New Suns coach Frank Vogel has blueprint in place for early success

PHOENIX (AP)— Frank Vogel led the Lakers to an NBA title in his first season inLos Angeles by finding a way to mesh the skills of stars LeBronJames and Anthony Davis.

The veterancoach is now in a similar situation in the desert, where he takesover a Phoenix Suns team led by stars Devin Booker and KevinDurant.

The blueprintis there. Vogel just needs to make the pieces fit.

“The firstthing I can apply is direct belief,” Vogel said Tuesday during hisintroductory news conference. “Now because I’ve done it, I’ve beena part of it. If the talent is in place, that you can galvanize agroup and take the league by storm.”

Vogel didjust that with James and Davis, leading a team that went 37-45 theyear before to the franchise’s 17th NBA title in the Floridapandemic bubble.

Vogel’s newteam is already on the rise.

MontyWilliams took over a team that won 19 games in 2018-19 and guidedit to the NBA Finals within two years.

When twoembarrassing playoff exits followed — Phoenix trailed by 30 athalftime in both home losses — new Suns owner Mat Ishbia andgeneral manager James Jones decided a change was needed. The Sunsfired Williams on May 13 after four successful seasons, hoping achange in message could get the franchise back near thepinnacle.

“I just feltwe needed an injection of a different voice, a different energy.It’s really that simple,” Jones said. “And as we evaluated where wewere and where we wanted to go, we just saw a gap and we needed tofill it.”

Vogel takesover a roster in flux.

Booker, oneof the league’s best scorers, will be back. So will Durant, a13-time All-Star.

Point guardChris Paul was the cog the Suns appeared to missing when he joinedthe franchise in 2020, leading Phoenix to the NBA Finals for thefirst time since 1993 in his first season.

The38-year-old continued to be an effective floor leader in his 17thseason, finishing fourth in the NBA in assists at 8.9 per game thisseason. Once the playoffs rolled around, Paul’s body gave out for asecond straight year, a strained groin knocking him out of theSuns’ final four games.

The Suns alsohave to decide whether to stick with center Deandre Ayton or tradehim.

The24-year-old has dominated at times, disappeared others. Ayton fadedin the playoffs this year for a second straight season, hisaverages dipping even before he suffered a rib contusion in Game 5against Denver.

“He can be abig deterrent (defensively) and there’s still areas that he cangrow offensively,” Vogel said. “I’m intent on really connectingwith him and restoring him to an All-Star level player.”

Vogel hassurrounded himself with proven assistants.

David Fizdalewas an assistant under Vogel with the Lakers after serving as thehead coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks. He will bejoined by Kevin Young, one of the NBA’s top assistants who was afinalist for the job Vogel eventually got.

Their biggesttask will be to add a bit of grit to the glamour of Phoenix’s twohigh-scoring star players.

Vogel is adefensive-minded coach with a successful track record that includesan NBA title and two trips to the Eastern Conference Finals as theIndiana Pacers’ coach.

A dose of Dcould be just what the Suns need.

“The No. 1habit that we develop all year is that we have to play harder andtougher and with more hustle than our opponents every night,” Vogelsaid. “Because if you develop that habit over 82 games, boy whenyou get to come playoff time, you know when every team’s trying toratchet it up it’s already going to be there for us.”

Like in LA,Vogel is not facing an overhaul.

Booker andDurant are still two of the leagues best scorers and the franchiseis two years removed from a trip to the NBA Finals. Add the rightcomplementary players and the Suns could remain one of the WesternConference’s best teams.

“We’re veryclose,” Vogel said. “A lot of things have to go our way. You need alot of luck and you need some breaks along the way, but I feel likethe foundation is in place. We’ve got to just make some movesaround the edges.”