5. New head coach Monty Williams
Move over Igor Kokoskov, enter Monty Williams.
That’s the motto the Phoenix Suns are taking entering the 2019-20 NBA season. After one year under former head coach Kokoskov, the team decided to part ways and were soundly rewarded with the acquisition of Williams. He comes with nearly 14 years of experience as an NBA assistant coach, most recently with the Philadelphia 76ers.
What makes it even sweeter was the teams Williams passed on to come to Phoenix, such as the Los Angeles Lakers.
And what he brings is an experience and winning mind to the franchise. Williams spent last season as part of Brett Brown’s staff in Philadelphia after two seasons out of the NBA. There he found something that can easily be translated to his group this season with Phoenix: youth.
Like the Suns, the 76ers spent a good five seasons figuring out a long and painful rebuild, but the results have produced on the Philly side. The 76ers have emerged as a power in the Eastern Conference and developed a core of the future to build around.
For Williams, he moves from Ben Simmons–Joel Embiid to Devin Booker-Deandre Ayton. While it might be a slight step down, it is in no way a bad hand to be dealt. With both emerging as young superstars early in their NBA careers, Williams just needs to figure out what to do with the rest of the pieces around the two.
Should he solve the riddle that is the Phoenix Suns, fans will rejoice over the coaching addition.