Monty Williams named Western Conference coach of the month in leading red-hot Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns have a motto that they “celebrate everything.”
They’ve been doing a lot of that as of late.
The Suns received a trio of individual awards this week with the Monty Williams being the latest receipt in being named Western Conference coach of the month Thursday for October and November.
The 2022-23 season started a little after mid-October.
All-Star Devin Booker received Western Conference player of the month earlier Thursday while starting center Deandre Ayton earned his first Western Conference player of the week honor Monday.
The Suns (15-6) have the best record in the Western Conference as they won a season-high sixth consecutive game, 132-113, Wednesday night over Chicago at Footprint Center.
"I think our guys are showing a level of resiliency in games," said Williams after Wednesday’s win as the Suns have gone 8-3 without Chris Paul, who will miss a 12th straight game Friday against Houston (5-16) with a sore right heel. “The awareness of the game is something I think that’s growing.”
Interim Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula received the coaching award for the Eastern Conference as Boston has the NBA’s best record at 18-4.
The Suns and Celtics meet Dec. 7 in Phoenix.
The 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year, Williams has won Western Conference coach of the month five times with the last four coming in Phoenix. He also received the honor in New Orleans in January 2011 when coaching Paul.
Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams and Boston Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in October/November. pic.twitter.com/AZChGTllil
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 1, 2022
Booker has now won Western Conference player of the month twice as he earned the honor for February 2021 in the season Phoenix reached the NBA Finals. The three-time All-Star is averaging a career-high 29 points as he’s coming off an epic 51-point performance in just three quarters of Wednesday’s win.
He joins Kevin Johnson (February 1989 and April 1997), Amar’e Stoudemire (March 2010 and April 2005), Steve Nash (January 2007 and November 2004), Shawn Marion (February 2006 and March 2002) and Charles Barkley (February 1996 and December 1992) for the most conference player of the month honors in franchise history.
Ayton posted a career-best seventh consecutive double-doubles in going for a season-high 30 points and 14 rebounds against the Bulls.
The 6-11 big averaged 23.7 points in three games from Nov. 21-27 on 67.4% shooting, 16 rebounds and 1.3 blocks.
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns: Monty Williams named Western Conference coach of the month
