PHOENIX (AP) 鈥� Jordan Ott's first NBA head coaching job comes with an expensive, underachieving roster, an increasingly hands-on owner who has promised to be more involved, and a grumpy fan base that has never experienced a championship since the franchise was established in the desert in 1968.
Taking over the Phoenix Suns won't be easy.
Ott wouldn't have it any other way.
鈥淲e're all aware of what we sign up for when we're an NBA basketball coach,鈥� Ott said. 鈥淚'm not here to look back, what's happened, I'm focused to move this thing forward. That's my sole energy.鈥�
The Suns introduced Ott on Tuesday at the team's practice facility, to take over for Mike Budenholzer, and a disappointing 36-46 record.
Ott will be the franchise's fourth coach in four seasons.
First-year general manager Brian Gregory said he went through a deliberate interview process that took more than a month. Several candidates met with the Suns and the two finalists .
鈥淎t the end of it, no question, clear choice, Jordan Ott stood out in every single stage of the process,鈥� Gregory said. "What we're bringing in today is a hungry assistant coach, who is now a head coach and spent 12 years in the NBA preparing for this day.
鈥淗is work ethic is beyond reproach.鈥�
It remains to be seen which Suns players Ott will actually be working with by the time training camp hits. Four-time All-Star Devin Booker 鈥� a franchise icon who has played in Phoenix all of his 10 seasons 鈥� seems to be the only untouchable player on the roster.
It's expected that the Suns will try to trade veteran superstar Kevin Durant and three-time All-Star Bradley Beal this summer. The 36-year-old Durant should have plenty of suitors, but moving the oft-injured Beal, who is due more than $50 million in each of the next two seasons and would have to waive a no-trade clause, will be much tougher.
Regardless, it might be several weeks before Ott knows his core group of players.
鈥淎ny good coach will build their system according to their personnel on both sides,鈥� Ott said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a preferred style of play and you can still get it based on different personnel. But until the personnel is set, that鈥檚 when you can really build it out.鈥�
Ott's resume is typical for that of an up-and-coming NBA coach and he's considered a great innovator, particularly on the offensive end. He's held a variety of roles over more than a decade in the league, including with the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and most recently the Cavaliers, who had a 64-18 record last season for the best record in the Eastern Conference.
His teams have made the playoffs in 10 of his 12 seasons in the league.
But a tidbit in Ott's background that was likely important 鈥� and an irritant to some in the fan base 鈥� is that the 40-year-old was video coordinator for Michigan State from 2008-13 after he earned a master's degree from the school.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia played as a walk-on for the Spartans from 1999 to 2003 and has shown a strong tendency to favor hiring personnel with a background at the school.
Gregory 鈥� who has extensive experience as a college basketball coach but not much time in the NBA 鈥� was an assistant coach at Michigan State when Ishbia was a player. The worry for fans is that Ishbia is prioritizing prior relationships instead of hiring the best available option.
Gregory and Ishbia when he was introduced in May. Ott talked warmly about his time with the Spartans on Tuesday, but said the first time he formally met Ishbia was in the final stages of the interview process.
鈥淚've earned the right to be here,鈥� Ott said. "I've spent 20 years of working as hard as I possibly can to be here in this spot. I've been around great people, great coaches, great players, to allow me to grow, put me in tough spots to see if I can be better.
鈥淚 know I've earned this opportunity. I'm going to work as hard as I can from here on out to prove I'm here for the right reasons.鈥�
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AP NBA:
David Brandt, The Associated Press
