Jordan Ott Media Availability | Phoenix Suns Training Camp Day 8

or not. Nice to meet you. You too, Barry. It’s your first practice. My first practice. I love it. First break from baseball. There you go. So, here we go. Let’s go. We love you, Bean. Anyone going to China? That’s the legend. Legendary China. Just you. Just China. Just talking about I’ve been to Japan like three times. So, uh, it’s quite a trip. We’re excited. I don’t know about that sleep stuff, but we’re we’re excited. Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out. We got a plan. We’ll we’ll see. I know you have a plan, but it doesn’t work. Ah, we’ll see. I’ll let you know. Okay. player. Coach, now that you’ve seen some film, what’s what stood out to you about about Friday night? Yeah, the same, Dwayne. I think I think our initial feel of what we felt I think was pretty accurate because it felt good and um top to bottom. Uh I think we were in a good place. Our carryover was good from our camp. Um yeah, August, September, beginning of camp, you know, it we were out there ready to go. Now we have three more to continue to do it again. looked at the went back and watched it and I think Kobe didn’t play. I’m curious to think of not letting Kobe get some minutes. I think Kobe’s one of those guys that he’s going to be ready when we when we need him. Um again, we have a plan for everyone. Kobe’s part of that plan. Uh he’s had a really good camp. Um he’ll get some minutes by the end of this and we know when when his name is called, he’ll be ready to go and he shot it at a high level just like I talked about earlier in camp, just like he did in summer league. And then Jaylen, I saw you got I think a pregame workout where he got laded up pretty good. Um where is he at as far as that as far as the hamstring and as far as him playing um either Friday or Sunday? It’s definitely progressing. I think it’s progressing in the right right place. Um you know with the soft tissue, you never know exactly where where we’re at. So but every day’s been better. So we’ll continue to reassess in China. Mark was very spoke positively about what you guys are putting him through as far as the getting him ready and talked about he’ll be ready opening tonight. Where is he at as far as getting closer to to maybe even five on five or actually playing in the PC? Yeah, I think the same I think again day by day he’s out here working um in a good place. Same thing in all our drills um it’ll be the same piece. We’ll see what happens in China. you know, we are in China for a long time, so you know, things can change, but um he’s still right on plan. Coach, uh heading to China tomorrow, a lot of preparation went into that. The team consulting with sleep specialists. Can you just tell us kind of how that’s going to work on the plane, getting the guys adjusted to the time and um things that you guys are doing? Yeah, we have a plan plan for for our guys or us and staff, too. Um, tonight we’re we were told to stay up a little later because we’re supposed to get some rest pretty early in the trip. Um, to then when we land try to get back on their schedule, which is the evening time on Tuesday night. So, it’s been great. All the consultants that we’ve had, I think our communication to our players and to our overall group has been really good. Um, but it doesn’t matter like however we feel, this is still training camp. We got to get we got to go out there, perform, practice multiple times there, have two games. Um, we’re ready for whatever comes. Jared just mentioned some team dinners, but are there any other team activities that you guys have planned while you’re there? Yeah, it’s definitely definitely team activities and team dinners. I think almost every day. Um, but we still want to keep the main thing the main thing, which is our group continuing to get better. come together, use this as a team building um event, especially with the the long flights back there or to there and back. So, and two big games. Like, we’re ready to play. You saw how many minutes we played the other night. Like, we’re we’re going to continue to ramp up the minutes and um you know, get ready for the regular season. It’s the when you get there, it’s night but night the next day, not the same day. Which is even more bizarre. Yeah. Yeah. We take off Monday morning and get there Tuesday night. Right. So then we go to sleep, try to get on schedule as fast as possible, then practice early. We practice early Wednesday, practice Thursday, then play Friday. Both Ryan and Osa went there this summer. Have you talked to them about their experience? Yeah, I mean obviously like it we know this is great for the Phoenix Suns and our our community, our whole organization and the NBA. So I think you know they were over there. We’ve had multiple staffers over there multiple times. Um Ryan and also over there to to be part of the NBA and the Phoenix