Phoenix Suns second year small forward Josh Jackson has heard nothing but great things about Igor Kokoškov and is excited to learn from him.
The Suns hired Kokoškov in May, making him the first NBA coach born in Europe. Kokoškov has been an assistant coach in the league since 2000 and spent the previous three years with the Utah Jazz.
Jackson says Kokoškov is a really smart coach.
“Every guy that I’ve talked to in the NBA, overseas, European guys who know about him, I’ve heard nothing but great things,” Jackson told Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio. “He’s a really smart coach. He’s great at drawing plays at timeouts and I think he’s got a lot of experience and that’s something that we definitely needed. So I’m excited.”
The Suns had the worst record in the NBA last season. They won 21 games and lost 61. Phoenix’s putrid season netted them the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft and the organization selected Arizona big man Deandre Ayton.
Josh Jackson played in 77 games during his rookie season. The 6-foot-8 swingman averaged 13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from three. The Suns will need Jackson to take the next step this upcoming year if they aspire to win more than 21 games. Star shooting guard Devin Booker recently underwent right hand surgery and could miss some regular season games.
The Suns haven’t made the playoffs since the 2009-10 season.
