Suns new coach Jordan Ott explains how he plans to prove his talent
Phoenix Suns news head coach Jordan Ott talks about his philosophy and general manager Brian Gregory speaks to why they chose Ott.
Jordan Ott is the new Phoenix Suns head coach, marking the team’s fourth coach in as many seasons.Ott faces challenges as a first-time head coach, including uniting the team and addressing doubts about his hiring.Key decisions for the new coaching staff include managing Devin Booker’s minutes and determining the fifth starter.
New Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott has some first-time decisions to make.
Having never been a head coach at any level, Ott will be Phoenix’s fourth head coach in four seasons as he’s replacing Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after one season. It was one underachieving 36-46 season that ended with missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20, which was the last time Phoenix had experienced a losing season.
Ott hears the doubters and all the chatter that he only got the job because of the “Michigan State connection” to team owner Mat Ishbia and general manager Brian Gregory. He was a video coordinator at Michigan State under Tom Izzo for five seasons up until 2013 after serving two years as a graduate assistant.
Ott addressed that right away after he was hired.
“I’ve earned the right to be here. I’ve spent 20 years of working as hard as I possibly can to be here in this spot,” said Ott during his introductory news conference back in June.
“I’ve been around great people, great coaches and great players that have allowed me to grow, put me in tough spots to see if I can get better. I know I’ve earned this opportunity. I’m going to work as hard as I can from here on out to prove that I’m here for the right reasons. I’ve earned this opportunity. That excites me. That excites me going forward.”
Suns coach breaks down what he gained from each coach he’s worked for
New Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott has been an assistant coach for the Cavaliers, Nets and Lakers, and has learned from the coaches he worked for.
Challenges await Ott as training camp begins Sept. 25. The season opener is Oct. 22 against Sacramento at PHX Arena.
He’s looking to bring a group of players together who respect and embrace his style, voice and teaching for the first time as the man in charge.
He’s not alone, though.
Ott has picked a coaching staff built on trust and various connections starting with lead assistant Jesse Mermuys, a Tucson native and University of Arizona graduate who has 17 years of experience as an NBA assistant coach.
DeMarre Carroll, Brian Randle, Chaisson Allen, John Little, Mike Muscala and Sean Dwyer make up the rest of the assistants. Former Michigan State star Mateen Cleaves has joined as player development/leadership assistant.
Allen is the only carryover from Budenholzer’s staff.
“It’s great. Obviously we want to kind of change the identity here. We want to compete at a high level. These guys have been doing it. The past two days, they’ve been competing at a high level.”
Suns assistant DeMarre Carroll on approach to Summer League as he’ll be head coach.… pic.twitter.com/A2ONECcwko
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) July 8, 2025
“I’m excited about the coaching staff that Coach Ott has assembled,” said Gregory during the offseason. “We brought together quality teachers who can connect with players and drive them to be their best. They are all highly intelligent and experienced coaches who not only understand where the NBA is now, but also where it is headed. Most important, they each possess a tireless work ethic and a commitment to building a team that is gritty, tough and relentless.”
The Suns coaching staff will have countless decisions to make.
Devin Booker minutes
Deciding who will start and be part of the rotation is a major one.
Ott is bound to take what he learned and experienced in Cleveland as an assistant last season under the 2024-25 NBA Coach of the Year, Kenny Atkinson, and implement it in Phoenix.
The Cavaliers won 64 games to finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference. They led the NBA in scoring with 12 players averaging between 31.4 minutes (leading scorer Donovan Mitchell) and 19.1 minutes (Isaac Okoro) last season.
Devin Booker hasn’t logged fewer than 31 minutes in a season since his rookie year in 2015-16 when he averaged 27.7 minutes. He’s coming off a career-best 37.3 minutes a game last season.
The Suns aren’t nearly as deep or talented as Cleveland was last season. The prevailing thought entering the season is that Phoenix will need Booker to have a career year to be competitive.
How much Ott plays the franchise’s all-time leading scorer should factor into whether that happens.
Who becomes the fifth starter?
Four of Phoenix’s five starters likely will be Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams and Booker. The Suns landed Green and Brooks from Houston in the Kevin Durant trade before the draft and gave Charlotte two first-round picks for the 7-footer Williams.
The fifth starter could be a tricky call for Ott and the coaching staff.
Ryan Dunn established himself as a standout defender in his rookie year in Phoenix. If he’s grown offensively, particularly from 3, the athletic 6-foot-8 Dunn is an ideal starter at the four.
However, Royce O’Neale has played power forward before in small lineups. Also 6-foot-8, O’Neale is more experienced than Dunn, has better rebounding numbers and shoots it much better from distance.
O’Neale shot a career-best 40.6% on 3s last season. Dunn made 31.1% of his deep hoists as a rookie.
If the Suns look to have another big player alongside Williams, Oso Ighodaro may be the answer. He’s 6-foot-11, added 12 pounds of muscle to weigh close to 230, and may be a better fit as a power forward, especially if he’s developed an offensive game outside of the paint.
Finding where the rookies fit
Khaman Maluach is the future at center in Phoenix.
The Suns landed him with the 10th overall pick they acquired from the Rockets in the Durant trade.
A 7-footer from South Sudan who had a one-and-done season at Duke, Maluach is a rim protector, lob threat and has a high upside, but he just turned 19 years old Sept. 14.
Williams is the slated starter at center, but he’s been injury prone. He has played a total of 106 games in three seasons. The Suns believe they can get his body right, but there’s no guarantee that Williams will play 70-plus games this season.
The Suns still have Nick Richards and Ighodaro can play center, but Maluach will have an opportunity to earn early minutes.
Rasheer Fleming is an intriguing talent who showed in college at Saint Joseph’s the ability to score on all three levels, rebound and defend.
Koby Brea was the nation’s best 3-point shooter his last two collegiate years, but two-way signees can only play a certain number of games.
Whether all three can be difference makers as rookies remains a mystery, but Ott needs to find out if they can contribute now.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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