Suns fire coach Monty Williams following semifinals exit, per sources: What went wrong in Phoenix?

The Suns are parting ways with coach Monty Williams after four seasons, league sources told The Athletic on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:

The Suns fell to the Nuggets in six games of the Western Conference semifinals, losing Game 6 in a 25-point blowout.
Phoenix made the 2021 NBA Finals following a season in which Williams guided the team to a 17-win improvement.
The Suns went 194-115 in the regular season and 27-19 in the postseason under Williams.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

What went wrong?

The Suns weren’t going to win a title this season. Their bench was inadequate and their defense was suspect. Their health broke down. Most of all, they needed more time to build chemistry with Kevin Durant. Even so, none of that excuses their Game 6 collapse, the second year in a row they were blown out at home in an elimination game.

Williams has done great things in Phoenix, leading the Suns out of a 10-year playoff drought and guiding them to the 2021 NBA Finals. But Phoenix’s recent postseason shortcomings fall on him. The Suns were good enough to win a title in 2022 but lost to Luka Dončić and Dallas in the Western Conference semifinals.

This season, Williams had eight games to work out his starting five and rotation before the playoffs. And then once he settled on something, he changed it in Game 1 of the first round. He played Durant and Devin Booker for too many minutes. His rotation changed from game to game. Williams came along at just the right time in the desert. He was exactly what the organization needed. But sometimes, to reach a higher level, a new voice and direction are needed. — Haller

How Mat Ishbia’s tenure signaled change

Mat Ishbia became a billionaire in the mortgage business by being a hands-on leader. He calls it “being in the weeds.” It’s his process, his pathway to success. He knows no other way. As a first-year NBA owner, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he’s making changes. Upon introduction, Ishbia said he would take time and observe.

But having close friend and former NBA coach and executive Isiah Thomas by his side throughout the playoffs suggested basketball ops were under evaluation. The Durant trade was made to help Phoenix win its first championship. It was a bold move, one that comes with an expiration date. Although Booker remains young, only 26, Durant turns 35 in September. The Suns’ championship window won’t be open for long. Ishbia isn’t waiting. — Haller

Backstory

A 1994 first-round pick by New York, Williams began coaching in the 2004-05 season as an intern with the Spurs after a nine-year playing career.

His first head-coaching role came in 2010 with New Orleans, which he led to two playoff appearances in five seasons before being fired.

He was hired by the Suns in 2019 on a five-year deal as Phoenix was coming off a 19-win season. Within three years he led the Suns to a franchise-record 64-win season.

The Suns had championship aspirations entering the postseason after dealing for Durant at the trade deadline. Phoenix also saw its 2021-22 season end in the semifinals with a similar blowout loss to the Mavericks.