and Suns are trying to address their weaknesses.

Read More: Elston Turner (A – HOU), Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes

Those familiar with how the Suns had enough wings on their roster for a barbecue last season might wince a bit at the positions of the first two players they worked out Friday for their No. 13 draft pick.

Texas’ Jordan Hamilton and Washington State’s Klay Thompson are swingmen applying to work for a team that intends to re-sign Grant Hill, has Jared Dudley and Josh Childress under contract, and would have to figure Mickael Pietrus will pick up his $5.3 million player option for next season.

However, the Suns still would like to find a go-to scorer at shooting guard, and Hamilton and Thompson are two draft candidates who have NBA shooting strokes and great height for off guards.

The Suns are not in a place to rule out any position on their draft board except for center, because Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez will return there, and the draft’s field at center is weak.

Power forward is an ideal position for the team, which wants more physical front-line help. The Suns could have their first in-town workout for a power-forward candidate Monday if Texas’ Tristan Thompson comes as scheduled.

The Suns also would be considering Kansas’ Markieff Morris, whose twin Marcus visits Monday; and Morehead State’s Kenneth Faried, a bona fide rebounder, at power forward with the 13th selection.

Florida State’s Chris Singleton is a small forward in the running because he could aid the Suns’ defense.

His 6-foot-9, 230-pound frame and ability to guard various positions makes him likely to be an NBA stopper.

He is scheduled to be part of the Monday workout group that also features point guards Jimmer Fredette of BYU and Iman Shumpert of Georgia Tech.

Connecticut point guard Kemba Walker was slated to go against Fredette in Phoenix on Monday but pulled out, just as he did when Sacramento placed them against each other Thursday.

Fredette still visited Sacramento, which picks seventh, and Walker changed his Monday visit in Phoenix to one in Sacramento.

Walker’s stock has slipped, so that he could be available at No. 13 for the Suns, who would have to weigh him against Fredette, the Wooden Award winner.

The Suns are planning to work out Colorado shooting guard Alec Burks during draft week.

Burks (6-6, 193) is a potential go-to scorer but would have to get stronger, like Klay Thompson (6-7, 2-6) does.

Thompson can score in a variety of ways and has better shot selection than Hamilton, although that would seem to be a lesser concern in the Suns’ system than most. Hamilton, who hails from Suns General Manager Lance Blanks’ alma mater, has a better pro body at 6-8 1/2 and 228 pounds and is only 20 years old.

The Suns’ Friday workout was closed, and executives were not available for comment.

Except for a trial run in late April, the Suns have not hosted a draft workout. Starting Thursday, Phoenix will be a popular prospect destination for the next two weeks.

The Suns’ draft workouts begin in earnest Thursday with a group of players not targeted for their 13th pick in the June 23 draft. The group features Kansas State point guard Jacob Pullen and Purdue power forward JaJuan Johnson.

The first group of candidates for the 13th pick are slated to visit Friday, with swingmen Klay Thompson of Washington State and Jordan Hamilton of Texas as part of that day’s group.

The most-loaded Suns workout appears to be Monday’s, barring schedule changes. With teams allowed to work out six players in a group, the Suns have four candidates for their 13th pick planning to visit Monday. They are BYU point guard Jimmer Fredette, Kansas small forward Marcus Morris, Florida State small forward Chris Singleton and Texas power forward Tristan Thompson.

The Suns also could hold a workout Tuesday and one during the week of the draft, which would feature Colorado shooting guard Alec Burks. Providence shooting guard Marshon Brooks also is scheduled to visit Phoenix and would be a candidate at No. 13.

The Suns don’t have a second-round pick, but Thursday’s workout group could indicate an interest in acquiring one or evaluating free-agent invitees to training camp. The Suns will work out Pullen, a third-team All-American, and Johnson, who is 6 feet 10 and 220 pounds, as well as Iowa State point guard Diante Garrett, 6-8 Florida power forward Alex Tyus, 6-6 1/2 Ohio State shooting guard Jon Diebler and 6-6 Kentucky shooting guard DeAndre Liggins.

In Thursday’s group, only Diebler, Liggins and Johnson were invited to the NBA draft combine’s 54-player field in Chicago last month.

The Suns do not announce who is planning to work out for them, but the clientele has been gathered through what players said in other cities or on Twitter accounts, agents and NBA personnel. The Suns are closing workouts and prospect availability, although General Manager Lance Blanks and Director of Player Personnel John Treloar will discuss prospects Thursday.

Free throws

- Suns coach Alvin Gentry’s search for a “defensive coordinator” to join his staff continued Wednesday with an in-town interview of Chicago scout Pete Myers, a former Bulls assistant coach.

- Suns power forward Gani Lawal recently began running and shooting on the court. Saturday will mark the passing of five months since his right-knee surgery.