Yesterday it was announced that Utah Jazz assistant coach Igor Kokoskov would be signing a three year deal with the Phoenix suns, and will take over there fully once the Jazz’ playoffs run comes to an end.

The Suns parted with their last coach and so have been searching for a new coach. Some names that were being linked to the franchise were Spurs assistant James Borrego, as well as ex Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford.

The Suns coaching search is gathering momentum again: Spurs assistant James Borrego interviewed in Phoenix on Thursday, and former Charlotte coach Steve Clifford met with franchise officials there today, league sources tell ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 27, 2018

However it was the European Igor Kokoskov that they opted to go for, and this is honestly a move that I love, and it could really benefit them in the long run.

The background

In case you weren’t aware, Kokoskov has some real accomplishments to his name. Arguably his most notable being the EuroBasket title he claimed in 2017 as head coach of Slovenia. To get this title he was able to utilize the likes of Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic and draft prospect Luka Doncic through a variety of methods. Winning this title was considered a surprise due to the fact that Slovenia is a pretty small country, yet with his coaching they were able to take home the title. This is obviously not a bad thing to have on your resume, and it is also a staple of good coaching. A clear cut accomplishment that has to be respected.

Now of course there are many differences between the European basketball game and the NBA one, so you could point out that he might not be as comfortable in an NBA environment. However I would argue that this won’t be the case. For someone who’s taking his first job in the American league, Kokoskov is richly experienced, and he has collected such experience by being in coaching setups on different tiers of the basketball pyramid. For example, his first coaching job in the USA was as an assistant at Missouri, and since then he has been an assistant with the Clippers, the title winning Pistons, the Suns, the Cavs, the Magic, and most recently the Jazz. He has bags of experience when it comes to being in an NBA setting, and will be comfortable when being in one thats orchestrated by himself.

Something else that is impressive about all these teams that he has been working with over the years, is the fact that they have featured some really impressive coaches. Some names that jump out at you are the likes of Mike D’Antoni, Mike Brown, Alvin Gentry and of course Quin Snyder in Utah. Snyder is actually someone who is really high on him, and this dates back to when they first met in College and Snyder recruited him to his Missouri team. He also stated recently that he believes Kokoskov could definitely lead a team:

Utah Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov has interviewed for the vacant Phoenix Suns coaching job. Jazz head coach Quin Snyder has confidence that he can lead a team. “I told him for a number of years, I think he’s a head coach in the NBA,” Snyder said. pic.twitter.com/ExanTK0Bcj — Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) April 21, 2018

His coaching style

There are a couple of aspects of his coaching DNA that I am a really big fan of, one of them being the offensive sets he runs. He isn’t someone who will just run the same pick and roll over and over, nor is he someone who relies on constant ISO which bear in mind he could have quite easily done that with someone like Goran Dragic on his team.

He likes to run a motion style offense, with everyone moving around the halfcourt. This is good because it moves the opposition around, making them react to each cut/motion and also forces them into making decisions about how to defend each action. Kokoskov is also someone who includes a lot of handoffs in his plays, and again this is something I believe is a strong point of his offensive system. By having these handoffs it means that a lot of players get incorporated into the attack, which can help get them involved and into rhythm.

He also likes to have a well spaced floor on his offensive sets, and this tweet here from Mike Schmitz is a really good example of it. His description of the play is excellent and he uses some great game footage to illustrate just what he was talking about. In this clip each element of his offense that I mentioned is included; Screens, off-ball motions, and ball handoffs (usually at the top of the key).

Kokoskov did a great job of putting Doncic in positions to succeed @ Eurobasket. Got the defense moving side to side before bringing Doncic off a ball screen going right w’ a spaced floor. He’s at his best when he can catch on the move & pick teams apart. https://t.co/FjeHn0rPwUpic.twitter.com/wotl0H5uoN — Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) May 2, 2018

Kokoskov is clearly good at running the floor and orchestrating his teams offensive plays, but there are other areas of him as a coach that really excite me. One of them being his development of players, specifically young players. He has a history of working with up and coming/young players, and helping them to develop their skill sets. In the past he has even held down a youth coaching role in Partizan, and I have heard that he has been an important cog in the developmental department whilst in Utah. He has even been credited as helping Ricky Rubio and Donovan Mitchell become better, and those are two guys who have been great for the Jazz in their playoff quest.

What does this mean for the Suns?

Well in my opinion this appointment is terrific for the Suns. Kokoskov is someone who has clear cut pedigree and accolades to his name, and he also has some valuable experience to go with that. In Phoenix he’ll have a terrific offensive weapon to work with in Devin Booker, as well as the surrounding pieces.

Speaking of Devin Booker and his surrounding pieces, Kokoskov may really enjoy working with the young core of this Phoenix team. As I mentioned earlier, he has been great at developing talents like Mitchell and Rubio, and he had great success working with Luka Doncic at EuroBasket. This is terrific if you’re a Suns fan, because the likes of Josh Jackson, Marquesse Chris, and Devin Booker could be able to take that next step forward. Obviously Booker is already something special, but with a coach there in place to provide him with guidance he should be able to develop into something even better.

Another interesting situation if you’re someone who follows the Suns is this years draft. Right now the Suns are projected to get the #1 pick, and so they will literally have the pick of the bunch when it comes to selecting draft prospects. Funnily enough Luka Doncic is available, and it will be interesting to see if their soon to be head coach’s relationship with him impacts their selection.

Overall I think this is a really good move by Phoenix, and I’m really interested to see how they look under their new coach. The Suns might not be exactly where they want to be right now, but by partnering this young core with this coach, they’ve taken a big step in the right direction.