People around the NBA are taking note of how Jordan Ott’s first year as an NBA head coach is going and complimenting him.
Golden State Warriors Head Coach had high praise for the leaders of the Phoenix Suns yesterday. Before the Warriors beat the Suns 118-107 last night, the Olympic gold medalist and four-time NBA championship head coach was asked by The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin about Devin Booker’s strong start to the season, and Kerr made sure to give Ott some credit for it.
“He’s playing great and I think they’re just well organized,” Kerr stated. “I think (he’s) is doing a great job. Their staff has them playing to their talent. The style of play is very purposeful.” High praise.
Booker, 29, is averaging career-highs in points, field goal, and three-point percentage to start the season, and is only behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for most 30-point games in the 2025-26 campaign. He’s doing so within a new system, one deployed by the rookie head coach.
As Kerr noted, Ott has this team playing to its strengths. Phoenix is averaging 42.5 three-point attempts per game, fourth-most in the NBA, while hitting 37.4%, good for ninth-best overall. They’re also taking 22.1 shots per game in the non-restricted paint area, the second-most in the league, and rank fourth in field goal percentage at the rim at 73.9%. The team is attacking inside with purpose, averaging 25.0 paint touches per night, sixth-most in the NBA, a big jump from last season when they ranked third-worst at 18.3.
The Suns are 3-5 to start the season, and all their wins have come at home, but despite that, one of the most decorated and iconic coaches in NBA history had strong praise for the Suns’ first-year man.
What does Kerr’s strong words for Ott show you about how other head coaches are viewing their new peer?