Everything You Need To Know About New Phoenix Suns Head Coach Jordan Ott | Ben Garcia Show

Everything You Need To Know About New Phoenix Suns Head Coach Jordan Ott | Ben Garcia Show

what is up guys Welcome in to yet another edition of the Ben Garcia Show A special Saturday edition of the Ben Garcia Show where we react to big news or even just talking with a guest of all things Cardinals Suns Dimebacks Sunundevils Listen I could have went Cardinals this week There’s a lot of things going on over there and they’re probably the most entertaining team right now The Dimebacks went down into the depths of the dead and then decided to come rising back up sweeping the Braves But the Suns just hired a head coach And I thought who better to bring on the show than one of my good buddies from the Locked on Podcast Network from Locked On Cleveland Cavaliers Danny Cuttingham Good morning man How are you doing brother I thought we were talking about Josh Naylor today I do have to say thank you for Josh Naylor How’s uh Slate Sakone doing for you guys Uh I think he started yesterday I don’t know I have not had the bandwidth unfortunately to watch a ton of Cleveland Guardians this year Um like I’ll watch them occasionally I I do think he’s in their starting rotation at this point Um I will say though like they replaced Josh Naylor with Carlos Santana who is one of my all-time favorite Cleveland baseball players So I wasn’t that upset with the news Well listen I was just thrilled I didn’t care who we were getting back but once I saw the guy do the cradle the baby against Garrett Cole I was like “This guy’s in This guy could bat 120 but I’m all in for this guy who’s got stones of steel like that.” Uh you know you have been covering the Cleveland Cavaliers full-time this year So who better to talk to you about the Phoenix Suns hiring Jordanot Now I’m assuming you don’t have a degree from Michigan State if you do and the job doesn’t work out with Cleveland you could always go work with the Phoenix Suns But I guess I would ask you this man because Johnny Bryant is the number one assistant over with the Cleveland Cavaliers It’s kind of hard to justify that Jordan Knot is more NBA ready than Johnny Bryant But you I was telling people on our shows like not some of the other stuff that you were telling me but Jordan’s your guy He’s a dude you really like Why in what world should Jordan not be picked over Johnny Bryant in a pecking order when it comes to coaching What makes him more qualified and maybe ease the pain of Suns fans who are getting ready to wear their Spartan jerseys come Suns games So I don’t know that it’s ever as black and white as just like more or less qualified because I I think that kind of does Jordan out a little bit of a a disservice to say he’s not as qualified Like he’s been in the NBA a super long time too He’s worked for some pretty respected organizations or at least organizations that were respected when he was there When you think about his time in Brooklyn his time in Atlanta when the Hawks were good he was on the staff with the Lakers a couple years ago and then obviously with Kenny Atkins and the Cavs this year So I do think that he’s been around he’s done a lot Um and I think so much of head coaching openings in the NBA and how they’re filled is about fit right Like you look at some of the things that Johnny Bryant might do well which I think he’s a really good relationships guy I mean so much of the conversation with him in Cleveland and this is unique to Cleveland because of Donovan Mitchell but is the relationship that he has with Donovan dating back to when Johnny was an assistant on Quinn Snyder’s staff in Utah And Johnny Bryant was somebody that Donovan Mitchell would namerop um his first year in Cleveland And that was also I believe Johnny’s first year on staff with the New York Knicks And then to have him come over I do think was a good thing But I think of him as somebody who is maybe a little bit more relationshipbased And I think of Jordan as somebody who I think he has had to work a lot for what he’s gotten as a coach in the NBA Um and I think he’s a very bright mind in terms of offensive strategy I think that is something that the Phoenix Suns looked at and said “We want to take that because I mean it’s not as if you can just give Jordan all the credit for the Cavs having the second best regular season offense of all time this year.” That’s not true But I think he had a voice in that Like I think he was part of the Cavs having the offensive success that they did have this year So I I can kind of see how the Suns look at that and say you know what this guy is impressive when it comes to the offensive brand that he has He’s a nononsense type of guy He’s somebody that you could see building a really good culture We want to take that plus some of the offensive stuff that he maybe had a part to do with the Cavs and bring that to Phoenix Like I think that’s kind of how you get there I don’t think it’s necessarily like a more or less qualified thing And I I think if he would have gotten his graduate degree from any other school than Michigan State um I think some people would probably feel different