One of the more surprising elements of the Phoenix Suns' pleasant start to the season has actually taken place off the court. Owner Mat Ishbia doing something that he never has since buying the franchise, operating silently and in the shadows. Taking on a first time head coach in Jordan Ott was another departure from the norm for Ishbia, and so far it has paid dividends.
Suns becoming hard-nosed team fans love to watch as Ishbia promised.
Prior to the season beginning, Ishbia took to X and had an exchange with Bill Simmons of The Ringer in which he promised his team wouldn't be the worst in the league defensively. He also told the world they would be a tough out each night. The Suns did get off to a rocky start - at one point only the Brooklyn Nets were giving up more points than them - but they've righted the ship in a big way.
Right now they're just above league average defensively, sitting 14th and giving up 113.2 points each game. Not bad for a roster that supposedly had a crock and defensive liability in center Mark Williams, and who also traded for a player in Dillon Brooks who many felt was more bark than bite. Even more impressive, the Suns have been at their best on that end even when Brooks has been out injured.
Starting Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale together looked like a dreadful idea, the pair have similar skill sets and are undersized defenders against a lot of opponents, but it has worked out brilliantly. The pair shooting the lights out from deep and also being part of the successful strategy of shutting down Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.
Coach Ott deserves the credit for being brave enough to do that, while backup point guard Collin Gillespie has also been a difference-maker with his hustle and enthusiasm for defending. Even little known rotation guys such as Isaiah Livers have played their part, and are rightly earning more minutes in the rotation as a result.
.@BillSimmons, you and your crew have some good takes and some that are terrible. You’re the betting guru and even you know better than to actually take this bet. Tell you what, go put your money on this take. When you lose, I will donate the same amount to charity of your… https://t.co/dCLMUdtbMz
— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) October 22, 2025
So it might have taken a lot of missteps to get to this point - and the less said about Jusuf Nurkic the better - but Ishbia is delivering on his promise to make the Suns a tough defensive group this season. He has hired a General Manager in Brian Gregory that has also gone about his business, and the fact he also has Michigan State ties doesn't even get brought up anymore.
Playing this way is the first step in getting back to relevancy, and it has clearly reinvigorated Devin Booker as well. He looks loose, happy and like he is having fun out there. You would too if you had teammates who cared about defending each night and in turn made your life as the primary scorer a lot easier. A real win for Ishbia.