[5], In the playoffs, the Suns defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in six games in the first round. 2021; 2022; BACKGROUND. [7], The Suns agreed to trade their 29th pick and Jevon Carter to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Landry Shamet.[8]. Frazier, 26, comes to Phoenix after serving as a video/player development assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks this past season, helping the Bucks reach the Eastern Conference Finals. The veteran coach joins Jarron Collins as the latest to join Willie Green's staff in New Orleans. The 6-4 shooting guard played his first seven seasons in Philadelphia, including in 2007-08 when he averaged a career-high 12.4 points for the 76ers. 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Greer joins the Suns following two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In addition to them, superstar point guard Chris Paul also declined his player's option that would have allowed him to get $44,211,146 in the final season of his massive contract he first signed back when he was with the Houston Rockets in 2018, though he's expected to receive a 3-year deal worth $90 million with the Suns in free agency. The members of this staff have combined to win multiple NBA titles, conference titles and NCAA titles, bring significant coaching and playing experience at the NBA level, and recognize the attention to details that create the foundation for successful teams. Opp PTS/G: He helped Boston University to two NCAA tournament berths, including a school-record 25 wins in 1996-97, and helped Boston College reach the Elite Eight in 1994. Ayers also spent two seasons as an assistant coach with both the Orlando Magic (2005-2007) and Washington Wizards (2007-2009), and another season as an assistant coach with Philadelphia in 2009-10, before joining Williams staff in New Orleans. . While their first and last preseason games on October 4 & 13 did not air on TV this season, the Suns had their preseason matches against the Lakers air on NBA TV and ESPN respectively for their October 6 & 10 games. Suns' Monty Williams wins Coach of the Year from fellow coaches In addition to playing under Williams as an assistant coach with Portland for the 2007-08 season, Blake was a teammate of Suns General Manager James Jones. Bryant,a former Suns player, returns to Phoenix after most recently spending 12 seasons as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Underwhelming is an issue, however, as Phoenix needs peripheral support with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker supplying over half of the Suns' points Saturday. Green, 37,joins the Suns following three seasons as assistant coach/player development for the Golden State Warriors. In 2012, the Serbian native initially joined the Thunder organization as head coach of their NBA G League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers, becoming the first head coach born outside North America in NBA G League history. [11] However, the Suns also lost Torrey Craig to the Indiana Pacers on August 2, with Craig agreeing to sign a two-year deal worth $10 million for Indiana, which was made official by August 20. Before entering the coaching ranks, Greer played collegiately at Northeastern University and was the teams captain during his senior season in 1988-89. The Phoenix Suns put themselves in too deep of a hole after getting beat in the little areas early by the Denver Nuggets. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.6 assists over 867 career regular season games with Portland, Indiana, Toronto, New Orleans, Golden State, Cleveland, Brooklyn and New York. Feb 28 @ MIN, PHO (22-11) beat MIN, 118-99, 34. Prior to joining the Thunder organization, Rajakovic spent three years as head coach of Torrelodones in Spain. Phoenix Suns Roster | NBA.com [38], For this season, the salary cap was set at $112,414,000, with the luxury tax line now being set at $136,606,000. Jan 9 @ IND, PHO (7-3) beat IND, 125-117, 11. Right leg contusion during the home Cavaliers game. Bryant played 15 total NBA seasons from 1988-2003 with Portland, Houston, Phoenix, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Denver and Boston, averaging 5.4 points on 50.0% shooting and 3.8 rebounds in 797 regular season games, and also appeared in 79 playoff games with trips to the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992 as a member of the Trail Blazers. While Durant and Murray being a part of this series. For this season, the Suns had (starting with the most expensive players downward) E'Twaun Moore, Langston Galloway, Cameron Payne, Abdel Nader, Frank Kaminsky III, and Torrey Craig all entering free agency this year due to all of them signing (or agreeing to) their veteran's minimum salaries for their respective deals last season. For the Suns to beat the Nuggets, let alone reach The Finals, they need Ayton to narrow his role - then thrive in it. He led the ACC in assists per game in each of his final three seasons, and led the NCAA in total assists in 2002. Jan 1 @ DEN, PHO (5-1) beat DEN, 106-103, 9. 'Head coach in the making': Willie Green's impact on Suns' success Pace: 97.2 (26th of 30), Off Rtg: 117.2 (5th of 30) Select the second team from the drop down menu. The Phoenix Suns Are Seeking Redemption And Dominating Along - Forbes Murray didn't play in the 2021 conference semifinals Phoenix swept Denver due to a knee injury that sidelined him the entire 2021-22 season. Rajakovic began his coaching career at 16 years old with the youth teams of Borac Cacak in his hometown of Cacak, Serbia. However, he was waived from the team on October 9, failing to join them officially during the preseason period. However, he last played for the Washington Wizards as a part of the squad that made it to the 2021 NBA playoffs after once being considered the worst Eastern Conference team earlier in the season. The native of New York, New York received his bachelors degree from Northeastern. Blakes most successful seasons as a player