How do we measure the Sun’s own ownership of Mats Mats Ishbia?

Mat Ishbia press conferences are predictable that they should be delivered with Bingo cards.

He speaks extremely quickly. Words run hotter than a Nascar engine. He will promise several championships. He will claim the full accountability obligation for failures while speaks in tones of the defensive piece. He will give the Phoenix Mercury numerous shoutouts, his WNBA franchise that has nothing to do with the occasion. In the end, its energy and its bombast will be lovable and exhausting.

But there was something else on Thursday. Ishbia was clearly engraved by the recent criticism of the ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, who said that the Sun’s owner was up to date to become the worst owner in NBA history. He called Smith “disrespectful”. Ishbia said he was expecting an apology in the near future. We’ll see about it.

Ishbia also believes that most Suns fans consider him a great owner. To reduce the concession prices. For ignoring the profit margins and for the insertion of his team on free television. For more for luxury tax than the sixth pistons, which were issued for wage and salary billing, for a Suns team that embarrassed him and everyone else in the valley. To set up a new headquarters and to retrieve a G-League team. Robert Sarver failed for success everywhere.

Ishbia is right with one thing. Bad owners in the NBA have levels, and Ishbia is not near the floor. He deserves a massive recognition for his willingness to pursue a championship, a property that is very unusual in professional sports. It is absurd to compare it to the real DEGS of NBA ownership (Donald Sterling, Ted Stepien, etc.).

Ishbia has released three coaches in two years, but two of them (Monty Williams, Mike Budenholzer) deserve it. His blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant went bankrupt, but was hardly expired, and most media agreed to the transaction in real time. After a 49-profit season under Frank Vogel, we were also amazed at the promotion players. And would someone complain about Ishbia if the previous regime had the meaning of designing Luka Doncic and not Deandre Ayton?

Alas, Ishbia’s unforgivable sin is the hybris, which is represented in the trade for Bradley Beal and the worst contract in the NBA, a player who is also represented by the father of Josh Bartelstein, the CEO of the team. You can imagine how lines can blur.

In other words, Ishbia deserves the same patience that he himself has difficulties. He deserves time to learn to fail and do it right. He has already learned a lot and failed a lot and did everything well, except to produce convincing, winning basketball teams.

Interestingly, Ishbia met with the media alone on Thursday. Bartelstein and GM James Jones followed as a combo plate, and it is a good bet that loses at least one work in the upcoming cleaning. Ishbia also countered the indictment for his own interference by saying that he is even more committed in the future, and swore to serve orange to serve better by making its standards extremely clear.

From now on he wants the sun to project an unmistakable identity. He wants her dirty. He wants her coarse -grained. He wants you to be proud of your efforts, even if you lose more than 46 games in the regular season.

In other words, it is a long way back to the highway and even longer to the fast trace of the NBA. And another trip back with baby steps.

Reach Bickley at [email protected]. Listen to Bickley & Marotta on the weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. to 98.7 FM Arizonas Sportstation

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