in Phoenix about this hire Yeah it was different because and I keep on me and my guy Brandon Clay from Lockdown Suns we continue to try to beat the drum of like Brian Gregory was not qualified you are scorned from a GM hire for a guy that legitimately has no qualifications to be an NBA GM and that leads you to believe Matt Hish is just the guy It feels like Jord has been dealt a really crappy hand because of that because he went to Michigan State which by the way he just got his masters there and yeah connection with Tom Mizo sure but I always lean towards in life like people you you and I both work in this business How many times are you and I passed over for a job that you and I are more than qualified for Probably more than qualified someone else but they know someone else Like it just happens all the time This is the world If you’re going to get mad at the Suns get mad at everyone for doing it You know you mentioned the personality of Jordan I want to deep dive into that because one of the things that didn’t mesh well with the Suns over the past couple of years was Frank Vogle There was a a story one time the Suns lost by like 40 points and he’s trying to chew out the team and the players are laughing at him like they don’t take him seriously And then Mike Benholtzer as well telling Devin Booker to tone down his voice like trying to ask him basically not to be as much of a leader as Deon Booker tries to be The relationship aspect has got to be fixed between players and coaches It almost matters more in the NBA than X’s and O’s does Speak to Jordan Kn’s personality You’ve interviewed the guy before the one interview that I saw you do with him I’m gonna be honest with you this guy the guy is meat and potatoes and then it like it seems like just a proteinbased meal You’re going to get all the good stuff none of the bad stuff but a little nononsense to a degree where I’m like this guy could scare me a little bit I do think that he’s got that nononsense type of personality about him I think that’s probably a fair way at least in my interactions with him Um I think that’s probably a fair way to think about him But I also look at what the Cavs have done this year under Kenny Atinson Of course Jordan is not some Kenny Atinson clone But I think things were very collaborative between Kenny and his assistants the coaching staff and the locker room Um and I think that is something that you want to take a piece of if you’re Jordan Like I do think that having those relationships in that locker room matters And you know I I don’t expect all of the Suns fans out there to follow guys like Jonathan Mitchell and Evan Mobley and Darius Garland on social media but they all like reposted the news of Jordan getting the job with the Suns and like they’re very happy for him and and you know like that’s my guy And I I don’t necessarily think you need to read everything into that but those guys don’t have to do that They do that because they have genuine relationships with him They do that because they’ve genuinely bonded with this guy and seen him as somebody that is not going to be um you know an enemy at times as coaches and players can kind of form that relationship too and that has never been the case with Jordan at least not that that I’ve heard anything like that So I do think that he is somebody that is going to I would be stunned if if anything comes out about you know the the Devin Booker Mike Boomhozer meeting right Like where he was asked to tone down his leadership Like Jordan’s not going to do that because I I do think it makes sense And of course there’s always a course correction here when you’re an organization like Phoenix who when you hire a coach like you want them to almost be the opposite of the exact or the the previous head coach We just saw this in Denver where David Adelman seems really different than Michael Malone I don’t think that’s by accident But I don’t think you’re going to say you’re going to see Jordan be this guy that’s like “No this is my way or the highway.” I I just don’t think that’s how he operates I don’t think that’s how anyone from Cleveland’s staff operated And I don’t think you can be successful in the NBA in any position player coach executive with by ruling with an iron fist in 2025 I just don’t think that happens anymore You know you mentioned some of those players that are just like reposting you know like it goes in terms of it doesn’t matter if they don’t but it does say something if they do Johnny Bryant’s relationship with Donovan Mitchell was very heavily documented Dude called him a brother at one point He does all of if I’m not mistaken Donovan Mitchell’s pregame warm-ups passing the basketball working him out Does Jordan not have that sort of relationship or fingerprints on one singular player’s development and relationship that you could point to that you’re like “Oh that was clearly obvious.” I know Darius Garland posted him on his Instagram story but Evan Mobley did it and those guys seem like they were always really tight So that says more to it I I have to keep harping on the relationships the relationships the relationships because it has been so tarnished here in