Ranking the 3 best options for Suns coaching vacancy

2. Mike D’Antoni

Mike D’Antoni has not been explicitly mentioned as a candidate in Phoenix, but he has been mentioned as a candidate in Philadelphia. And, if he’s truly invested in coaching again, the Suns would be wise to consider a reunion. The days of SSOL in Phoenix are not so distant in the past, and man would D’Antoni with the current roster be a bucket of fun.

A lot has been made of D’Antoni’s postseason failings over the years, but he revolutionized the sport in Phoenix the first time around and he formed maybe the greatest offensive team of all time (with Chris Paul, by the way) in Houston. Were it not for the Rockets’ prime years bumping up against the most powerful dynasty of this generation, the Rockets would probably have multiple rings.

D’Antoni is not without his flaws, but those Houston teams were quite good on defense too. Whatever CP3 has left in the tank, D’Antoni can tap into it. Want to help Devin Booker build on his monster postseason? Hard to imagine a better coach to get him truly unleashed than MDA.

Kevin Durant would probably benefit from D’Antoni’s up-tempo, spaced-out offense too. The Rockets were very different from the SSOL Suns, but both teams were absolute juggernauts on the offensive end. D’Antoni generally knows how to get the most out of elite offensive players. Maybe he’s not the best Ayton coach, but swap Ayton for another good wing and get serviceable center minutes from Jock Landale and committee and the Suns are cooking with grease.