Why Kevin Young Could be Perfect fit for Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns have a few candidates they are looking at in order to fill their vacant head coaching position.
According to senior NBA insider Chris Haynes, current Suns’ assistant coach Kevin Young is amongst one of the candidates. What makes Young qualified for this position?
Young has head coaching experience -just not in the NBA. He has experience as a head coach with the Shamrock Rovers Hoops in the Super League and in the G-League with the Utah Flash, Iowa Energy and Delaware 87ers.
In 2017, Young made it to the NBA as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers where he spent three years.
Young came to the Suns’ organization in 2020 as an assistant coach and in 2021 became an associate head coach under Monty Williams.
Now with Williams out of the picture, Young has an opportunity to become Phoenix’s next head coach and the idea is not very far-fetched.
“If it’s alignment you’re looking for, Suns associate head coach Kevin Young is a natural fit,” Kevin Arnovitz wrote for ESPN last year. “Both the Suns’ basketball ops crew and head coach Monty Williams regard Young as an essential hub to share ideas across the organization.
“It’s a logical role for a young coach who excels at both listening and communicating. Young served as a head coach in the G League for six seasons, which gave him a foundation as an organizer and big-picture thinker. He has earned the respect of players with his work ethic and candor. He was a finalist for the Washington job last spring, where his sharpness impressed.”
The Suns need to play with more heart. As Arnovitz stated, Young demands respect with his work ethic and if that is the case he will bring the best out of these players. Young was also described as a big thinker, something that should serve him well as a head coach when preparing to go up against premiere talent.
Unlike the other candidates that Phoenix is considering, Young already has three years of experience with the Suns. If he is hired, there will not be as much of a learning curve for him and Phoenix will be able to get off to a fast start right out the gate.
It's critical that star players in the NBA have a good rapport with their head coach. Both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker already have spent a lot of time around Young so they have a preexisting relationship prior to this upcoming season.
If the Suns prioritize familiarity with personnel when considering their next head coach, Young is the perfect fit.
