Phoenix Suns: Monty Williams should be considered for Coach of the Year

He won’t get the recognition that he deserves, but Phoenix Suns coach, Monty Williams, should be considered for Coach of the Year.

The Phoenix Suns season took a turn for the worst after the first couple of months of the season. However, when this team was clicking, it looked like a playoff team that was capable of beating any team on any given night. I would attribute the team’s early success largely to coach Monty Williams.

When the team’s play began to come down to earth, it was largely due to opposing teams taking the Suns seriously. With that, and we saw the team’s defense diminish, and offensive efficiency decrease.

Monty Williams came to the Suns and brought a game plan that would produce success: defend hard every night, run an offense that creates ball movement and high-quality shots, and create a culture that will eventually produce wins.

Coach Williams will not win Coach of the Year, and he may not even be on the shortlist due to the Suns’ losing record, but seeing his impact on a franchise that has been borderline dysfunctional the past six or seven years is really encouraging. He realized the challenge ahead of him and was willing to accept it.

Had the Suns continued the way they were playing in the first 15 games, Williams would have a major case for Coach of the Year. Oftentimes, the award will go to the coach with the best team, or a team that supremely overachieves.

The case for Williams is in the exceed expectations category. His team surpassed its win total from the previous season in late January, and still had several more opportunities to improve on that total before the hiatus hit. He gave fans a glimpse of what this team could be when fully healthy instilled something that is often overlooked, a culture.

The award will likely go to a coach like Frank Vogel, Mike Budenholzer, or Nick Nurse, rightly so. However, Coach Williams has been more than exceptional and is in the process of turning the laughing stock of the league to a team that is going to compete at a high level.

So, although Monty Williams won’t get the recognition he deserves from around the league, he has gained the respect and trust from Suns fans.