came with Portland in 2005-06 and from 2007-2010 when Williams served as an assistant coach for the Trail Blazers. Mar 13, PHO (25-12) lost to IND, 111-122, 39. Jack and Williams also were together in Portland from 2005-2008, Jacks first three NBA seasons as a player and Williams first three NBA seasons as an assistant coach. Gates joins the Suns following two seasons as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Mar 23 @ MIA, PHO (29-13) beat MIA, 110-100, 43. Feb 22, PHO (20-10) beat POR, 132-100, 31. Most recently, Jack averaged 8.9 points in 15 appearances for the NBA G League Ignite during the 2021 NBA G League season held at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida this past February. Prior to becoming a coach in the NBA, Ayers coached collegiately, including eight seasons as head coach at The Ohio State University from 1989-1997. Strong was a two-time All-American, two-time Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year and three-time all-conference selection at Guilford, leaving as the Quakers second all-time leading scorer. NBA Coaches Assoc. We present them here for purely educational purposes. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network. Blake, 39, comes to Phoenix after spending the last two seasons working for the Portland Trail Blazers. In assembling a staff, the goal was simple: identify high-character individuals with high-level experience who will work relentlessly to develop a culture of championship habits here in Phoenix. Apr 10, PHO (37-15) beat WAS, 134-106, 53. Apr 26 @ NYK, PHO (43-18) beat NYK, 118-110, 62. During educational tours of college basketball programs in the U.S., Rajakovic spent time attending practices and meeting with Lute Olson at the University of Arizona in 2003 and Mike Krzyzewski at Duke University in 2007. Feb 3 @ NOP, PHO (11-9) lost to NOP, 101-123, 27. Apr 5 @ HOU, PHO (35-14) beat HOU, 133-130, 51. Jack will join the Suns after a 13-year NBA career as a player from 2005-2018. He is of Native American descent as his father is a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. Gross joins the Suns after two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers as a video/player development assistant, the organization said. He served as a player development coach and director of analysis and opposition scouting, including when Williams was the teams associate head coach in 2015-16. He helped Boston University to two NCAA tournament berths, including a school-record 25 wins in 1996-97, and helped Boston College reach the Elite Eight in 1994. He served as an assistant coach on Williams staff in New Orleans for all five seasons Williams was the teams head coach from 2010-2015. Phoenix Suns Arena He worked with Monty Williams during the 2018-19 campaign in Philadelphia. As the Suns look to RUN IT BACK and bring back much of the team that just went to the NBA Finals, familiarity seems to be a common theme as Williams surrounds himself with faces he has worked with before. After all, these are two of the teams standing in the way of Phoenix reaching their ultimate goal. The 202122 Phoenix Suns season was their 54th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as their 29th season at the currently named Footprint Center, their first full season under that name after taking over the naming rights to the previously named Phoenix Suns Arena on July 16, 2021, during the 2021 NBA Finals. Young served as an assistant coach in his first season with the Suns in 2020-21, helping the team win the Western Conference and advance to the NBA Finals. Strong was a two-time All-American, two-time Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year and three-time all-conference selection at Guilford, leaving as the Quakers second all-time leading scorer. Blakes most successful seasons as a player came with Portland in 2005-06 and from 2007-2010 when Williams served as an assistant coach for the Trail Blazers. [1][2], The Suns entered the season as the defending Western Conference champions and were attempting to return to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year. Before his coaching career, Ayers played at Miami and led the team to an upset of defending champion Marquette in the first round of the 1978 NCAA tournament. As Portlands starting point guard, Blake averaged a career-high 11.0 points in 2008-09 and a career-high 5.1 assists in 2007-08, helping the Trail Blazers improve from 32 wins before he returned in 2007 to 41 wins in 2007-08 then 54 wins and a playoff berth in 2008-09. 38.5, Arena: [24] On August 7, the Suns officially announced not just the promotion of Kevin Young to Willie Green's former position of associate head coach and the confirmed hiring of Bryan Gates, but also hired former NBA and NBA G League Ignite player Jarrett Jack and Oklahoma City Thunder player development coach Steve Scalzi to initially round out the rest of the coaching staff. Scalzi joins the Suns following seven seasons on the coaching staff of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Phoenix Suns scores, news, schedule, players, stats, rumors, depth charts and more on RealGM.com . He was selected 53rd overall in the third round of the 1978 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, then played professionally for the Reno Bighorns of the Western Basketball Association before returning to Miami and entering the coaching ranks. Phoenix Suns Assistant Willie Green Interviews For Three Head Coaching A graduate of Boise State University, Gates also has experience as an assistant coach in the G League and as head coach of the Oklahoma Storm in the United States Basketball League, Hickory Nutz in the Carolinas Basketball League and Beirut Blues Stars in the Lebanese Basketball League. Ayers has spent 17 total seasons on an NBA bench and was head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers for the majority of the 2003-04 season. Fois, 32, comes to the Suns after spending the past five seasons working for Gonzaga Universitys mens basketball program, elevating to the title of director of analytics. The Phoenix Suns announced in a press release the promotion of Kevin Young to associate head coach, as well as the additions of Bryan Gates, Jarrett Jack and Steve Scalzi as assistant coaches. As Portlands starting point guard, Blake averaged a career-high 11.0 points in 2008-09 and a career-high 5.1 assists in 2007-08, helping the Trail Blazers improve from 32 wins before he returned in 2007 to 41 wins in 2007-08 then 54 wins and a playoff berth in 2008-09. