By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
The Phoenix Suns fired head coach Monty Williams late Saturday night. Williams had led the team for four seasons.
New Suns head coach Mat Ishbia reportedly forced the team to fire Williams, according to ESPN. Ishbia overrode James Jones, the President of Basketball Operations and General Manager, with this move.
This move comes a short time after the short-handed Suns were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the second round of the playoffs.
Chris Paul, who may have played his last game with the team, suffered an injury that caused him to miss several games against the Nuggets. Deandre Ayton, who also may be moved, missed Game 6.
Ishbia forced the Suns to make the blockbuster move to acquire Kevin Durant. After the trade, the Suns were considered the favorites to win the NBA Championship.
However, things did not work out. Now, Ishbia and the front office has begun the process to mold the team into his version that he wants for next season.
Williams had led the team for four seasons. He was 194-115 as the Suns head coach.
Just a few seasons ago, he guided the Suns to an NBA Finals appearance. Ultimately, they were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks.
He has nine seasons worth of experience as a head coach. This also includes a five year stint as the New Orleans Hornets/New Orleans Pelicans leader from 2010-11 through the 2014-15 season.
Williams has a career record of 367-336 in the aforementioned nine seasons. He had guided the Suns to at least 45 wins over the last three seasons.
He guided the Suns to a career-best record of 64-18 as a head coach during the 2021-22. This came in the following season after the Suns were defeated by the Bucks in the NBA Finals.
The 51-year-old former player will land on his feet somewhere. He also has experience as an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
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