The Phoenix Suns are one of the NBA’s biggest surprises of the season and it’s due mostly in part to first-year head coach Jordan Ott.
The end of the Kevin Durant-Bradley Beal era led many to believe Phoenix was entering a rebuild and that the newly-formed team built around Devin Booker and led by a longtime assistant coach would be a Western Conference bottom feeder.
Fast-forward nearly halfway through the season and the Suns are 24-15 and vying for a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.
A revelation like this deserves some praise, and Booker and Phoenix forward Royce O’Neale made their case for Ott to contend for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award following Sunday’s win over the Washington Wizards.
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Booker, O’Neale make the case for Ott
“He’s a guru. He studies the game at a high level,” Booker said. “I’ve spoken on it before, he’s not just watching our games, he’s watching everybody across the league and what’s working and what’s not.
“The evolution of it. He doesn’t feel like he has all the right answers. He understands that the game’s changing and evolving at the same time and you have to keep up.”
Booker added that he noticed Ott’s meticulousness during the hiring process.
“He just has a way with connecting with the players, putting us in positions to succeed,” O’Neale added. “He’s also willing to listen. See what we see out there while he’s coaching.”
Ott has made a considerable impression on his roster, fanbase and the NBA at large. Should the Suns avoid the play-in outright and make the playoffs, the outcome of this season would be beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.
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