Locked On Suns - Daily Podcast On The Phoenix Suns

On today’s episode, we answered seven questions regarding the 2018 NBA Draft, including our thoughts on the Suns falling out of the top two, trade possibilities this summer, and Luka Doncic vs. Deandre Ayton.

There was a lot of gloom about the potential for the Suns to end up at No. 3 or No. 4 this year once again, so we went over all the possibilities should that happen.

We also talked about young players from around the league who are candidates to end up in Phoenix based on the Suns’ cap room and trade assets. 

Finally, we talked about how our feelings about Doncic have changed (or not) since Igor Kokoskov was hired as the Suns’ new coach.

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On today’s episode, we talked about what to expect from what will be one of the most interesting summers in franchise history. 

That starts with the draft lottery and combine in Chicago this month. We talked about which players we will be looking at most closely during the combine, including De’Anthony Melton and Kevin Knox. 

Then, we took a stock report of the Suns’ rebuild compared with those of NBA teams like the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as MLB teams such as the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs. What can the Suns learn, and are they on track to peak as those championship-caliber teams did?

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On today’s episode, we discussed the Suns’ historic hire of Igor Kokoskov with Jazz announcer and Locked On NBA host David Locke.

Locke was fortunate enough to create a friendship with the Suns’ new coach over the years in Utah, and is the perfect guy to introduce all of us to Kokoskov. From philosophical musings to intelligent basketball discussion, Kokoskov brings an interesting perspective to the game. 

We also talked about what hiring Kokoskov means for Devin Booker and the Suns’ on-court style, as well as the importance of crafting a team identity in Phoenix.

Locke came ready with tons of stories in this one, listen to find out what makes the Suns’ new hire so exciting.

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On today’s episode, we gave our instant reactions to 46-year-old Utah Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov being announced as the next head coach of the Suns.

Kokoskov will be the first NBA head coach to be born and raised outside North America, and brings a pedigree as an assistant in the league as well as a championship head coach overseas. It seems like there will be an instant culture change in Phoenix. 

On the court, Kokoskov is known for pushing the tempo, creating open shots for everyone on the offense, and pushing players to develop into new roles. How does that bode for Devin Booker, Josh Jackson and the rest of #TheTimeline?

Finally, we answered a few mailbag questions on Twitter about how the hire changes things from a personnel perspective in the draft and free agency.

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On today’s episode, we roamed through the latest news as the Suns move into their second round of head coaching interviews.

In an effort to fill the vacancy they created nearly eight months ago, the Suns spoke with around 12 or 13 candidates this summer, but appear to be rounding down that list. Igor Kokoskov earned an in-person interview Monday, while interim coach Jay Triano was informed the team would be moving on.

Unless James Borrego or Steve Clifford return for a second interview this week or a new name joins the mix, it appears the Suns and Kokoskov are on track to be reunited when the Jazz-Rockets second series ends.

We debated what hiring Kokoskov would mean for the franchise, and how might fans react.

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On today’s episode, we talked through two of the 2018 NBA Draft’s top wing prospects debate style, pitting Mikal Bridges and Michael Porter Jr. against one another in terms of their fit in Phoenix and overall upside.

Bridges is a two-time national champion who became the focal point of college basketball’s best team on both sides of the ball, developing his shot into a versatile, efficient weapon. His wingspan puts him in company with the best defenders in the NBA.

Porter has already drawn hype as the next Kevin Durant or Jayson Tatum, but a back injury in the first game of the season derailed the momentum he had building since high school. In the two games after his return, he flashed interesting upside as a small-ball big with primary scoring potential. 

We closed with our answers regarding who we would take in the Suns’ position.

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On today’s episode, we tried to piece together the real Mike Budenholzer story after the Hawks announced they have parted ways with their coach of five years. Plus, a quick reaction to Mo Bamba’s apparently improved jump shot and finally, listed a handful of guys to watch as free agency nears.

Was Budenholzer’s ploy just a part of his plan to find a team that will give him personnel power, or is it really just the Bucks or Knicks jobs he wanted all along?

Does Bamba’s potential 3-point shot change much about our impressions of him from a season’s worth of vanilla output?

There are several prospective free agents who could be on the Suns’ radar in free agency as they look for frontcourt help and a starting guard opposite Devin Booker. We looked at names like Fred VanVleet, Danny Green, Luc Richard Mbah Moute and Joe Johnson, and talked young vs. old, long and short deals, and more.

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On today’s episode, we gave our instant analysis on the news that the Suns have spoken with Jason Kidd and Vinny Del Negro about the coaching job before breaking down what’s winning in this year’s playoffs and what the Suns can learn.

Are the Suns going too far into the pool of coaches to make up for botching the hire in 2016? Or is this just an instance of two interested coaches’ agents being hyperactive? We agree the Suns should make a hire sooner rather than later if these are the names they’re getting to now.

Plus, we looked at the Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers to try and work out a blueprint for how these younger rosters are succeeding in the playoffs.

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On today’s episode of Locked On Suns, Evan and Brendon threw on the debate gloves once more. This time around, instead of Luka Doncic vs. Deandre Ayton, we have two polarizing prospects in Suns circles.

Who is the better prospect for the Suns, if they land outside the top two? Is it Jaren Jackson Jr. or Marvin Bagley III who would fit general manager Ryan McDonough’s plans best?

We took deep dives on Jackson Jr. and Bagley III, including from an advanced metrics point of view.

Which one fits best alongside Devin Booker and Josh Jackson? Also, how do both bigs fit into the modern-day NBA?

Find that out, plus a lot more on two players barely separated on their big boards.

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On today’s episode, we reset the Suns’ ongoing search for a new head coach following the news that Mike Budenholzer is no longer being considered for the job.

What exactly went wrong between the Suns and Budenholzer, and what does the future hold for the Hawks’ coach? Were the interviews this week merely leverage for Budenholzer’s ultimate interest in the Bucks’ vacancy?

We ranked the remaining seven names — David Blatt, James Borrego, Steve Clifford, David Fizdale, Igor Kokoskov, Kevin McHale, Jay Triano, and Frank Vogel — and discussed the guys that stand out from a Suns perspective. We also tried to estimate when the search starts to wrap up. 

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