The Phoenix Suns held their media day in Footprint Center on Wednesday, enthusiastically stumbling with owner Mat Ishbia about his vision for the future of the organization to open things. In accepting the responsibility for how the team tried to skip steps on the way to success in the trade for Kevin Durant, Ishbia has also cut a more reserved figure when proclaiming future success.
This season will not only be assessed for victories and losses – which is a good thing because there will be some humble defeats on this road to relevance – and instead it is about growing the young people in this schedule. With no fewer than 11 new recruits through the door – and with Devin Booker now the single superstar in the valley – this is the right posture to take.
Ishbia refers to a greater future role for reducing Steve Nash.
In the days prior to the availability of media, it was announced that Franchiselegende Steve Nash would return to Phoenix in a senior advisory role. With head coach Jordan Ott about to start as a leading man on his first trip, this might have been a reason for him. Nash has earlier coaching experience with the Brooklyn Nets, and Durant was part of the reason that was not possible.
His departure from Brooklyn came because both Durant and Kyrie Irving wanted the team to go in a different direction. It is unclear whether he wants to go back to the world of coaching – but with a strong relationship with Booker that has already been built – about the best place for him to get back into the game, would be in Phoenix.
Ishbia was clearly pleased to have the dual League MVP in the building again, and during his conversation with the collected media, proudly stated that Nash had already made a friendship with the new general manager Brian Gregory. Even more cryptic said Ishbia that Nash could be so much near the place if he wanted, and that everyone would learn from him.
No matter how big that sounds in theory, the suns have to be careful not to undermine coach Ott before he had the chance to leave his own stamp on the Roster and the culture there. Furthermore, complicated things – or perhaps help, depending on your position – is the fact that Ott was at Nash’s coaching staff when the couple was in Brooklyn.
Does this mean that he would feel more pleasant, both to ask his advice and to tell him when he withdrew? Or will that existing relationship mean that Nash feels even more comfortable to give its two cents, even if it is not asked? Ishbia clearly landed on the last, but this remains a situation to check.
Having a replacement in the wings if a situation goes wrong, sounds great in theory, but it can also become an unwanted distraction. That is not the reason why the Suns once let Kevin Young walk to Byu – despite many who believed that he was the head coach in Waiting in Frank Vogel, it did not work – but it helped to eliminate the chatter of that possibility. A potentially difficult situation that brews.
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