Phoenix You need someone to be able to build a culture that you haven’t had since Monty Williams right So there’s not Jordan doesn’t have like one relationship that is like Johnny’s and Donovan’s And part of that is he was here for one year right And Johnny and Donovan spent however many years together in Utah before Donovan went to the Cavs before Johnny Bryant went to the Knicks So like that relationship has been built over years and years and years So I do think it’s a little unfair but yes like Johnny is the guy that puts down Evan through his pregame workout Uh Jordan had a handful of players and the most notable of which was Evan Mobley Like that was I think if you want to look at his development and of course you you have to give much more credit to Evan to like go out and actually do the stuff on the floor But I look at Jordan as somebody who helped Evan Mobley reach new heights this year If you look at and I just did on Friday’s edition of Locked on Cavs actually I talked a lot about Evan Mobley and what his season was like But if you look at the guy he was too and I think this is a really interesting thing and I think it’s a good sign for Suns fans If you look at who Evan Mobley was at the start of the 2024 2025 NBA season versus who he became at the end of it like so much of the conversation in Cleveland was about well you know he needs to shoot more threes this season And he didn’t start the season by doing that He started the season by being an ultraaggressive guy And I don’t know how much of that was Jordan how much of that was Kenny All I know is that Jordan worked Evan out a lot Like that was a guy that was around him a lot And I do think that he helped Evan grow And then by the end of the season not only was Evan being more aggressive but Evan was also in a place where he was shooting more threes where he was truly taking the leap I mean this was a guy that went from and of course it was just his fourth year in the NBA so it’s a little unfair to say “No he should have been a multi-time all-star before this but he had not been an all-star before this year then he makes an all-star team He’s defensive player of the year He’s second team allNBA.” Again it’s not as if Jordan gets credit for all of that because Evan is a special talent but I think Jordan helped him along that way And I think that is one thing if you want to look at the player development aspect of things And I also think it’s important to say too you know I think it matters a lot when you talk about guys that can be player development guys And I also like you hear player development and you think well that’s for bad teams And I very firmly push like I think player development should never stop I think one of the ways you become a great sustainable organization is by being awesome at player development where you can have young guys that are getting better every year while also making sure that your stars are still getting better because I think the Cavs would like to view themselves right now as a team that’s really good at player development and they won 64 games and I think that Jordan had a hand in that and I think a lot of the places he’s been have been that sort of program and I think that is a really good place to be too Do you think that there’s a type like just speaking to Evan Mobley do you think that there is a type of player archetype that would fit Jordan a scheme more Like when you talk about Aught there is a a kind of almost like no one really knows what he is Is he defensive Is he offensive People want to give Johnny Bryant a lot of the credit for the offensive scheme and and Kenny Atinson You know you had mentioned to me like Jordan had a lot of say in the offense when it comes to archetyping a player or the type of because that that’s kind of a hard question to answer as well It’s like where more does he lean Is he offensive Is he defensive Evan Mobley is kind of a two-way guy So it kind of goes like it’s kind of a again everyone would like five Evan Moysley on the court at one time but that’d be cool Yeah exactly the Cavs be able to beat the Pacers if that’s the case But is is there a a side of the floor that you’re like “Yeah that’s Jordan Nuts.” He just gets more giddy when they’re when they’re talking offense or defense because I can’t get a clear answer from anyone So I have gotten the sense that it’s offense for him Like in conversations that I’ve had I I think that he’s somebody that leans offensive Of course you know defense is going to be important to every coach Um and it is a really easing easy talking point for NBA head coaches So if he comes out and says at his introductory press conference that we are going to be a defense first team I think that’s more of a culture thing than anything But I think that where he really likes to be is designing offensive sets and getting in a place where you can find a lot of success offensively And I do think that one of the challenges that the Cavs have had in the last three years is getting the most out of both Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland And the Suns are not in the same space Or you know maybe they will be maybe they won’t be I don’t know what