Jerry Colangelo took a unique path to ownership of the Phoenix Suns, at least compared to many modern owners like current Suns governor Mat Ishbia.
Colangelo played pro basketball, then worked his way up as a scout and front-office assistant with the Chicago Bulls. He left to take over as general manager of the Suns for their inaugural season in 1968.
All of that experience with basketball personnel decision-making played a part in how prepared he became when he took over as the Suns’ owner in 1987.
“I came from a different perspective. I had played, I had scouted, I had coached, I had managed. It was in my blood,” Colangelo said when he joined Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday. “I wasn’t a fan. If you come from a fan perspective — and I’m just generalizing — it’s different. So I think you need to have an organization of people you believe in and trust in and I think what they’re going through, I think what Mat’s going through, is a learning process.”
RELATED STORIES
Colangelo: Suns owner Mat Ishbia is 'breath of fresh air,' excited for KD era
Colangelo has empathy for what the current Phoenix owner is going through.
The Suns, who are 26-29 after a loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, have fallen short of expectations despite building a roster that by an objective evaluation has high-end talent with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal leading the way.
Ishbia reportedly had a hand in pushing through a trade for Durant in the hours after he officially took over as owner in February 2023. In that move, the Suns dealt fan favorites in Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, plus a wagon-full of first-round picks.
“He had some basketball in his background … and he is a fan,” Colangelo said of Ishbia. “There’s no question about it. I think maybe when he first bought the team he wanted to make a little splash, which was kind of customary when people take over an organization. In retrospect, he may have done the same thing, maybe not. But again, he has to learn, sometimes the hard way.”
The Suns didn’t stop there. After Durant’s half-season run and a second-round exit in the playoffs, Phoenix fired head coach Monty Williams.
In the offseason, they moved off center Deandre Ayton’s deal for a collection of role players like Grayson Allen and Jusuf Nurkic. The Suns then traded point guard Chris Paul to add Beal, but the money commitments made the roster more top-heavy. They became a test case for the NBA’s new second apron, a salary cap level that not only comes with tax payments but also aggressive restrictions on how the team can acquire players via trades.
After the Suns’ first-round sweep out of the playoffs last season, they are now fighting for a play-in spot.
Phoenix’s activity at the trade deadline earlier in the month, which involved a potential move of Durant, indicated the front office knows changes are necessary. The offseason presumably will bring another red-hot rumor cycle if the Suns cannot get into the playoffs and make a competitive run.
And that is where Ishbia’s habit of being willing to spend and willingness to double down on an idea will be tested. He, CEO Josh Bartelstein and president of basketball operations and general manager James Jones will be challenged with either making major tweaks or wholesale changes. They’ll have to do so despite the second apron limitations that have successfully scared other teams — some with willingly generous ownership groups — from following Phoenix’s unique plan of attack.
For what it’s worth, Colangelo believes in Ishbia, who before buying the team reached out to the former Suns and Diamondbacks owner to learn about what it takes to own a pro sports team.
“I believe in him in terms of the long-term future of the franchise because he’s committed,” Colangelo said. “He’ll get through the learning process to some degree and things will be better.”
Follow @kzimmermanaz
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Jerry Colangelo believes this is a learning curve for current Suns owner Mat Ishbia )
Also on site :
- Jamie Vardy: Leicester City’s unconventional trailblazer who set the Premier League alight
- Zander Fagerson among Scots battling to be fit ahead of Lions squad announcement
- How Jamie Vardy became Prem's 'King S***house' – downing Red Bull and 'f*** off' rant