During the 2018-19 season, the Phoenix Suns finished off another losing season where they reached rock bottom finishing with a 19-63 record. Phoenix was stuck in proverbial quicksand with no way out. Former Suns GM Ryan McDonough was fired during the preseason due to a true lack of urgency to improve Phoenix's roster. The Suns entered the 2018-19 campaign with veteran backup journeyman Isaiah Canaan as their starting point guard on opening night. That should tell you about how the McDonough era went in Phoenix, which has many more layers to it as far as incompetence goes.
Outside of their exciting young core featuring Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Mikal Bridges, there were no other pieces in place to support them. This is where current Suns GM James Jones enters the picture. After the interim tag was ripped off for a permanent position following 2018-19, Jones made quick work overhauling Phoenix's culture on all levels. As a former multi-time NBA champion who experienced excellence, Jones had a solid idea he wanted to implement in the Valley.
After McDonough swung-and-missed on first-time head coach Igor Kokoskov, Jones fired him after one season due to his inability to connect with players. A few weeks later, Jones was able to convince one of the hottest coaches on the open market to choose a proverbial bottom-feeder in Phoenix over leading LeBron James and eventually Anthony Davis with the Lakers.
Suns head coach Monty Williams has two quotes that are echoed by his players constantly, himself included, when speaking to the media: "Everything is on the other side of hard." "Don't get happy on the farm."
Williams implemented a family-like culture in Phoenix that demanded hard work from his players. The difference in effort was immediate. It culminated with the Suns' incredible 8-0 run inside the Disney World Bubble. Phoenix entered with no pressure being last among the 22 teams in Orlando for odds to make the playoffs. The Suns turned less than one percent odds to make the playoffs into watching Brooklyn vs. Portland on the final night to determine if they would make the inaugural play-in tournament.
Phoenix built upon their season-ending momentum with a massive offseason move. The Suns pushed their chips into the middle of the table for future NBA Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul. The winning mentality was cemented within the Suns' young core, and Paul took notice from afar about how close this roster was to breaking through.
Another big 2020 offseason move, albeit underrated in the bigger picture, was signing veteran wing Jae Crowder to a 3-year deal in free agency. After receiving calls from over 20 teams in the early portions of free agency, Crowder decided to sign with Phoenix after Booker's pitch to restore Phoenix basketball. Paul and Crowder brought playoff experience, toughness, and leadership that was missing in the Suns' locker room for years. This duo helped propel the Suns from picking No. 10 overall in last year's draft to an NBA Finals berth.
Phoenix missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive years. Now, they are favorites to win a title after reaching the NBA Finals.Incredibly enough, the Phoenix Suns are only four wins away from their first title. All the steps along the way have thrusted Phoenix from a laughingstock to perennial contender. The Suns are now the perfect blueprint for teams to follow to go from the bottom to the very top.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/evansidery/2021/06/30/phoenix-suns-set-new-standard-for-successful-rebuilds-after-clinching-nba-finals-appearance/?sh=24d87e2c7cab
Outside of their exciting young core featuring Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Mikal Bridges, there were no other pieces in place to support them. This is where current Suns GM James Jones enters the picture. After the interim tag was ripped off for a permanent position following 2018-19, Jones made quick work overhauling Phoenix's culture on all levels. As a former multi-time NBA champion who experienced excellence, Jones had a solid idea he wanted to implement in the Valley.
After McDonough swung-and-missed on first-time head coach Igor Kokoskov, Jones fired him after one season due to his inability to connect with players. A few weeks later, Jones was able to convince one of the hottest coaches on the open market to choose a proverbial bottom-feeder in Phoenix over leading LeBron James and eventually Anthony Davis with the Lakers.
Suns head coach Monty Williams has two quotes that are echoed by his players constantly, himself included, when speaking to the media: "Everything is on the other side of hard." "Don't get happy on the farm."
Williams implemented a family-like culture in Phoenix that demanded hard work from his players. The difference in effort was immediate. It culminated with the Suns' incredible 8-0 run inside the Disney World Bubble. Phoenix entered with no pressure being last among the 22 teams in Orlando for odds to make the playoffs. The Suns turned less than one percent odds to make the playoffs into watching Brooklyn vs. Portland on the final night to determine if they would make the inaugural play-in tournament.
Phoenix built upon their season-ending momentum with a massive offseason move. The Suns pushed their chips into the middle of the table for future NBA Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul. The winning mentality was cemented within the Suns' young core, and Paul took notice from afar about how close this roster was to breaking through.
Another big 2020 offseason move, albeit underrated in the bigger picture, was signing veteran wing Jae Crowder to a 3-year deal in free agency. After receiving calls from over 20 teams in the early portions of free agency, Crowder decided to sign with Phoenix after Booker's pitch to restore Phoenix basketball. Paul and Crowder brought playoff experience, toughness, and leadership that was missing in the Suns' locker room for years. This duo helped propel the Suns from picking No. 10 overall in last year's draft to an NBA Finals berth.
Phoenix missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive years. Now, they are favorites to win a title after reaching the NBA Finals.Incredibly enough, the Phoenix Suns are only four wins away from their first title. All the steps along the way have thrusted Phoenix from a laughingstock to perennial contender. The Suns are now the perfect blueprint for teams to follow to go from the bottom to the very top.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/evansidery/2021/06/30/phoenix-suns-set-new-standard-for-successful-rebuilds-after-clinching-nba-finals-appearance/?sh=24d87e2c7cab