that roster is going to look like They’re not in the same exact space just because of Bradley Beal’s age like they’re not too young guards the way that Darius Garland is only 25 So I think it was a little bit more difficult in Cleveland to get you know a guy on the ascent basically to play as well as Darius Garland did while playing alongside Donovan Mitchell And I think I look at that and say well what they were able to do with two young guards or youngish guards I mean Donovan Mitchell’s 28 so it’s not as if he’s super young by NBA standards but getting the most out of that while also balancing the ability to let this 23-year-old 6’10 power forward center type flourish offensively too Like the Cavs offense was so good And I do think that there was a world in which it could not have gone well just because there’s too many cooks in the kitchen offensively Like you’ve got Donovan who’s a great offensive player Darius who I think is a really good offensive player and then Evan who should become a great offensive player Sometimes you can kind of have a little bit too much I think it’s fair to say And getting the offense to work in a way where all three of those guys could go out and be players that I mean Donovan was first team all NBA Evan was second Darius Darlin rece I think he was the the guard with the most votes not named an AllNBA player So having three player and all I mean Evan of course part of that is defense part of that is not defense for Donovan Darius So getting the most out of those guys I think is a really big accomplishment for what the Cavs coaching staff could do offensively and I think Jordan is certainly leans that direction Like I look at him as an offense first coach certainly Do you think because like you and I can argue about this all day and maybe maybe we will because it’s fun I do think there are a lot of things similar between Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell Mitchell I think Devin Booker probably a little bit better of a shot creator and I think Donovan Mitchell is infinitely more athletic I the guy can just take guys to the rim and and explosive Yeah Yes Yeah Explosive is a great word to use for it And I do think that’s that’s but the most things like those two have kind of been conjoined at the hip I will die on a hill that I think Devin Booker is a better player than Donovan Mitchell you know and I’m sure you die on the hill as well that Don Mitchell is better than Deon Booker But when you see Jordan A do you think he can take Devin Booker and copy and paste the season that Donovan Mitchell just had Because right now like last year it was it was Devin Booker’s like I I think the consensus was Deon Booker is better than Donovan Mitchell and now it’s well Don Mitchell is better than Deon Booker and it’s like I know Johnny Bryant has a lot to say in that but listen uh uh Jordan not was there he watched it Is there a way you think that’s what made Devin Booker make him his clear choice is like you could do that with Donovan Mitchell What can you do with me And so if you’re Jordan Kn do you think he can emulate that kind of season Because that right there is like if you have a Donovan Mitchell like player from last year on the Suns team next year I do think you’re talking about a team that is fighting to be in the playin And then if you add another good players maybe they can make a run and be a six seed You’re just trying to be competitive while you try to get this [ __ ] back on tracks Where are you on that So I think it’s kind of hard to just like copy and paste Donovan Mitchell season to Devin Booker because the way the the thing that I look at from Donovan Mitchell’s season and like I don’t think that should be the goal I I think Donovan Mitchell is a better player than Deon Booker but I think Devin Booker can go out next year and have a statistically better season than what Donovan did this year because I think so much of what made Donovan great this year was not just what he was able to do in terms of his numbers which were good And like he was first team allNNBA for a reason He finished fifth in MVP voting for a reason But part of those reasons were Donovan was willing and I don’t know if Devin is willing to do this I don’t know Devin Booker I can’t speak to that I don’t know if there are going to be other players on the Suns roster that are worth doing this for I don’t know what that roster is going to look like But Donovan Mitchell was willing to take a step to the side this year I hesitate to say a step back but a step to the side and let Evan Mobley share more of the offensive load and let Darius Garland do more offensively so that those two could become better basketball players Now it didn’t work out in the postseason I think a lot of that has to do with both Garland and Mitchell too to an extent and Moy were kind of playing on one leg in that series against the Pacers with the injuries they dealt with But I look at that and say you know given what Phoenix should have next year if you were to take Donovan Mitchell and put him in Phoenix with Jordan would his numbers be better than what they were in Cleveland this year Just like raw numbers points shot