Suns Have Assembled Strong Staff Around New Coach Frank Vogel
Change can hit you quick.
Just one month ago, the Phoenix Suns were fresh out of their 4-1 series victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Devin Booker was willing the Suns to wins off magical performances while the roster of the roster filled in on occasion. There was hope that under Monty Williams - a coach who had previously taken them to the NBA Finals - this would be the year the Larry O'Brien trophy finally was brought home.
Yet here we are today: The Suns quickly found out just how good the Denver Nuggets were, crashing out of the second round in what was back-to-back years in Phoenix. As a result, Williams was fired and the search lasted three weeks to find his replacement.
Frank Vogel now leads the charge in the Valley, taking over a roster that features Booker and Kevin Durant as one of the top duos in the NBA. His previous championship experience (led the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2020 NBA Finals) on top of his defensive prowess (he's highly regarded as one of the best in the league) made him a strong fit in Phoenix.
Vogel will call majority of the shots, but any head coach will tell you how crucial a strong coaching staff is. Though Vogel is still assembling the entirety of his staff, two top assistants are under his guidance:
Kevin Young
When evaluating different assistant coaches in the league, Kevin Young often found himself as one of the top names mentioned and that's shown in recent years. Young has interviewed now for a handful of NBA head coaching jobs and has previous experience coaching down in the G League. Young spent time under Williams as his top assistant coach and was highly respected by the players in Phoenix, which made him a favorite to get the job once Williams was gone.
There was plenty of opportunity for Young to leave - he interviewed with the Milwaukee Bucks for their coaching vacancy, supposedly was a candidate for openings with the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors, and was reportedly pursued by Williams once he took over the Detroit Pistons.
However, Young ultimately stayed in Phoenix for a reported price tag of $2 million per season, making him the highest-paid assistant in the league.
A high price? Surely - though Suns owner Mat Ishbia has now made it very clear there is no price tag on winning. Young was likely bummed he didn't land Phoenix's opening despite being a favorite, and though next summer could finally be his time to shine, it's clear the Suns retained a coveted asset.
David Fizdale
David Fizdale knows Vogel all too well - he spent time on his staff with the Lakers two years ago. Fizdale won two championships as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat and has head coaching experience with both the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks.
"The Suns had been determined to surround Vogel with an accomplished and veteran staff," said ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Along with coaching experience, Fizdale also has front office acumen under his belt: He spent last season as an associate general manager with the Utah Jazz.
Wojnarowski also said he made an impact during his short stay in Utah - and the Jazz were eager to keep him.
"Fizdale joined the Jazz in June, where he quickly impacted the front office while working closely with general manager Justin Zanik. The Jazz were eager to keep Fizdale, but ultimately the financial considerations, and the chance to coach Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on a Western Conference contender, proved too much to turn down, sources said."
Fizdale is reportedly around $1.5 million in salary, just under young but significantly high for an assistant.
With Young and Fizdale under him, the Suns' coaching staff has strengthened significantly over the last week. We'll see what roster they have to work with once the season begins, but Phoenix has the proper tools with Vogel and co. to ensure the job can get done.
