The Big Lead

Mat Ishbia slams experts who are doubting the Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia has hit back at 'experts' who think the Phoenix Suns will be poor in the 2025-26 NBA season.

By Divij Kulkarni

Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia watches a game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia watches a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The Phoenix Suns have changed tracks entirely as an organization. Despite making aggressive moves for older stars like Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, the team has made no noise during the business end of the season. And owner Mat Ishbia decided this offseason was the time to change.

The Suns have moved on from Durant and Beal, choosing to focus heavily on the 2025 NBA Draft. With Devin Booker seemingly in for the long run, the franchise is trying to forge a new identity. And with some people predicting difficulty on the path, Ishbia has publicly called out the haters.

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"I'm not worried about what the so-called experts think," Ishbia wrote in an X post. "They had us as a title contender the past two years and were wrong then. We're focused on making our fans proud by playing great as a team and building a brand of basketball that's tough and gritty."

For Ishbia to point out that the highly-rated Suns failed two seasons in a row to make his point is hilarious. Their underperformance seems to have made the billionaire completely reassess what he believes it takes to win in the NBA. And he's right to ignore noise from the outside.

However, that doesn't make the noise meaningless. It's hard to imagine Phoenix being anything other than a lottery team next season. Culture changes can make a world of difference but it takes time. How it goes for the Suns remains to be seen.

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