attempts all that stuff And the answer to me is yes So I expect and I’m not here to say that Donovan Mitchell is just some vastly superior player to Devin Booker I don’t think that’s fair I don’t think that’s true I think they’re very similar caliber similar players So I look at and say success for Devin Booker under Jordan A next year probably looks different statistically than what success for Donovan Mitchell looks like this year in Cleveland I do think that’s replic I I think that’s something that he can replicate Like I think he can be very successful under Jor Now a lot of it is going to be well how well does he shoot from beyond the arc Like if Devin Booker shoots 33% from three-point range the way that he did this year it’s probably not going to look as good as it could If Devin Booker goes back and shoots you know 38% the way that he did the year he finished fourth on the MVP ballot and was first team all NBA it’s going to look really good Like I think a lot of it because offensively I would suspect the Suns are going to be a team next year under Jordat that’s going to want to shoot a lot of three-pointers are going to want to probably be I don’t know where they were in terms of volume this past year I should have looked this up I didn’t And I apologize to listeners of the Ben Garcia show They were just want to be like top seven top five type team in volume next year So if Devin Booker is able to shoot well from three that’s going to be a good thing Like if he can shoot 38 40% from three that’s going to be a good thing Donovan Mitchell shot 37% from three this year That’s a big reason why he was as successful as he was on nine attempts per game Can Devin Booker do that If so he’s gonna average around 30 points a game on the Suns next year And I think a lot of people are going to be happy with that So I I you you opened up my eyes there a little bit when you talk about the three-point shooting because that was a I mean listen it’s always been an Achilles heel of Deon Booker People I I I know this is stupid but especially here in the Valley they fall in love with Devin Booker’s three-point ability because that one year he shot 38% And then when he was real young he beat Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in a three-point shootout which means literally nothing It literally means nothing The Saturday Night Show but it it happened against two of the greatest shooters of all time So people forget how much worse uh uh uh Devin Booker is at shooting the three-point ball that he actually is He’s probably going to shoot 34% 35% 38% seems a bit high 33 33% seems a little low He’s a mid-range guy Is there a world where Devin Booker potentially has to change Like because he’s a Booker is an old school guy Is there could that potentially not work in an offense He gets he gets the effect the three-point ball super well I don’t know if change is the right word I think evolve is probably a little bit of a better word because Donovan Mitchell is a different player than Deon Booker but he fancies himself a jumper from the elbow every now and then And under JB Bickerstaff who was the head coach of the Cavs before Kenny Atinson and Jouot was not on staff here he was at with the Lakers during those years You know Donovan would more frequently get the basketball at the left elbow was one of the places and he would kind of be in that triple threat position Um one of the things that you would see when he like was really feeling it he had this super quick spin move that he could just get around any defender and get to the basket Like that is just not part of Devin Booker’s game But I do think that that was part of it that that I don’t want to say disappeared but was lessened this year It’s not to say that you can never take mid-range shots but I think that in today’s NBA where attempts at the rim are valued so highly and attempts beyond the arc are valued so highly it’s hard to survive or or be as potent offensively as somebody of the talented Devin Booker should be while having that be such a large part of your shot diet So I would suspect they’re not going to and you know I know Kevin Durant has argued with people on the internet about this before They’re not going to try and eradicate the mid-range game from Devin Booker because he’s good at it You want to eradicate the mid-range game from guys who aren’t good at it But if you could take I don’t know two 17 foot jumpers that Devin Booker takes in a game and make them 24 foot jumpers from beyond the three-point arc is that a change Devin Booker is willing to make Now if he’s good enough as a shooter and I think he certainly is I don’t think he is Steph Curry Klay Thompson level as I know you don’t either But if he is somebody who can shoot 36% and take two more threes and two less mid-ranges doesn’t mean you’re taking away the mid-range game but you’re kind of diversifying his shot portfolio And I think that could be a good thing for him I think that could be a good thing for the Suns I think that’s probably a really good compromise to have between him and the coaching staff and just makes his team and himself better I want to just ask you really quickly