Reggie Miller stands up for Monty Williams after firing

During a conference call with the media, Reggie Miller, the Hall of Famer and NBA analyst for TNT, said he was upset about how the Phoenix Suns fired now-former head coach Monty Williams.

As told by Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic, Miller feels that while the job can be attractive to candidates, it won't be an easy situation for whoever is hired:

“It is a great destination for whoever gets that job, but man, if you saw what they just did to Monty and he’s got Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, what do you expect?" Miller continued. "You want them to win 60-plus? You’ve got to win it all, right? Championship or bust. So be careful what you ask for.”

With the belief that the franchise needed to strike now while the iron was hot, Phoenix essentially gutted its roster of crucial depth to make the trade for Durant back on February 9th after the forward requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. Miles Bridges was the centerpiece for Brooklyn but in order to absorb Durant's salary, the Suns also moved him along with Cam Johnson while sending Jae Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks. Further mortgaging its future, the Suns added four unprotected first round picks to the Nets.

The remade Suns had to gel on the fly, a challenge made more difficult with various injuries. Durant only played eight regular season games with his new team - he was already injured when the trade occurred, and played three games before dealing with a right knee issue for most of the final weeks of the season. Chris Paul missed the majority of the West semis due to a strained left groin. Deandre Ayton, with whom Williams reportedly had an uneven relationship, hurt his rib in Game 5 of the series but was also a non-factor through much of the Suns' playoff run.

Miller felt that Williams wasn't helped by all the changes, drawing from his own playing experience on how the guys on the court impacted a coach's job security.

“Being a former player, I’ve been in that position,” Miller said. “My first few years, I don’t know how many coaches I went through in Indiana and as a former player, I feel bad because I didn’t live up to expectations. I didn’t keep his job. I didn’t help him keep his job.”

Williams guided the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Bucks in six games. He was named Coach of the Year in 2022 after leading the team to a franchise-best record of 64-18, but that team also lost in the second round.