Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has seen the jokes about Suns owner Mat Ishbia stockpiling on Spartan alumni, especially following Phoenix’s hiring of new head coach Jordan Ott, but doesn’t think the correlation is all it’s cracked up to be, writes Duane Rankin of Arizona Republic .
“It looks like Michigan State Southwest, but the truth of the matter is, it’s not that,” Izzo said to Rankin in a phone interview. “He’s just got to figure out what it takes to win and I think he’s figured out some of the things he’s done, positively and negatively. He’s got to get some stability. He’s got to figure out his roster and I think you’re going to see Mat more and more visible.”
With Ott marking the fourth coach in four years, stability will be key to moving the Suns into a new, more successful era.
Izzo also praised the Ott hire, saying of the first-time head coach, “He’s great, a really smart kid. Works his a– off. He’s a guy that has enjoyed the process. He’s really a thorough guy.”
We have more news from Phoenix:
- Jordan Ott has been effortlessly commanding respect from players since he entered the NBA as a video coordinator for the Hawks, writes The Athletic’s Doug Haller . He quotes former Michigan State assistant coach Dwayne Stephens, who saw him working with his first NBA team and was impressed by his comfort level from the start. “That’s probably when I first realized that this dude has an opportunity to be one of the premier coaches in that league,” Haller quotes Stephens as saying. Spartan athletic director Kevin Pauga says that the way he commands a room is not with a boisterous presence, but an undeniable mindset. “You get five minutes (with him), you’re like, ‘Oh, this guy is smart as hell.’”
- With the question of where Kevin Durant will be traded getting louder and louder, Rankin lists five of the teams he considers most likely trade partners for the Suns. Those teams are the Rockets, Timberwolves, Knicks, Pistons, and Spurs. He adds that it’s unlikely the Spurs would consider the number two pick in the 2025 draft in a Durant deal, but that the 14th pick could be on the table.
- Rankin also looks at who the Suns could tap as assistants to fill out the bench under Ott. David Fizdale, who has been on the staff with the previous two coaches, Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer, is a clear choice. Fizdale had been under consideration for the head coaching position before Ott won it. Mark Bryant and Othella Harrington both coached under Tom Thibodeau with the Knicks and could find themselves on the outs with whoever New York hires to lead the team moving forward. Adam Caporn of the Wizards, the Suns’ Brent Barry, Indiana’s Jenny Boucek, and former Ott coworkers Adam Harrington and Phil Handy round out the list for Rankin.