Suns. I think we’ve had multiple staffers try to time this thing out right to where we feel good going and then when we come back like try to get back into our rhythm and our routine cuz it’s only 10 days before the regular season. Jordan, uh Grayson was saying that even though the offense has a lot of cutting involved, it things didn’t feel cramped to him in that first game. Just how encouraging is that that first game with this group together and it still looked pretty good? Yeah, I think that was one of the big takeaways like some of the carryover the things that we were trying to do and install. We we got to see it and um you know it was a slightly different pick and roll defense than what we play. So the coverage solutions against their pick and roll defense is slightly different and we were able to adjust on the fly because we were ready and then you know Brooklyn may play a different defense. So um I think it looked good for game one. There’s multiple layers that we’ll try to have ready for Brooklyn and then going forward. What are what’s like the biggest thing that you’re looking for with Kaman just in terms of hey like this is what we need you to do to to get on the floor and have play minutes. I think it doesn’t change from the summer. You know his day-to-day habits. A lot of that is in the weight room. You know this is a physical game. This is a taxing game. Um so be strong enough and then have the ability to run and process on both ends of the floor. It’s fast and I think we were able to get them out there, get him some minutes. Um it’s not college anymore. There’s a lot of actions out there. He’s going to be involved in almost every possession. Those are important pieces that we try to replicate in practice, but can’t do it until he gets out there. How do you feel in your early adjustments as a head coach here, Barry? I feel feel pretty good, you know, but I know, you know, tomorrow’s a new challenge and then the next day is a new challenge. So, I think we’ve been being able to organize and be prepared um on this front end of the season. Um, but we know there’s another hurdle coming at some point here. Um, it could be tomorrow, could be the next day. We know there’s something coming and just continue to build our foundation of how we play and how we want to operate together as a team. Everything’s new for you. Yeah. No, it’s new. There’s some things that aren’t new, though, too. You know, you’ve kind of taken the mental reps even though I haven’t been in that seat. Um, the game is the game. You know, it’s less suggestions and more decisions. Um, but the game was the game. Um, you know, the end of game is going to be something a little bit different in some of those situations as a first year, but uh, you know, when you’re able to prepare and organize and have a staff around that we can all take care of business and be ready when those guys come in the building, like we’ve been able to execute that. Um, but we know there’s there’s bigger challenges coming. From what those two kids said, uh, sounds like you’re pretty organized. Yeah. Well, I try. Well, at least my wife is. Yeah. She’s writing up the charts. Yeah, she she she can handle a lot of that. I try to be there as as supportive as I can, but she’s she’s on her own a lot of that stuff. Coach, uh, seeing the Skyla working with with Kaman, what’s it been like having Mike here? I know you guys have a relationship, but having him on your staff and what what’s your thoughts on what he’s been able to do so far? Yeah, Musky, uh, you know, the best part is he just played, you know, he’s a year removed from playing putting on an NBA jersey, playing playing what the game uh, is today. So it wasn’t, you know, he didn’t play 10 years ago, he played a year ago. So he knows what it feels like out there. And to have a resource like that for our bigs, our young bigs, all of them. Um, I think it’s incredibly helpful for me to get a pulse of how it feels. He did this China trip before or he did an overseas trip before. Um, and then just his humility just to come in to work. you know the transition is not always easy but his obviously when he has said yes that was a big big part big relief to me and then I think for the players what you’ll see is they they connect to him because they literally played against him a lot of these guys played against him and he has a great way about him his you know his humbleness his intelligence when you guys talk to him you’ll really feel then now he’s invested he’s not halfway in he’s he’s here lives right here. He’s all about the work. Um, you know, it’s been good to have him on our staff. Thank you all.

Jordan Ott speaks with media after Day 8 of Training Camp on October 5th, 2025. Ott speaks about how he played during the Phoenix Suns first preseason game and the NBA China games ahead. #SunsUp

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