The Phoenix Suns coach is going to be somebody new next year, and whether this is the right decision or not, it has already been made. Mat Ishbia came in during the middle of the year as the new owner, and he wasted no time leaving an imprint. Whether starting that beef with Nikola Jokic by taking the ball mid-game. Making Isiah Thomas one of his go-to guys. He wants to bring in his own guy, showing his thoughts on the team’s state.
The NBA schedule was not unkind to them this season, so much as injuries were. But the thing is, DeAndre Ayton really does not want to be there. Their bench depth is poor and they’re paying a lot to Booker, Durant, Ayton, and Paul. The ideal would be to try and move at least one of Ayton/Paul to add some depth and young talent. And now the focus begins, which is Phoenix Suns coach odds. Who takes over for Monty Williams?
The Favorites
Nick Nurse (+200)
Looking at the Phoenix Suns coach odds, a few names jump right off the page. First up is Nick Nurse, who had his NBA player stats from starters through the roof the last few seasons. He has never been a fan of playing his bench for too many minutes, and he has let it show during his time with the Raptors. At +200, he is the top candidate to come here and take things over. He would surely have the NBA team stats looking up across the board.
Nurse works his tail off for his teams, and won a title with the Raptors during his first campaign. Helped by the fact that he had Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James had left the East and failed to even qualify for the postseason. But, while some things are temporary, championships are forever.
Kevin Young (+300)
Any Phoenix Suns prediction also has to include Kevin Young, listed as second at +300 to become the coach. He has been an assistant coach for seven seasons, including the last four with Williams in the valley. He had three years under his belt with the 76ers prior to that as well, so has been around plenty of stars during his time. It is always hard to make the jump to a first-time head coach, but he clearly knows the team philosophies and all that.
It is unclear how much influence Young has on the team. Similar to Boston and how they would have likely made Will Hardy their coach, the assistant promotion route could work. The Cavaliers have JB Bickerstaff at the helm, who initially began as John Beilein’s assistant. All three of his head-coaching gigs actually came as products of the head coach being fired at midseason. It would not be unreasonable for Young to get the gig.
Last But Not Least
Any Phoenix Suns prediction would have to include Mike Budenholzer, too. His tenure with the Bucks did not end quite so romantically, but it seemed it was time. He was dealing with a lot in his personal life, but it’s always been tough to excuse a team failing to meet expectations in such a royal way. The No. 1 Bucks got trounced by the No. 8 Heat in the opening round, and a Giannis injury for two of the games is really not enough of an excuse to cover his tracks.
He got to only one NBA Finals in five seasons at the helm, with three exits coming before the conference finals. With the money they tied up in Giannis-Khris Middleton-Jrue Holiday, that is not what they wanted to see. Bobby Portis signed up for two more seasons making a lot less money than he could have gotten from another team.
The Phoenix Suns coach odds need his name on the list because of all his regular-season success. Coach Bud has never been great at postseason adjustments, and that is what folks would call his white whale.
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