Navigating Disorder in the Valley

The Phoenix Suns have eliminated three tough opponents to reach the NBA Finals — but the seeds of victory in the Valley were planted long before this postseason run.

Phoenix was invited to the NBA Bubble last year and shocked the entire league by going 8-0 during a magical three-week stretch.

“We’re not the Suns of old,” Coach Monty Williams told his players after last year’s final game. “You’ve been through a lot. It’s hard to play the way you play every single night and not get the respect you deserve. Guess what — you got it.”

The team made some key roster moves this offseason, bringing in future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul and glue pieces Jae Crowder and Cameron Payne.

But the newfound success isn’t really about marquee free agents or something just miraculously clicking.

It’s about creating a vision during the worst of times, gathering high-character parts who bought in, and finding the right voice at the top.

The Suns a few years ago were no different than any other floundering team or company. They went 21-61 in 2017-18, the worst record in the NBA. They had character issues, a lack of leadership and poor talent.

But Phoenix made steady draft choices instead of swinging for the fences, found a coach who fit the front office’s vision, and established a culture predicated simultaneously on hard work and love.

Instead of trying to resolve everything overnight and taking major risks, the team took a measured approach in its draft selections and emphasized internal development over glitzy free-agent signings. The players they acquired as their foundation were young and ambitious and truly wanted to be there, nowhere else.

What we’ll see in Game 1 tonight isn’t the byproduct of a dramatic franchise overhaul completed in one fell swoop. It’s the result of countless micro tweaks over just a few seasons that have entirely transformed a long-beleaguered franchise.

If your organization is currently enduring strife and tumult, remember that disorder can’t be navigated with one major firing, personnel acquisition or rah-rah speech.

It takes a vision. It takes commitment. And it takes character for talent to ultimately break through.