The Media Day of the Phoenix Suns’ 2025-26 was the first chance that the various journalists and bloggers were present to speak the new head coach Jordan Ott, and it was an insightful conversation. It is clear how much he loves the game and wants to succeed, with the Suns right to go after a younger coach who takes the top job for the first time.
Complicating things some is the sudden arrival of Steve Nash in a senior advisory role, but Ott has dealt with all the questions about that appointment. They have a great relationship that goes back to their time together with the Brooklyn nets, with Ott clearly pleased – when you at least speak with the media – to have a familiar face, he can trust when it becomes difficult.
Steve Clifford, on the east coast, now of great importance for suns.
During his availability of media, the name of Steve Clifford was raised when he asked how he could help OTT coaching this season. It was lost in the shuffle with everything that happened in the valley this season, but Clifford is now on board as a coaching adviser who has left the Charlotte Hornets. Ott seemed particularly happy to have him as a mentor, and with good reason.
I spoke with Jordan Ott about the why and influences of him who wanted both Steve Nash & Steve Clifford with him in his first season as a head coach with him:
On Nash: “[Him] Being in the area and being a Phoenix zon is a No Brainer. “
On Clifford: “[He’s] On the east coast, so he is … pic.twitter.com/ywuqlsegw7
-Stephen Pridgeon-Garner 🏁 (@Stephenpg3) September 25, 2025
Unlike Nash – which will often be in the building – Clifford is actually based on the east coast. This is excellent because, as OTT noted, he can get a lead the next day on a game that may have happened the night before. Clifford far away is also another positive, because there will be no chattering of him to replace Ott if things go south.
Unfortunately, Clifford has also had some health problems in more recent times, which partly explains why he stepped out of the top performance with the hornets. He has been the leading man for various organizations, and his time at the Orlando Magic is perhaps a great experience for OTT to exhaust.
That young team did not go entirely with Clifford’s win now Ethos, and they eventually separated. But that was a reconstruction team that an experienced head coach needed to lead them up and down character of the regular season. That could have been just as useful for Clifford as those players, and he can now share what that was like with coach Ott.
Really although the suns that both Clifford and Nash bring in has similarities with what the Los Angeles Lakers did with JJ Redick. That was his first coaching job, and they filled out his bank with previous head coaches with many repetitions. The Suns did not do that completely – but in senior advisers Nash and Clifford – they came to the same end goal. Steve Clifford will be invaluable for this franchise.
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