The Phoenix Suns season is seen by most as a huge disappointment after falling to the Denver Nuggets in their second-round matchup. This led to a shocking move by new owner Mat Ishbia on Saturday night.
Changes around the organization were rumored after their loss. The team was expected to potentially shop both star point guard Chris Paul and center DeAndre Ayton.
While changes likely need to be made to change this team around and make them a true contender, very few expected the move that the organization made on Saturday.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Suns are parting ways with head coach Monty Williams.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski added that this move specifically came from Ishbia.
Many around the NBA world offered their opinion on the surprising decision.
It was fair to wonder if the Suns had hit their ceiling under Monty Williams, but a lot of their playoff flaws were due to roster construction as much as anything else. Massive summer ahead for Phoenix that they have to nail, and now finding a new head coach tops the list
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) May 14, 2023
This decision comes just one year after Williams was named the Coach of the Year in the NBA and two years after they reached the NBA Finals.
Williams joined the team in the 2019-20 season and directly helped the team turn things around. He finished his tenure with the team holding a 191-115 record while leading the team to the postseason three straight years. Over the past three seasons, he was the winning coach in basketball.
Most saw the Suns’ problems to be more about their personnel on the court rather than a coaching issue. Regardless, the new ownership group clearly feels like it is time to go in a different direction.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.