The Phoenix Suns are a team that many have discounted a little ahead of the upcoming NBA season. Despite being the highest-seeded team last season and in the NBA Finals the season before, many aren’t expecting the Suns to replicate their success. A large part of this has been thanks to their embarrassing Game 7 loss against the Dallas Mavericks and the aftermath of that.
One of the big stories following that implosion by the Suns was Deandre Ayton falling out with Head Coach Monty Williams. The man the Suns picked No. 1 overall in a draft, including Luka Doncic and Trae Young, seemed to be on the outs with the organization. The offseason was filled with speculation that he would leave until he signed an offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers, which the Suns matched to keep him with the team.
And things hadn’t gotten better from that point onwards. Not only did Ayton appear unenthusiastic at media day, but he had also earlier revealed that he hadn’t spoken to Williams since the loss.
“I haven’t spoken to Monty. No, I haven’t spoken to him at all. Ever since the game.”
That was an ominous sign for the Suns, who are also on the verge of losing a key role player in Jae Crowder. However, things seem to have taken a turn for the better.
Deandre Ayton Explained That Things Are Normal Between Him And Head Coach Monty Williams
Players fall out with other players and coaches in the NBA, it is a story as old as time in the league. And while that can become an issue for teams, the best ones find a way to figure things out. And from what Deandre Ayton recently told the Arizona Republic, they seem to have sorted it out.
“I mean, we talk, man,” Ayton said, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “At the end of the day, it’s like we’re trying to contribute to a win. Everything is back to normal. Nothing has changed to be honest. Yeah, I may have come to media day (Sept. 26) just bland, but I wasn’t trying to give nobody no damn story or nothing, but it flipped on me. So, I can’t really say nothing. Just let everybody run away with it. All I know is we’ve been in here working. We’ve been battling each other, beating up each other in training camp. Coach has been loving it.”
Fans of the Suns will breathe a huge sigh of relief after hearing this news, they could do without internal issues moving forward this season. The Clippers are healthy once more, the Pelicans have Zion back, and the Timberwolves have strengthened, meaning the Eastern Conference will be a bloodbath again. The Suns need Ayton to be on his A-game if they want to reclaim the first seed in 2022-23.
