Mat Ishbia has proof of concept with the Mercury, will it translate for the Suns?

Mat Ishbia deserves credit for two very impressive philosophies. He has kept Suns games accessible and available on free television, a rare owner who is playing the long game and understands the importance of serving a fan base. And from the moment he arrived in Phoenix, he has treated his WNBA franchise with equal reverence, even building them a $100 million dedicated practice facility.

Now, the Mercury are paying him back.

Ishbia was his typical fast-talking, promise-making self at Suns Media Day on Wednesday. But this time, he had proof of concept. His rebuilt WNBA franchise had just stunned the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA semifinals, storming back from a 20-point deficit. On the women’s side of his basketball empire, he obviously hired an excellent general manager (Nick U’Ren) who then hired an excellent head coach (Nate Tibbetts). And if they somehow run the table, it will be an exalting moment for Ishbia. There will be real pictures of him holding a championship trophy, a powerful visual to counter all the ridicule he’s endured in the past two years.

Of course, the Mercury are not the same as the Suns in terms of civic importance and Ishbia admitted to modest goals in the months ahead. He wants a team that is fun to watch and easy to embrace. It’s a very difficult admission for a hyper-impatient billionaire. No matter what happens, I personally guarantee the following:

Suns fans will fall in love with Dillon Brooks, one of the great NBA villains, a player who makes it his craft and his art. You thought Raja Bell was popular in the Valley?

“If you meet me, you like me,” Brooks said on Wednesday. “If you play against me, you don’t. And that’s the way I like it.”

Alas, cringe still seeps through cracks on Planet Orange. Their inexperienced GM (Brian Gregory) has already deemed Jordan Ott “a great coach.” He and Ishbia both bragged about zigging while the rest of the league zags, where Suns players will commit to high-fiving fans and tossing wristbands into the crowd after home games. Someone should really tell them how this stuff sounds and how it infuriates the rest of the NBA.

But a calming sense of reality has also set in. Ott was smart enough to stay in the moment and not look ahead. Devin Booker was extremely measured, a player low-key intrigued by his new head coach and the idea of faster pace of play, and yet a player who also knows the importance of not overpromising and underdelivering, who has already lived through the long road back. There seems to be a very high level of commitment at the moment. Which is easy when you haven’t failed as a group in the games that truly matter.

In the end, Ishbia made it clear that he’s hit a reset button. He apologized for getting it wrong with that expensive outdated clumsy attempt at a Super team. He apologized for not taking complete control 2 ½ years ago. But his basketball team begins now. And I have to admit, the hiring of Steve Nash as a senior advisor has stoked the imagination. A nostalgic and sentimental hood ornament? Or the man who can build the championship that once eluded him in Phoenix?

Buckle up. Never a dull moment on this planet.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

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