Valley of the Suns
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Ranking the Phoenix Suns head coaching candidates

By Matt Escobar

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 01: Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers looks on during the first quarter in game one of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at TD Garden on May 01, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 01: Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers looks on during the first quarter in game one of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at TD Garden on May 01, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OHIO – MARCH 21: Head coach Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO – MARCH 21: Head coach Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Ranking the Phoenix Suns head coaching candidates.

Kevin Young

Kevin Young has been on the Suns’ bench for several seasons now. Constantly mentioned whenever teams have head coach openings, he seems destined to be one sooner or later. The biggest factors working in Young’s favor are that he is intimately familiar with this Suns roster and the players seem to love him.

That would ease the transition of a first time head coach, similar to Nick Nurse getting a promotion in Toronto with the Raptors. The worry with Young is that he was the lead assistant on Monty’s staff, and they looked woefully unprepared the last two years in the playoffs.

The Suns brass will know better than anyone how much blame falls on Young’s shoulders for those performances. If the answer is “a little”, and that he was a voice of reason on the bench, then don’t be surprised if he gets the nod here.

Frank Vogel

After taking a year off from coaching, Frank Vogel is looking to make his return to the NBA. He last coached the Los Angeles Lakers, guiding them to a championship before disappointments in the following two seasons got him the boot.

Vogel has always been considered a strong defensive coach which is the biggest appeal here. His defensive game plan helped slow down the Nuggets, a team that just gave the Suns fits offensively.

The fact that he was so recently a successful coach and that the Lakers’ failures after their title win of 2020 were due to poor roster decisions and injuries play heavily in his favor. He would get the absolute most out of the Suns defensively, and against the high powered Western Conference teams, that is vital.

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