Suns Owner Mat Ishbia Sets the Bar Sky-High for Phoenix This Season

The shift in organizational mindset for the Phoenix Suns couldn't be more stark under the leadership of Mat Ishbia.

The steward of the Phoenix organization has gone all-in on building a lasting winner ever since taking over in February 2023.

It's no secret that the lofty goals still exist, even if Kevin Durant is no longer in the fold. 

This much has been apparent for years, and is only further confirmed in a recent discussion with Alex Sherman of CNBC.

"You should be thinking that we're going to be better than we were last year. As in, we're going to make the playoffs. We're going to win the first playoff series."

This is a bold statement to make for a team that is widely seen as bound to reach the play-in tournament once again. However, Ishbia continues to resource the team in a hefty manner, and it's a massive year for the city of Phoenix, as they are hosting the 2027 All-Star game. 

There is a path to this actually taking shape, but it requires numerous factors to fall Phoenix's way.

The first step in the quest to winning a playoff series is clear - the Suns must earn a favorable seeding in the scope of the Western Conference.

The Suns must enjoy better injury luck in comparison to a season ago. Phoenix is already without Mark Williams for multiple months. They simply cannot afford to miss contributors such as Jalen Green or Dillon Brooks for the same amount of time.

The second step in accomplishing this is the need for newcomer Miles Bridges to swiftly integrate into the new environment. The 2018 lottery pick is a historically ball-dominant player, but head coach Jordan Ott likely needs the wing to be adaptable. This includes a full-on buy-in when it comes to defending in multiple scenarios, serving as a playmaking hub more often, and leveraging his athleticism into transition/paint scoring opportunities. 

Lastly, Phoenix needs a leap from second-year big Khaman Maluach. Oso Ighodaro can be a reliable option at center - and even improve - but this will prove futile if the Duke product doesn't step up in his own right.

The caveat for the Suns avoiding the play-in is ultimately clear as well. Much of the next step is based in luck, but Phoenix would like to avoid the Denver Nuggets, L.A. Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves at all costs. All three squads present a superstar talent and matchup quirks that would undoubtedly render the Suns an underdog in a prospective first-round series.

While the Suns might be an underdog against the Houston Rockets as well, this is their best shot to advance to round two. Houston being in the same tier as the Suns as a playmaking entity, employing a coach (Ime Udoka) that is rigid in his game-by-game approach, and the intrinsic possibility of exacting revenge on Durant all point favorably in the Suns' favor.

While proclaiming that the Suns will win a playoff series is a bold approach by Ishbia, it's not entirely reckless to do so.