Monty Williams bares genius behind Deandre Ayton alley-oop

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Suns, Monty Williams, Deandre Ayton, Clippers

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Many people’s jaws are probably still on the floor after Deandre Ayton’s game-winning alley-oop extravaganza on Tuesday. It was a perfectly drawn play by Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams to give the Phoenix Suns the nail-biting win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

While it was Williams’ call to run the play, which is not an easy thing to do under duress, he admitted himself that there were several people behind the “Valley Oop,” including former Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown (via NBC Sports Philadelphia).
“We run that more when it’s a typical (baseline out-of-bounds play). It’s pretty much a combination of something that Brett Brown used to run, and Joe Prunty ran a play when he was here with the Suns—Tyson Chandler got a slap-in. But I wish I was that bright, because I’m not. Jae (Crowder) just made a great pass. That’s the deal. He put it where only DA could get it. That’s great awareness by him.”
Ever modest, Williams served as an assistant coach to Brown in the 2018-2019 season before landing the Suns job. Even though he wasn’t the original creator of the play, his quick thinking on what buttons to push in the dying seconds gave them the win and a 2-0 lead against the Clippers.
Williams has previously said Brown is one of his mentors.
“I got a head (coaching) job, he got a head (coaching) job, we starting competing against each other, and we never lost that relationship. Then, when this opportunity came up, it just seemed like not only the right thing to do. But it’s been a good transition for me. We have a unique relationship that started about 15 years ago.”
Always a classy guy, Monty Williams.

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