It is hard to describe the tenure of Phoenix Suns' owner Mat Ishbia to this point, but rushed is certainly one of the first words that come to mind. The organization was in desperate need of change prior to him buying both the Suns and Mercury, and when he did finally acquire both he came in with a frenetic energy to try and quickly make change.
To say that failed would both be an understatement - but also harsh - as Ishbia's heart has always appeared to be in the right place. He just can't seem to get out of his own way in attempting to build a winner around Devin Booker, and his insistence on hiring people from his alma mater in Michigan State has also been a source of concern.
Ishbia finally ready to embrace building a winner slowly.
The 45-year-old recently joined PHNX Sports Greg "Espo" Esposito to talk all things Suns and Mercury, and you again could not fault Ishbia for being willing to speak to the media in Phoenix and also face any criticism of his time in charge so far head on. Over the course of the 15 minute or so conversation, Ishbia finally uttered the one sentence fans have been begging to hear.
In talking about how the Suns are going to build for the future and winning a championship, Ishbia said that "it's not going to happen overnight". Finally. This statement is in stark contrast to his two biggest moves since taking over, which were trading for both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal to try and short-cut the process of winning it all.
Fans didn't mind the Durant deal in the moment - the less said about Beal's time in Phoenix the better - it was just painful and we now know wrong to give up so much of their depth to get him. Building a top heavy roster in the league doesn't work anymore, rather having two stars and much more depth is the blueprint for success.
But with the Suns now entering a rebuilding phase around Booker - even if they don't want to call it that - it is reassuring to know Ishbia has accepted this for what it is, and won't try and jump a few steps in his quest to get to the top of the mountain. The fanbase appears much more willing to watch this younger roster take its lumps too, which is encouraging.
Only time will tell if Ishbia is genuine about building slowly - but as he also rightly pointed out in the interview - nobody can ever question his intentions. He wants to win at all costs, he just went about it the right way. When the next star is unhappy and he has the chance to package Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Khaman Maluach, Koby Brea and some picks for their services, we'll see if he's for real.