about the competitive spirit of Jordan Knot While we’re on the conversation of Devin Booker um I’ll be honest with you sometimes I do question how competitive Kevin Durant is I think he’s competitive in himself which means he wants to be like he he wants as long as he is amazing Yeah Like at least he can tell people on Twitter that he’s his own like like he’s his own goat And same with Bradley Beal I don’t think the guy has a competitive bone in his body Deon Booker is uberly competitive I think that comes from like he’s not Kobe It’s ridiculous No one is But it comes from his idolization of Kobe Bryant where the competitive spirit He hates losing more than he likes winning Where is Jordan on that spectrum Is he just like a Because you mentioned before his personality I should have phrased that question then but whatever I make mistakes too The Yeah you do Yeah A lot of them Ask Ask Kevin Durant that Um Yeah Clown Yeah exactly I would go towards where where is that competitive spirit for Jordan not is he throwing clipboards or is it just is it just different is everything the same never too high never too low so I wouldn’t say it’s never too high never too low like I I don’t think it’s the Ricky Rubio mindset that I know you know a little bit about um being in Phoenix um your brother yes but I do think that he he is competitive um and I will call back to he was the Cavs head coach of summer league team last year in Vegas and the I don’t remember what their summer league record was because it doesn’t matter and I don’t care and neither should you and neither should anybody but Jordan was the head coach and I remember being in Vegas after a game and the Cavs lost the game I don’t remember who it was to Um and Jordan like wasn’t upset because they lost the game because nobody should ever be upset over a summer league loss as I said but you could tell he was frustrated with the way that they played basketball Like he was upset that their process wasn’t what it should be And the results sometimes you’re going to follow the process sometimes you’re not going to follow the process And in summer league I think the process should matter a lot more than the results should and the results matter way more Like when you get to the playoffs in the NBA for the actual thing that matters and what the results do but I thought it was telling that he was upset about that Like I thought it was telling that he was frustrated with the way the guys played the game of basketball And I think that is the thing that I look at and say you know this isn’t a guy that’s mad they lost because it’s a summer league game and who cares But he’s mad that they’re not doing things the right way And to me that is something that speaks to competitiveness Like if you are not a competitive person you will never ever ever be frustrated over anything that happens outside of a casino in Las Vegas right Like that’s just what that world is like So to see him be frustrated over something that happened in a summer league game kind of told me okay this guy’s pretty competitive Like this guy wants to win Maybe he doesn’t want to win the summer league championship and have to stick around in Vegas for a couple of extra days after having already been there for two weeks because nobody wants to do that either But I do think that you look at this and say “Okay this is a a competitive guy Like he wants to win.” And furthermore too you know we see some coaches in the NBA that played in the NBA that are you know like Jason Kid comes to mind as a Hall of Fame NBA player and he’s a coach And you don’t get there without being competitive But I also don’t think that you get to where Jordan is at right now having not been an NBA player not some highly decorated basketball player and not be super competitive Like I just don’t think that you can rise up through these ranks having not been a basketball and professional player and not be super competitive and super dedicated to what you do because in order to get through that world without having the player experience you have to find other ways to put yourself apart from the rest of the crowd right I think competitiveness is one of those ways M um first off all that’s really like in intuitive I guess I would just say uh you obviously have never had it so hard to where you’re not caring about summer league games because I remember early college years it’s watching the Suns play the Memphis Grizzlies in the summer league championship game And you best believe when we were rolling out Tyler Ulis and Josh Jackson that I was all into it and they lost So you know what Maybe me and Jordan not got something there you know Hey man uh final question here potentially Maybe something else pops up but I’m going to I think this is it What was the reaction in Cleveland Like what what like for me all the things you’re painting me is been there one year built good relationship with the players seem a guy that you really liked I’m not like I’m interested in what a company says when they lose someone like Lockdown Podcast Network loses me They’re like “Yeah whatever or we can find some other loudmouth that Kevin Durant can get mad at pretty easily