In the months leading up to the 2025/26 campaign, owner Mat Ishbia talked repeatedly about a desire to turn the Suns into a tough, physical team that consistently plays hard and with aggression on both ends of the court. Ishbia was encouraged by the way the team has taken on that new identity during the preseason, but acknowledges there’s still work to be done, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays.
“It’s not all the way there yet,” Ishbia said. “Am I surprised? I’m really happy with where we’re at, but at the same time, we have a long way to go. Doing the things we’ve been talking about, an identity we’ve been talking about, we’re going to do it, but doing it for 48 minutes and then doing it for 48 minutes for 82 games, there’s still a process.”
Here’s more on the Suns:
- First-year head coach Jordan Ott has helped foster the team’s emphasis on toughness and defense through competitive practices and a steadfast work ethic, writes Doug Haller of The Athletic. While there will undoubtedly be bumps along the way, Wednesday’s season-opening comeback win against Sacramento was reflective of Ott’s own resiliency, according to Haller.
- Ishbia announced last month that Steve Nash has returned to the Suns as a senior advisor while also being an analyst for Amazon Prime Video. Nash recently explained what his advisory role with the Suns entails, referring to himself as a “sounding board” who can provide a big-picture perspective the team might lack at times during a long season. “I’m there as a resource, to share my experiences,” Nash said, per Rankin. “We have a rookie coach, a rookie GM (Brian Gregory). An organization that’s trying to reset. Someone that got a chance to play in the league for 17 years, got to coach in the league, I think there’s an opportunity just to be able to share my experiences, my thoughts around the game.”
- Offseason acquisition Mark Williams made his Suns debut on Wednesday, recording six points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench, with a game-high plus/minus (+15). “It meant a lot,” Williams said (story via Rankin). “It felt good. The energy in the arena was great. Teammates had my back. Good to be out there.” Williams, who will be a restricted free agent next summer, is on a minutes restriction for the time being, Rankin adds.
- In a press release, the Valley Suns — Phoenix’s G League affiliate — officially announced the team’s coaching staff, tweets Rankin.