As Phoenix Enters a Tumultuous and Uncertain Rebuild, Is It Time to Take a Leaf out of Philadelphia’s Book?

The walls around the Phoenix Suns’ organization crashed down last week, when they started the 2017-18 NBA season 0-3 with two 40-point losses, and the firing of Head Coach Earl Watson.

The team also shut down and are attempting to trade star point guard Eric Bledsoe after he cryptically tweeted, “I don’t want to be here” just hours before Watson’s firing was announced.

The search now begins for both a new Head Coach, and a trade partner for Bledsoe. While the latter offers a chance to advance their rebuild, the former will shape how said rebuild plays out over the next several years.

Put simply, while the nature of their retooling is unsure, the leader they choose for it is a decision they must get right.

They are certainly starting ahead of where the Philadelphia 76ers did in 2013, as they possess multiple former lottery picks in Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Josh Jackson, Alex Len, and a genuine blue chip talent in Devin Booker.

Philadelphia started far farther behind the eight ball; Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel, the first two assets of "The Process" have long since been traded.

In fact, this team has stumbled so often in their rebuild it’s hard to believe they are where they are right now. Top-line player development and off-court staff, and enlightened wheeling and dealing has won the day for the 76ers.

However, one man gets lost in all the hype of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Sam Hinkie — Head Coach Brett Brown.

Brown has been the one constant for the team throughout the five years of The Process, and it is his cool head that has kept the rest of the Sixers’ noggins above water and focused on the goals at hand.

His detractors point to the team frequently getting it wrong on the court, but this is because Brown knows his job is not to get it right 100% of the time, it is to make sure all possibilities are considered, and all potentials tried.

Brown is not going to appear on Philadelphia’s promotional posters and his name is not being worn on the back of fan’s jerseys, but he is most certainly the unappreciated superstar of The Process.

If Phoenix are looking for the leader of their rebuild, they could do far worse than their own Brett Brown, someone willing to lead with a cool, calm, experienced head, ready to sacrifice a win one night if it brings about another later.

It is hard to find a coach with Brown’s experience in waiting. He boasts time in the NCAA, Australian NBL, an NBA front office, NBA development roles, and involvement within the vaunted San Antonio Spurs’ organisation.

Brown owns experience coaching under some extraordinary names, including his father Bob Brown, Rick Pitino, Lindsay Gaze, and Gregg Popovich.

Could Ime Udoka, another of San Antonio’s assistants, fill this role for the Suns?

At 40, Udoka would be young to begin his NBA head coaching journey, but he has been with the Spurs since 2007, as a member of the playing squad and the staff.

The Nigerian-American has also played in Argentina, Spain, and France, in addition to multiple FIBA internationals; worldliness is a preferred trait for San Antonio’s staffers. He is highly rated around the NBA, the same way Brown was with the Spurs.

Mark Jackson is another name frequently raised when there is a vacancy, given his work to help rebuild the defending champion Golden State Warriors.

However, Jackson has been noted to struggle with his relationship with different personalities. ESPN reported him to be an unpopular figure with management, staff, and players at the time of his firing.

This is not exactly a sought after quality in a Head Coach tasked with a rebuild.

Another interesting name being raised is Sean Miller, currently Head Coach of the Arizona Wildcats in the NCAA, just two hours south of Phoenix.

Miller has taken teams at both Arizona and Xavier to the Elite Eight four times, and has won four conference Coach of the Year awards.

The 48-year-old’s player development qualities are such that he was named Head Coach of the United States’ mens’ under-19's team, whom he took to a gold medal at the 2015 World Championships.

Miller undoubtedly has the coaching and life experience to mentor young players through an important phase of their life. Could he, or would he be willing to, lead the Suns through a rebuild?

Perhaps they will opt to officially promote interim Head Coach Jay Triano to the fulltime job, given he won his first game on the gig against the Sacramento Kings this week.

Whoever the Suns’ man is (or woman — Becky Hammon, anyone?) they will need to replicate similar qualities to what Brown has during a long and arduous 76ers rebuild.

It is a big task, but not necessarily a task suited to a big personality. Nevertheless, Phoenix will hardly make a more important decision in the next five years of their franchise’s existence.