Like we lose Danny Cuttingham who else are we going to find to to cover the Cleveland Cavaliers I I guess I would ask you what was the reaction out in Cleveland Sure they’re happy for their guy but were they like “Oh man that kind of sucks That guy had a lot to do with with the day-to-day operations here.” So I I think it’s kind of you always are going to be happy when somebody advances in their career right Like that is always the thing that’s going to be first and foremost Like it’s one thing if the coach isn’t good and like he’s let go because he stinks versus the coach is so good that this other organization wants to wants to take a piece of what the Cavs are doing and try and emulate that and they think this guy is good enough to be their leader of the organization I do think that this is a challenge for Kenny Atinson to replace Jordan Like this is something that and potentially have to replace Johnny Bryant too if he were to get the job with the New York Knicks and we really have not gotten a ton of information on that as of 12:30 Eastern time on on Friday afternoon here as we record this So maybe they’ll have to be replacing two assistants I think that would be a more difficult task than just having to replace one And I would be saying the same thing if Johnny Bryant got the Sun’s job and Jot was not going to get the Knicks job I I don’t think he would have been a candidate there But you look at this and say “Yeah it’s it’s going to be something that’s difficult to replace.” like what he did was very impressive but I also think it’s a good challenge It’s a good opportunity too because I talked about the diversification of voices on the Cavs coaching staff right And how it was a collaborative effort I look at this and I think good organizations which I think the Cavs are like I look at them as a good organization in basketball I think that they like those challenges and they they view those challenges more so as opportunities to to find new voices to find new ideas to find new ways to change things for the better Not to say anything wasn’t good enough because that’s not true but to find ways to bring in new ideas And I think that is kind of the way they’re viewing this opportunity They’re super happy for Jordan Like if Jordan would not have gotten the Suns job I I hesitate to say the Cavs would have been thrilled because you don’t want to see guys again not advance in their careers Um but they would have been very happy to have him back next year Like that would not have been It’s not as if oh we really hope this guy’s gone so we can replace him It’s like we’re really happy this guy got this job and now we have to replace him Um yeah I would agree with you Especially after especially when LeBron came back I do think the the Cavs have turned into a I wouldn’t say first class organization but right up there because the Celtics the Lakers is organ Well Lakers maybe not as much anymore These organizations have won multiple championships whereas I think the Suns for a large port were kind of in that Cavs tier and then Matt Ishvia showed up and made everything all Michigan State and now they’ve kind of taken a step back You know man I could say it till I’m blue in the face This guy deserves the job He uh has earned it He beat out other candidates I I really couldn’t care less about the Michigan State Connection I lied to you And this is why I said might be my last question because it was it was dependent on how you answered the last question You answered it well We were talking WWE before the show before the show started right Yeah You are someone that is has you have you don’t give a damn if the Suns are terrible next year you are an impartial third party Cut a 60-second WWE style promo to Suns fans that uh uh that just they need to they need to be able to give because this problem I don’t think they’re giving the guy a chance because of the Michigan State thing Can you talk some sense into my viewers I think that’s I think it’s totally unfair I really do because you look at who this guy beat out to Like it’s not as if there were a bunch of no-name assistants that he beat out to get this job He’s deserving He’s been around He’s worked for some awesome organizations at some awesome times I think he’s worked for some really really good head coaches I think he’s done a lot of really good things And I’m not here to say that Jordan’s going to win coach of the year next year and the Suns are going to win 60 games and go to the finals That’s probably not going to happen But I think if this guy gets a chance and they give him opportunity to develop as a coach to help this roster develop the Suns by time Jordan however long he lasts in Phoenix maybe it’s five years maybe it’s 10 years I think the Suns are going to have better days under Jordan Au than they have had in the last since they went to the finals in whatever year that was 2021 I believe it was They they’re going to have better days from the end of that finals under Jordan Au than what they’ve had from the end of that finals before they hired Jordan A I I really truly believe that this guy deserves a chance whether he got this job or not He was going to be a head