It's not often that a first-year head coach impresses anyone, especially veterans. For Mark Williams, first-year Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott has done just that.
A 19-14 record and the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference have certainly taken many by surprise. Much of the team's success stems from what Ott is building.
He's had the credentials and experience for quite some time. After all, he was responsible for the 2024-25 Cleveland Cavaliers for having one of the best offenses in terms of offensive rating and points per game the league has ever seen.
So far, Phoenix is having a surprising turnaround, despite losing both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. With the new-look roster, Williams is excited.
On the Old Man and The Three Podcast, he shared why Ott has impressed him and what he's instilled in his team.
“Definitely the confidence. Balancing the analytics and go hoop, I think he does a really good job of that. We’re always talking about pace and defensively pressuring the ball, but at the same time, he’ll tell me ‘Call for the f*****g ball’.
“We’re always sticking to our principles, cutting and sliding, and hitting our open guys in the corner. I think there’s a really good balance between the two. He’s definitely a basketball savant.”
Jordan Ott is growing Mark Williams's confidence with the Suns
Throughout Williams's time in the NBA, he has been plagued by injury. But in the 2025-26 season, the same can't be said. Even with the Suns placing Williams on a back-to-back restriction, he's taken it well.
Not only that, but his conditioning coming into training camp and the regular season was impressive. He gelled nicely with the starting unit and has been the team's defensive anchor in the middle.
The statistics don't paint the full picture, but his effectiveness goes beyond what any singular metric can say. Williams isn't afraid to go against the top centers in the league and hold his own.
The majority of that comes from the belief in the head coach. While he might've had that in Charlotte with Charles Lee, the front office didn't appear to feel the same way. Being in a new environment where you're valued is crucial to anyone's development.
At the same time, Ott hasn't been afraid to go past Williams and roll with someone like Oso Ighodaro in games. In past years, that might've dejected Williams, but he understands the picture.
The winning culture, mixed with new scenery, is painting the picture for everything the Suns, Williams, and Ott hoped that this relationship would be.
