The Phoenix Suns washed away some of their old mistakes this offseason to get back on the right track toward playoff success.
The result? Owner Mat Ishbia told *Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo*on Thursday the team’s culture is in place, as are the players that want to be part of that culture.
“We have young players that are ascending instead of players that are descending,” Ishbia said. “We have players that wanna be here, that are bought into the Phoenix Suns’ culture. I can take the criticism for not defining (that culture) well enough when I bought the team, but it is defined very clearly now.
“There is not a player on the team that does not understand what we’re about. There’s not a coach, there’s not anyone in the front office that does not understand that it’s for the fans, and we’re gonna develop a team that they’re gonna be proud of year in and year out.”
Ishbia emphasized the slow process that development can often take, highlighting the highs and lows of Ryan Dunn’s rookie season.
He said he believes the Suns are two years behind the Mercury’s trajectory, as the WNBA club is comfortably in playoff position in the second season of a new regime.
“What I expect is we’re gonna be competitive, a team that you’re gonna be proud of and we’re gonna be building,” Ishbia said. “Over the next couple years, you’re gonna see us follow that same Phoenix Mercury path to be competing for a championship, playing hard.
“Everyone’s gonna rally around these guys, and I’m excited about it.”
Ishbia admitted he thought Phoenix was further along when he bought the team than it ended up, and the big adjustment he’s made since is knowing what kind of person he wants in the building.
“When I bought the Suns originally, I thought we were on third base,” Ishbia said. “Now, I’ve set a vision. I’ve said, ‘Hey, I know what kind of guys I want, we ain’t trading for guys who aren’t like this.’
“Do I expect it to take a couple years to get to the point where you’re like, ‘Wow, I see the vision?’ Yes.”
He believes this season will be better than people think, also admitting he’s “naively optimistic.”