One element the Phoenix Suns underscored was a new culture, and team owner Mat Ishbia and shooting guard Devin Booker have been at the forefront of it.
After a tumultuous 2024-25 season, the franchise is hoping to turn a new leaf. A retooled roster, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal no longer in town, and a new head coach have the makings for an interesting season.
Even during an intense training camp, the competitive spirit was as high as it has been. Either way, it has Ishbia hoping for more of the same in the first game of the season.
“I want to see some joy, I want to see some competitiveness, I want to see the fans love it,” Ishbia said during the team's Wednesday morning shootaround.
“I want to see the players doing all the things that we’ve been seeing in training camp and in the preseason games in the real games, cause now it matters for real.”
Devin Booker and Mat Ishbia are aligned on the Suns' competitiveness
No one understands what it takes to win at the highest level quite like Booker. He has seen this franchise at the bottom of the barrel. He's also seen it reach the pinnacle of success with a trip to the NBA Finals.
With Beal and Durant, the Suns were poised to win a championship. That expectation is out the window, and now it's back to square one.
But it's a position that Booker remains comfortable with. Nonetheless, his stance on the Suns' expectation hasn't waned one bit.
“I always expect to win games. That’s my expectation,” Booker said during the shootaround. “I understand we’re young, I understand we have some learning to do, but that’s the nature of the game. We take it day by day.”
One game at a time is a common NBA phrase, but for good reason. The first game of the season will tip off, and fans will see if Ishbia's and Booker's vision truly come to fruition.
