The Suns’ coaching hire is not a doomsday scenario

Suns fans need to quit panicking on the latest head coaching hire.

The Phoenix Suns have kicked off their offseason with a big splash as the new head coach has been hired. Mat Ishbia and Brian Gregory knew this would be the first task, and they just completed it. The Suns have decided to bring in Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Jordan Ott as their new guy. He has already signed a four-year deal, per Suns’ insider John Gambadoro.

This news has left many Suns fans distraught, thinking the franchise is in the gutter now. Well, I have some news for all of you Debby Downers. Jordan Ott is qualified for this job, and regardless of his obvious connection to a certain school, he will be a fine addition to this staff.

Was he the best fit? No, but I will illustrate why this is not a panic-mode situation.

The Obvious Out of the Way

It is clear why many Suns fans are uncertain about this hiring, and I do not doubt your concerns; I just ask that you give the man a chance. We all know it is due to his ties at Michigan State University, similar to everyone in this front office. Since Gregory was Mat’s buddy and got the job underqualified, everyone assumes that every MSU fit for this team is not qualified. That is not the case at all.

The best part is that Ott and Ishbia never overlapped at MSU, which is one key thing that every fan seems to ignore.

Was Brian Gregory the best hire? No, but do not discount Ott’s ability to do so because of association with a college.

Jordan Ott’s Background

The reason why you should not fret about Ott is that he is clearly an experienced assistant head coach.

From 2012 until 2016, he started on the Atlanta Hawks as a video coordinator and became an associate head coach under the one and only Mike Budenholzer. Seeing that name brings back unwarranted flashbacks, but I assure you, it is okay. Seeing how Ishbia spoke on Budenholzer indirectly at Gregory’s introductory conference should show you that he will not allow Ott to do the same.

After his time in Atlanta, Ott moved on to the Brooklyn Nets, where he was an assistant coach under three head coaches (Atkinson, Vaughn, Nash). He spent multiple seasons there in two different situations, one a younger rebuilding team with D’Angelo Russell and one with a trio of superstars. This shows me that Ott can coach both directions, not only depending on how the offseason looks, but also because he is prepared to do so. The Suns are looking to stay competitive, even if not this season, the window is not entirely closed here. Phoenix can have that reshuffle with Ott at the helm in two to three seasons with the right core, already knowing how to conquer the beast.

Following his stint in Brooklyn in 2022, Ott went on to the Los Angeles Lakers to be a part of Darvin Ham’s squad. Ham was not the best, but Ott was a solid presence on their roster. He then went back this season to a former head coach, Kenny Atkinson, in Cleveland. This year, he was part of the staff and helped lead them to the best record in the East, 64 wins.

When looking at Ott’s track record here, it is hard to ignore the success he has found on specific teams. In Shams’s report, he stated he was hired with a strong background in offensive and defensive creativity, player development, and communication.

These are all qualities the past three lacked in one aspect or multiple aspects to build this team. Gregory and Ishbia made these main sticking points when explaining what they were looking for in a coach. Not to mention that the franchise player gave it his “stamp of approval” to hire Ott alongside Steve Nash, speaking highly of him.

Jordan Ott has also coached the Summer League and joined the Latvian National team as a coach. These are key things that show he can not only coach young guys and understand they need development, but also bring in some foreign prospects if needed. Having someone understand the game with every type of archetype is key for this retool, and Ott can do that.

Final Thoughts

Was Jordan Ott my first choice? No, but neither was Brian Gregory.

Are there better options for both fits? Yes.

That being said, I will not bash on the new front office until they make a questionable move, and I have yet to see one. They’re making this move, which fully sets them up to explore their next moves for this roster that needs an overhaul.

The moral of this story is: don’t count out Jordan Ott in any way, and if I am wrong, I will own that.

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