If he is not fired, I will leave the Phoenix Suns head coach, as he has a misunderstanding with his player.

If he is not fired, I will leave the Phoenix Suns head coach, as he has a misunderstanding with his player.

He misunderstands his player; hence, if he is not sacked, I will quit as head coach of the Phoenix Suns.

Phantom — Not even a hundred days ago, in February, Mat Ishbia acquired ownership of the Phoenix Suns. Arranging a deal for Kevin Durant, a franchise-changing decision meant to put the Suns in a position to win their first NBA championship, was his first significant action.

Ishbia took a second big step on Saturday, not even 48 hours after Phoenix was humiliatingly eliminated from the Western Conference playoffs. He let coach Monty Williams go after conferring with general manager James Jones about the direction of the team.

Ishbia built his wealth in the mortgage industry via a methodical strategy he refers to as “being in the weeds.” Although at first unclear, that now makes sense in terms of NBA ownership. Ishbia is very involved in basketball operations.

Williams had admitted guilt for not getting the Suns ready to play following Thursday’s 125-100 elimination defeat to the top-seeded Denver Nuggets. One day later, at the Phoenix practice facility, he claimed to have grasped the financial side of NBA coaching and its drawbacks. He could only control himself by trying to do the best job he could.

Jones acknowledged Williams’ part in the team’s turnaround, which included a trip to the 2021 NBA Finals and the league’s best regular-season record the following season, in a statement announcing the firing. We are tremendously appreciative of all Monty has done for the Valley community and the Suns, said Jones. “I look forward to carrying on the effort to build a championship team, even though it was difficult for me to make this decision.”

It is unknown where Phoenix travels from here. There will be a connection to the position thanks to Arizona native Mike Budenholzer, who was just let go as Milwaukee Bucks head coach. Maybe Nick Nurse, the dismissed coach of Toronto last month,. Both of the coaches have championships.

Durant and Devin Booker, two of the finest players in the game, are the Suns’ rock-solid pillars. They have inquiries as well. The first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Deandre Ayton, has not lived up to his potential and may have even regressed. Just 38 years old, Chris Paul has been slowing down and will earn $30.8 million next season, of which only half is guaranteed. A top-heavy roster and limited financial flexibility characterize the Suns.

Ishbia has basketball experience, having been a walk-on point guard at Michigan State. He joined his father’s mortgage company after graduation, declining a position as a collegiate assistant coach. Ishbia claims he approaches basketball in the same way as he approaches learning every facet of his vocation. When he’s stumped, he surrounds himself with people who may know. This became evident all through the playoffs.

Ishbia had a close friend, Isiah Thomas, a Hall of Fame point guard and former NBA coach and executive, by his side both at home and on the road during the postseason. Mateen Cleaves, a former college teammate, and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo paid visits. Every game, Ishbia sat in the front row and leaned forward, hands clenched, looking like the coach he nearly became.

If Ishbia or Jones did not confer with Booker or Durant before firing Williams, it would be strange. Booker accompanied Jones up the steps for his exit interview on Friday, as reporters were allowed inside the practice facility. Almost typically available to the media, Booker left the practice site before speaking with reporters following Game 6. That might have meant absolutely nothing at all or everything. Booker will have a sixth head coach in nine years, starting next season.

Durant knew Williams from his past. Williams worked under Billy Donovan as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder early in his career. He quickly won Durant over as a respectable man.

Not long after meeting Williams, Durant declared, “I adore him already. He is simply an excellent gaming instructor. Excellent with individuals.

Williams has a four-season record of 194-115 with Phoenix. He transformed the culture for a club that was at rock bottom, missing the postseason for nine straight seasons, and he did it with grace and professionalism. Williams was driven and self-assured; he didn’t mind admitting when he was wrong and accepted ownership when the Suns fell short of his expectations.

Williams guided the Suns on a stunning run to the 2021 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Bucks in six games after missing the postseason his first season. Before blowing out against Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference playoffs in 2022, Phoenix had a franchise-record 64 victories. They lost the pivotal game at home, much like this season, which was a disappointing end to an incredible campaign. Williams won the NBA Coach of the Year award.

Ishbia purchased the team this year from suspended governor Robert Sarver and withdrew the Durant deal in February. The Suns had twenty games left before the playoffs to develop chemistry by the time Durant recovered from a knee ailment. Aspirations skyrocketed. Durant missed three weeks of action after spraining his left ankle during pregame warmups on March 8. The Suns had won their first three. In retrospect, it might have sealed Phoenix’s doom. Williams’, perhaps as well.

“Obviously, things may be different right now; we may still be playing,” reserve guard Damion Lee said on Friday. “KD doesn’t get hurt in warmups.” Things might have been different had we not made the swap. Who is to know? The fantasy world is unlivable for us.

Ishbia was at courtside when Williams made dubious choices throughout the playoffs. During the regular season, Durant was 8-0 with him in the lineup; in Game 1 against the Clippers, he changed it. Never settling on a rotation, he substituted by feeling—a mistake that backfired. He played Durant and Booker much too much, tiring them both. Booker, the hottest player in the postseason, made 12 of 32 shots in Phoenix’s last two games. Durant was 18 out of 43, rushing and irritated.

Having said that, Williams may have failed most when it came to Ayton. Over their time together, the two did not have the best of relationships. Given his significance, it appeared odd that Ayton told reporters he had not spoken with Williams once throughout the offseason, just after signing a four-year, $133 million maximum agreement heading into this season. On Friday, when asked about their relationship, Ayton said that it had always been positive and asked, “What family doesn’t argue?”

Following the Durant deal, Ayton—who during the previous five years had averaged 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds—became more of a supporting actor. His acrimony dropped along with his touch. With a rib contusion, he missed Game 6, leaving the Suns, who were already without Paul due to a groin ailment, woefully shorthanded. The first quarter ended with a 17-0 run by Denver, blowing the game wide. The Suns never recovered, repeating their 2022 elimination loss to Dallas—that one occurring in Game 7. Both startling and intolerable was the absence of competitiveness.

Leader Ishbia is combative. He says he firmly believes in trial by mistake in his book, “Running the Corporate Offense: Lessons in Effective Leadership from the Bench to the Boardroom.” Stated differently, “Make a choice and go for it.” Along the road, make the required adjustments.” The Durant deal is covered by the first sentence. The Suns took a bold stand and followed through. The second is related to Williams’ firing.