Mat Ishbia, the guy who officially bought the Phoenix Suns back in 2023, just dropped a seriously bold prediction for the 2026-27 NBA season. Forget just making some noise, Ishbia is crystal clear on what he expects: “We’re going to be better than we were last year and that we’re gonna be a team that you look and be like, ‘I love this team.’” He didn’t stop there, adding, “I believe that we have a team that can get there, as in, we’re going to make the playoffs, we’re going to win a first (round) playoff series.” That’s a huge statement from an owner whose team hasn’t sniffed the Western Conference Finals since they lost in the NBA Finals in 2021.
Phoenix’s Rocky Road and Ishbia’s Vision
Since that 2021 Finals appearance where they fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games, the Suns have undergone a significant roster turnover. They’ve been hunting for that championship formula, and honestly, they haven’t found it yet. They’re not even considered a top contender in the West right now. So, for Ishbia to come out on CNBC Sport and lay out these expectations, it tells you everything you need to know about his belief in this squad. He’s not just hoping for a run; he’s *predicting* a playoff berth and a first-round win. That’s a major step forward he’s demanding from his team.
Building on Last Season’s “Encouraging” Improvement
You might be thinking, “What’s he basing this on?” Well, last year’s performance, apparently. The Suns won 45 games, which was good for seventh-most in the Western Conference. That’s a nine-win improvement from the season before, which Ishbia found incredibly encouraging. Sure, they only made the playoffs through the play-in tournament and then got swept in four games by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not exactly championship material, right? But to Ishbia, that year-to-year jump shows the team can take another leap. He sees them as an “ascending, young team getting better every day,” and he’s still building around superstar Devin Booker, who he clearly thinks is the centerpiece.
Can this team really go from a first-round sweep to winning a series in the loaded Western Conference this season? The owner’s put it all out there. The Suns have got their work cut out for them, and every game they play this season will be under the microscope to see if they can live up to Mat Ishbia’s bold vision.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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