coach within the next couple of years He was a finalist for the head coaching job in Charlotte the year before It’s not some crazy thing he got this job I don’t know if Michigan State had anything to do with it Regardless of where he got his master’s degree Jordan’s a very good basketball coach and I think he’s going to do very good things in Phoenix And I hope I hope Ben next year the NBA finals is Cavs Suns because what’s better than Scottsdale in June Okay Well it’s a little warm for first there I was like “Oh he’s complimenting Scott.” I was like “Yeah okay Well okay.” Anyways I think that finals would be better if that’s the case It’s just a one-on-one Matt Issia versus Dan Gilbert Let’s settle it right here right now Let’s settle it Let’s just Well the the other person you know we’re talking WWE style The other person leaves the mortgage business Boom If they lose I I now talk about your talk about your subplots of a final series I think I mean the columns the think pieces that would be written about this mortgage brokerage rivalry onto the basketball floor the world’s biggest basketball stage I can’t think of anything better I mean listen man you you’ve got me stumped I think that I mean the only thing the only thing I think that the world would be would prefer is if all the games are just played in Detroit right On East Lancing I don’t I was gonna say I don’t know what college uh uh uh Dan Gilbert went to but we’ll just play him in East Lancing and whatever college he went to as well And just one v one monoemano We’re going to play half court first to five because we know either of these guys can probably go that long How do you not know where Dan Gilbert went to college Where do you think he went to college Is it Michigan State It’s Michigan State We Okay just so we’re clear I don’t know of any other owner what college they went to I only but like that’s part of the reason why I think that’s part of the reason why there’s this feud or rivalry Yeah Okay Well I think it would make more sense if he went to like to Michigan and they’re not even the real rivals of Michigan State It’s Ohio State All right Well listen at the end of the day all roads lead back to Josh Naylor and we still have him on the Arizona Diamondbacks So even if Jordan doesn’t work out we’ll still just cradle the baby all the way home to a World Series title potentially looks good right now but maybe not for the foreseeable future Danny cutting Diamondback’s good I’ve not watched a game I have no idea They’re they’re they’re perfectly mid They’re 500 Wow 31 and 31 See I mean the Guardians are they in the best division in baseball People are talking I mean 500 and they’re 33 and 28 Okay Once you have Freddy Freeman Show Otani Fernando Tatis Jr Dylan CE Manny Machado Like I could literally name an allstar team from the NL West I don’t know if you can do that with the AL Central but listen I like the Indian or not the Indians that’s stuff Guardians I know people sometimes make a big deal about that and I’ll probably get people get upset at me in the comment section below for calling them the proper name but uh uh Danny man I appreciate you taking time out of your day Uh real D Cunningham on Twitter locked on Cavs 92 923 the fan I didn’t even know that And associate editor with Cleveland magazine Dude I have a lot of jobs You sleep What do you sleep Because when I’m not doing all those things I Are you supposed to get married soon Yeah August 9th Very excited dude Oh my gosh You’re just going to love the married life Just making sure she doesn’t see me My guy Danny cutting in man Appreciate you making the Ben Garcia Show a part of your day And for anyone that’s watching don’t forget to like share subscribe potentially even tell a friend about the Ben Garcia Show And I will see you guys on Monday Thanks Danny Thanks for having me man

Jordan Ott’s hiring as the Phoenix Suns’ new head coach sparks debate. Is he the right fit for the team’s future?

Ben Garcia and guest Danny Cunningham from @LockedOnCavs dissect Ott’s qualifications and potential impact. They explore his coaching style, offensive strategy, and how he might influence star player Devin Booker’s performance. The discussion touches on Ott’s work with players like Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell, offering insights into his approach.

Cunningham shares anecdotes about Ott’s competitiveness and no-nonsense personality, while also addressing the reaction in Cleveland to his departure. The conversation weighs Ott’s hiring against other candidates and its implications for the Suns’ direction.

Tune in to hear expert analysis on how Jordan Ott’s appointment could reshape the Phoenix Suns’ future and potentially elevate Devin Booker’s game to new heights.

0:00 Intro: Danny Cunningham Joins The Show!
5:17 Jordan Ott’s Qualifications & Coaching Style
12:14 Player Archetypes That Fit Jordan Ott’s Scheme
20:42 Devin Booker’s Three-Point Shooting & Potential Changes
24:04 Jordan Ott’s Competitive Spirit & Coaching Approach
28:05 Cleveland’s Reaction To Jordan Ott Leaving
32:17 WWE-Style Promo On Giving Ott A Chance

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