Phoenix Suns: 5 candidates to replace Igor Kokoskov as head coach
2. Monty Williams
Monty Williams is a well-respected coach and well-liked human being around the league, both of which would be welcome additions in Phoenix. He’s got ties to both James Jones and the newly appointed senior vice president of basketball operations, Jeff Bower, whose last act during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans was hiring Williams as head coach.
During his time in NOLA, Williams led the Pelicans to a 46-win season in his first year (back when they still had Chris Paul), helped anchor the team in its rebuilding phase and then coached Anthony Davis in his first playoff series during a 45-win season in 2015. The Pelicans were swept by the eventual NBA champions in the first round, but it seemed like a promising (re)start.
Then New Orleans suddenly fired him, and he hasn’t been a head coach since. Since that time, he’s served as an associate head coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers, but his name has picked up some steam in recent months, with the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly considering him and Tyronn Lue as replacement options for Luke Walton.
Lue feels like the frontrunner for the Lakers job because of his prior experience coaching LeBron James, but if he winds up getting the job, the Suns may get their guy in the end:
Here's a factor in the timing of Kokoskov's dismissal: The Suns are planning to target Philadelphia 76ers assistant Monty Williams, league sources tell ESPN. Lakers are planning a second interview with Williams soon, sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 23, 2019
Firing Kokoskov and derailing yet another attempt at stability simply to hire Monty Williams reeks of the kind of organizationally chaotic stench the Suns have been bathing in for years, especially since the Lakers are a far more attractive job opening. Imagine firing your head coach to wind up finishing second in the Monty Williams sweepstakes.
However, Williams is extremely well-liked and well-known around the NBA from his reputation and his time spent with USA Basketball, so he certainly wouldn’t be a bad hire if that’s what comes to pass. The Suns could do much worse after brashly firing a head coach who had no shot at succeeding with no point guard and nearly half a dozen rookies, in other words.