The Phoenix Suns made the tough call to part ways with coach Monty Williams after that heartbreaking series loss to the Denver Nuggets.
New owner Mat Ishbia has taken a hands-on approach and won’t tolerate anything but greatness as he pursues the franchise’s very first NBA championship.
With that in mind, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the Suns have narrowed down their coaching search to five finalists: Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel, Doc Rivers, Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, and Suns assistant Kevin Young.
Sources: The Phoenix Suns have narrowed their head coaching search to five finalists: Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel, Doc Rivers, Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez and Suns assistant Kevin Young.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 24, 2023
Of course, Young makes sense because it would give the team a sense of continuity, all while giving them a breath of fresh air, sort of making it a smooth transition from the Monty Williams era.
Fernandez has been a marquee name around the league in terms of player development over the past couple of years, and he comes with experience behind Mike Malone and Mike Brown, so he’d be an interesting choice.
However, he may not have the pedigree to deal with hard-nosed guys like Kevin Durant.
Vogel comes with plenty of experience and even won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he’d revamp their defense in the blink of an eye.
Rivers has coached his fair share of superstar players, so he knows how to deal with ego and winning cultures, but he’s not exactly great when it comes to the Xs and Os and making playoff adjustments.
Last but not least, Nurse proved to be the opposite, an elite tactician with some issues with player management.
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