Jordan Ott and Kenny Atkinson go way back.
There’s a long history between Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson and his former assistant, now the head coach of the Phoenix Suns, Jordan Ott. The two have been together on three separate coaching staffs, from Cleveland last year, all the way back to Atkinson’s time as an assistant in Atlanta.
“No person has been more influential in my professional career than him [Atkinson],” Ott said before the Suns game against the Cavaliers. “To work with him for three different stops, two different times when he was a head coach, and with this opportunity here… I wouldn’t be ready right now.”
Ott was an assistant coach under Atkinson last season before earning an opportunity to take his first head coaching gig with the Suns this summer. While it can hurt to lose an assistant coach, Atkinson says he wasn’t surprised that Ott earned the job.
“Last year, I felt like he took a bigger role with us. I think I stepped back and let him do more, and just saw the confidence growing,” Atkinson said. “He was my right-hand man, has been for a while, so it doesn’t surprise me the success he’s having.”
The Suns have gotten off to a surprisingly strong start to the season, considering the massive overhaul they underwent when trading Kevin Durant last summer. Phoenix has remained competitive, and Atkinson credits Ott’s work ethic for this.
“He’s doing a hell of a job,” said Atkinson. “To me, the Suns are the hardest playing team in the league, they play harder than anybody, so that’s a real credit to him… I know his work ethic is famous in the West; he lives at the arena, lives in the office, he outworks everybody.”
Praise went both ways. Ott says that Atkinson’s mentorship made it easy for him to become the coach he is today.
“Kenny’s the hardest working dude I know,” said Ott. “It’s pretty easy when you work under hard-working people and see success.”
Cleveland and Phoenix aren’t competing for the same things this season. Ott is focused on player development, while Atkinson is trying to get his team ready to compete for a title. Despite this, the Suns hold a 19-13 record while the Cavs are just 18-16.
Ott believes that Cleveland’s biggest issue has been health, and that they are on their way to being the team he saw last season.
“They’re getting there, it’s just the health,” said Ott. “Obviously, the fourth quarter in San Antonio, against one of the best teams, they looked like the Cavs that I remember, even on Christmas day… for the majority of the game, that looked pretty familiar to me, it just comes down to health… I’m sure as they get healthier, everything will look very similar [to last season].”
Category: General Sports