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network. Jan 23, PHO (8-7) lost to DEN, 112-120, 16. Phoenix Suns Coach Kevin Young to Interview for Houston Rockets Opening Phoenix Suns' Landry Shamet feels blessed to join title contender On September 22, Chasson Randle was confirmed to be a training camp signing for the Suns that's looking to gain a spot on the roster properly in October, which was made official on September 26. He played four seasons at Bucknell University from 2012-2016, helping lead the Bison to three postseason appearances including a 2013 NCAA tournament bid and two NIT berths. [26][27] Finally, on September 24, the Suns confirmed that both Riccardo Fois and Ben Strong left their positions as player development coaches for the team, being replaced by the Suns' assistant video coordinator Corey Vinson and the Portland Trail Blazers' video coordinator and player development coach Jamal Gross as a combination of video coordinator and player development coaches for the team. Also named were Jamal Grossand Corey Vinson as player development coaches/video coordinators. What Suns learned from 2021 Nuggets sweep that will help them win - MSN Monty Williams, the head coach of Phoenix Suns, which will play against Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals Game 3 Sunday night, is known for speaking publicly about his faith in Jesus, and recently shared how it enables him to help his players reach their potential and got him through a personal tragedy. The Phoenix Suns' Monty Williams was named the 2021 Michael H. Goldberg National Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year on Tuesday. He was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in both seasons and was the consensus national coach of the year for 1990-91. But the challenge of pulling a franchise that had won just 19 games in 2018-19 back to relevance was part of what . View the Phoenix Suns's Official NBA Schedule, Roster & Standings. [15] On September 7, the Suns confirmed that they replaced Alexander's spot with that of former Washington Wizards (and technically San Antonio Spurs) player Chandler Hutchison as a two-way contract player for this season only due to it being his last eligible year for such a contract, with Ty-Shon Alexander confirmed to join the Segafredo Virtus Bologna in Italy later on that same day. Greer helped the Sun Devils to consecutive 20-win seasons in his first two years in Tempe, including an NCAA tournament appearance in 2014. COACHING STAFF. Prior to his time at Gonzaga, Fois served as a graduate assistant for the mens basketball program at Pepperdine University from 2012-2014. Ayers, 63, brings to the Suns over 35 years of coaching experience, including as an NBA and college head coach, and has most recently spent the past three seasons as a pro scout with the Brooklyn Nets. Jan 8 @ DET, PHO (6-3) lost to DET, 105-110, 10. Green served as the Warriors head coach for NBA Summer League in 2018, both in Las Vegas and at the inaugural California Classic in Sacramento where he led Golden State to the events only perfect 3-0 record. The Suns' trade for Kevin Durant in February has made them serious title contenders even though they are the No. Scalzi first joined the organization as an assistant coach with the Tulsa 66ers, then the Thunders NBA G League affiliate, in 2013-14. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns start West semifinals with ugly Game 1 loss Born and raised in Springfield, Ohio, Ayers is a member of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. For the second straight year in a row, the Suns were in the NBA Playoffs after previously experiencing a decade-long drought from it that started back in the 201011 season. Bryant and Williams were teammates together with the 76ers for part of the 2002-03 season. Rajakovic (pronounced RYE-ahk-oe-vich), 40, comes to the Suns after seven seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder organization, spending the last five as an assistant coach. Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams talks faith, forgiveness | Sports News Cut by the Raptors before the regular season began, Wainright quickly signed a two-way contract with Phoenix. In 11 total NBA seasons, he has worked for seven teams that have qualified for the postseason. [20] However, Deandre Ayton failed to get a contract extension of his own before the deadline passed, making him a restricted free agent entering next season. Now they will do battle in an unexpected series. Previewing the 2020-21 Los Angeles Lakers Coaching Staff The Suns have also added Ryan Frazier as head video coordinator. Apr 30, PHO (45-18) beat UTA, 121-100, 64. All rights reserved. 0:00. 1 regional seeds in the NCAA tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 1991 and the Elite Eight in 1992. Rajakovic served as the Thunders head coach at NBA Summer League in 2014 and 2015. On October 22, the Suns filled their second two-way contract with small power forward Ish Wainright, a Ugandan-American that previously last played for the SIG Strasbourg in France before signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Toronto Raptors in the preseason. The Suns were not expected to come this close to an NBA championship this season. Born and raised in Springfield, Ohio, Ayers is a member of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame. Green, 37, joins the Suns following three seasons as assistant coach/player development for the Golden State Warriors.