The Suns’ coaching hire is just a step—the real challenge is creating something lasting.
It’s official: Jordan Ott is the next man up.
The Phoenix Suns have announced the hiring of Ott, a first-time NBA head coach and tenured assistant under the likes of Darvin Ham, Steve Nash, and Kenny Atkinson. It’s a bold move, a pivot away from the established name game that’s defined the last few hires. This is the Suns’ chance (and Matt Ishbia’s opportunity) to finally cultivate a lasting identity: think making sourdough bread.
Success won’t come from quick fixes or high-profile additions alone; it will require consistency, trust, and time to rise.
Just In: The Phoenix Suns are hiring Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as the franchise’s new head coach, sources tell ESPN. Ott has been an NBA assistant since 2012 and has a strong background of offensive and defensive creativity, player development and communication. pic.twitter.com/doDE6Fahdj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2025
The question is no longer “Who will coach the Suns?”
The question is: What kind of culture will he be allowed to build?
Because as we look around the NBA at the teams who’ve managed to sustain relevance, overcome adversity, and remain competitive through multiple eras, it becomes clear: coaching doesn’t create culture—stability does.
And right now, the Phoenix Suns don’t have a culture. They have a coaching carousel.
They have a new owner who likes to speak in manifestos.
They have superstar power, high payrolls, and lofty expectations.
But they don’t yet have a soul.
As Suns fans, we can take a collective breath and hope the change begins now.
The Heat and the Spurs: Cultures You Can Set Your Watch To
You don’t have to look far to find what a winning culture actually looks like in the NBA. In fact, two of the best models couldn’t be more different in approach—but identical in principle. And, I apologise now for mentioning the Spurs on a Suns website.
Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images
Miami Heat: Culture as Edge
Pat Riley built Heat Culture from the top down. Erik Spoelstra has maintained it from the inside out. No matter who walks into that building—undrafted, all-star, journeyman or rookie—they conform to the system. No one’s bigger than the identity. Not even Jimmy Butler.
And it works. The Heat have made two Finals in the past five seasons—once as a 5th seed and once as a play-in 8th seed. They don’t tank. They don’t panic. They invest in development, double down on defense, and build a mentality of earned, not given.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
San Antonio Spurs: Culture as Compass
The Spurs are what happens when you choose stability over splash. Gregg Popovich has coached the team since 1996, vacating the driver’s seat with true class, ensuring the culture remains intact, and strengthening the legacy. The Spurs won five championships with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili, and Tony Parker—not just because they were talented, but because they bought into the system.
Even during the “down years,” San Antonio never lost their compass. They didn’t fire coaches. They didn’t jettison youth for veterans. They built through character, humility, and long-term belief.
And when they struck gold again—Victor Wembanyama—it wasn’t just luck. It was a reward for staying true to a model that works. Yes, those fickle basketball gods play their game…
So, what should the Sun’s version of this look like?
The Phoenix Paradox: Identity Without Stability
The irony of Matt Ishbia’s recent open letter—touting that the Suns will now “do things differently”—is that they were on the verge of something real once before.
Under Monty Williams, Phoenix had built the scaffolding of a team-first identity. There were signs of continuity between the coach and the players. Devin Booker emerged not just as a scorer but as a leader, learning from Chris Paul on the fly. The 2021 Finals run wasn’t just a fluke—it was chemistry, system, and buy-in. And then?
It got blown up. Chris Paul was traded, finding out at 30,000 feet. The Twins were traded for Durant, and all this came off the back of new ownership. Sarver’s scandal-into-sale ushered in an era with impatience baked into its DNA. Fast-forward, and Ishbia went all in with the quickness. Kevin Durant. Bradley Beal. Frank Vogel. New trainers. New front office philosophy. A new “hands-on” model where the owner’s imprint is seen and heard.
Three coaches in three years. And we stand on the doorstep of a fourth year now with Coach Ott. In the rear-view mirror? One playoff series win in that time. One superstar too many, maybe. A roster that feels less like a team and more like an expensive experiment.
Interestingly, this letter to Suns staff seems to highlight more what Matt Ishbia had empowered others to do, rather than what he was responsible for. So, how should we view the Suns right now, with a focus on culture building and alignment?
After all, this is his move.
Jordan Ott Deserves a Chance to Build—Not Just Inherit
Jordan Ott’s hiring is a real reset. A fundamental one. But it will only matter if he’s given room to breathe. Because right now, the Phoenix Suns don’t need a quick-fix tactician. They need a cultural architect.
They need to stop trying to copy success and start cultivating it.
They need to:
- Define a clear style of play, and commit to it through adversity.
- Invest in player development—not just trade chips, but young pieces who matter.
- Resist overcorrection. Let Ott grow into the job. Let the players fail forward.
- Align the front office, coach, and core players with a shared basketball philosophy.
Because the greatest lesson from the Heat and the Spurs is this:
Culture isn’t built when you’re winning. It’s built when you refuse to abandon your principles after you lose.
Ultimately, Jordan Ott needs the FULL LENGTH of his contract to build this. Truthfully, he’ll need more than that. It’s time for the scenic route, the playing of the long game, taking the road less travelled, even when that road feels arduous.
Final Thought: Trust Over Transaction
Like a well-fermented starter (getting back to my sourdough metaphor), stability must be nurtured, the roster carefully kneaded into shape, and adversity embraced as part of the baking process. If Phoenix commits to the long-game approach—allowing Ott to build rather than simply inherit—it might finally create a culture that holds its structure when the heat turns up.
It’s not flashy to let a coach stay five years.
It doesn’t trend on Twitter when you develop a second-round pick.
But that’s what turns franchises into dynasties. That’s what makes an arena feel like home—not just a venue.
Matt Ishbia says he wants to do things differently.
Here’s his chance to prove it:
Don’t just hire Jordan Ott. Empower him.
Don’t just draft young talent. Play them.
Don’t just say you believe in accountability. Model it.
Because culture isn’t a headline.
It’s the habits no one applauds.
And in Phoenix, we’ve seen what happens when you try to shortcut your way to the top.
It’s time to build something slower.
Something lasting.
Something Suns fans can believe in—year after year, coach after coach, era after era.
And whilst we get ready to bake in a lasting legacy of culture and continuity for Suns fans across the city of Phoenix and the world, why not share your best sourdough recipes below?
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