Stephen A. Smith defends Tom Izzo’s decision to pass on Phoenix Suns job

At face value, Suns fans had reason to feel uneasy at those comments. Phoenix, widely projected as a team with many issues at the beginning of this season, has instead climbed into the West’s 7th spot, firmly in the play-in mix. It signals structural resilience with top-10 efficiency stretches, improved rotational depth, and late-game shot creation that’s trending upward, especially in a loaded Western Conference.

But Stephen A Smith believes Izzo’s decision not to coach the Phoenix Suns was for different reasons. College basketball has transformed immensely in recent years. The transfer portal and NIL deals have turned roster building into a year-round negotiation. Yet for a coach like Izzo, who has built decades of institutional trust, those changes still exist within a system he understands and controls. In the NBA, that control evaporates. Player empowerment, front office dynamics, and championship-or-bust timelines compress patience into months, not years. That’s the strategic core of Smith’s point that success isn’t just about opportunity, it’s about alignment.

For Suns fans, the takeaway isn’t disrespect, it’s validation. Phoenix didn’t need a legacy college coach to stabilize its trajectory. Instead, its current rise suggests something more sustainable: internal adaptability.
Both sides may have gone the right way. Izzo preserves his legacy ecosystem. The Suns, meanwhile, are quietly building one of the West’s most intriguing late-season stories, with no outside rescue required.