New Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott plans to implement a dynamic offensive system during his tenure with the team. On June 18, 2025, he told the Phoenix Suns YouTube channel that his offensive system would depend on the skill set and strengths of the roster.
Jordan Ott’s Vision: A Pick-and-Roll Offense Built for Devin Booker
If Jordan Ott keeps his word, the pick-and-roll play type will be the team’s favorite offensive set during the 2025-26 season. The play type has been heavily used by the best player on the Suns’ roster, Devin Booker. Throughout his career, Booker has run a pick-and-roll on 28.8% of his offensive possessions, averaging 7 per game.
He has been very productive in the play type, averaging 6.5 points while shooting 44.8% from 5.2 attempts per game. Jordan Ott will not have an issue installing a pick-and-roll offense for the team, as he has recent experience with this type of system.
Jordan Ott was the associate head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2024-25 season. Cleveland led the league in the play type last season, averaging 24.5 possessions per game.
The Cavaliers’ reliance on the pick-and-roll was the catalyst behind their leading the league in production within this play type. They average 24.3 points, shooting 45.7% from the field on 19.5 attempts per game.
The team’s pick-and-roll success was primarily attributed to Jordan Ott, who was reportedly the architect behind their offense. Current Suns Assistant coach DeMarre Carroll stated that Jordan Ott was a mastermind behind the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offense last season.
Why Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks Break the System
Unfortunately, Phoenix is unlikely to approach Cleveland’s success due to potential spacing issues. Media members are projecting that Phoenix will have both players that they acquired in the Kevin Durant trade in their starting lineup.
Phoenix Suns insider John Gambadoro stated on June 22 that the team is expected to have Jalen Green in the starting lineup.
“The Suns do not plan to trade Jalen Green, he is expected to play alongside Devin Booker in the backcourt”.
Furthermore, CBS Sports has Dillon Brooks as the starting small forward on the team’s depth chart. Three-point shooting is the weakest aspect of these players’ skill set.
Green and Brooks players have career three-point shooting percentages of 34.2% and 35.5%, respectively, on a minimum of 5.1 attempts per game. Their three-point shooting percentages are below league average.
Brooks entered the league before the 2017-18 season. According to Basketball Reference, the league average three-point shooting percentage since the 2017-18 season has been 36%.
Books and green performance from behind the arc will make it harder for Phoenix to excel in a pick-and-roll offense. During the 2024-25 season, Cleveland typically had three players standing behind the arc as floor spacers during a pick-and-roll offensive set.
Cleveland Success vs. Phoenix Limitations
On October 28, 2024, Donovan Mitchell was bringing the ball up to court with two minutes to go in the first quarter against the New York Knicks. Donovan slowed down as he approached the top of the key, waiting for Evan to set the screen.
Once the screen was set, he went over it and dribbled the ball to the left wing. Donovan would end the position by making a three-pointer. As the play was unfolding, Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Sam Merrill stood behind the arc as floor spacers.
The Cavaliers’ pick-and-roll layout contributed to their ranking 10th in catch-and-shoot threes, averaging 27.5 per game. Catch and shoot accounted for 66.3% of Cleveland’s total three-point attempts. The Cleveland Cavaliers were fourth in the league, averaging 41.5 threes per game.
If Jordan Ott brings the same pick-and-roll layout to Phoenix, Brooks and Green will spend a significant amount of their offensive possessions as floor spacers. Consequently, opposing teams will give them space to encourage Devin Booker to pass the ball to either player.
The Alternative: Allen, O’Neale, and Real Spacing
Both players will need to improve their three-point percentages to keep defenders close to them. However, if they can’t improve their shooting, their defenders will start to focus more on the ball handler.
Therefore, Booker will most likely have to deal with multiple defenders on a significant number of possessions. Jordan Ott can easily avoid this issue by putting other players in the starting lineup. Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale have career three-point shooting percentages of above 38% on a minimum of 4 attempts per game.
They would be considered above league-average shooters. Consequently, defenders would have to stay closer to them because they can make a three-pointer at a significantly higher frequency. The presence of Allen and O’Neale would give Booker more space to move, as he has to get by fewer defenders.
How Ishbia’s Pressure Undermines Ott Before Opening Night
Unfortunately, Jordan Ott is unlikely to start both of these players due to external factors. Brooks and Green will most likely start because Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia wants to lower media criticism. Mat Ishbia was focused on acquiring big-name players during the early days of his tenure as Suns owner.
Mat Ishbia officially became the owner of the Phoenix Suns on February 7, 2023. Two days later, he acquired Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four unprotected future first-round picks.
Four months later, he decided to acquire Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards for several second-round picks. Washington accepted the low compensation for two reasons. The Washington Wizards included a no-trade clause in Bradley Beal’s 2022 extension. Consequently, the team was unable to trade him without his consent.
Secondly, Phoenix agreed to pay the remainder of Bradley Beal’s contract, valued at $ 207 million. Despite acquiring Beal at a discount, Phoenix was unable to achieve success as a team.
The Mat Ishbia Problem: Ego Over Basketball Fit
During Mat Ishbia’s tenure, Phoenix has won 54% of its regular-season games, with a record of 101 wins and 90 losses. Phoenix’s record has propelled them to two playoff appearances, including a Conference Semifinals appearance in their first few months as an owner. Although Phoenix made the playoffs twice in one plus seasons with him as owner, they didn’t make the playoffs during the 2024-25 season.
The lack of team success has created the perception that Mat Ishbia is an awful owner, as he has taken significant risks with little reward. On April 16, 2025, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN called him the worst owner in the league.
“Mat Ishbia needs to understand that right now, you are on the verge of being recognized as the worst owner in the history of basketball. That’s saying a lot. Donald Sterling once owned an NBA franchise.” – Stephen A. Smith.
Mat Ishbiat likely wants to change this perception as soon as possible. Consequently, I believe he is putting pressure on the Suns’ organization to start both players he acquired in the Durant trade to Houston.
If the team didn’t start them, the media will create a narrative that Phoenix created an all-time great player from two bench players. The narrative will create a perception in the mind of fans that Phoenix made a horrendous trade.
Starting Brooks and Green would allow Phoenix to say we traded Kevin Durant for two starters. However, this hypothetical mindset will cause Phoenix to post subpar offensive statistics.
If Phoenix has below-average offensive statistics, the media will begin to create a narrative that Jordan has been disappointing as a head coach. This is because Jordan had a reputation for being an offensive coach before taking the Phoenix job.
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