When you think about it, Jay Triano and the Phoenix Suns are a match made in basketball heaven.
The 57-year-old is a lifer in the sport with experience on the hardwood spanning five decades. Over that time, Triano has made many connections, but perhaps none as impactful and enduring as his bond with Steve Nash.
The two first met when Triano ran the program at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. The coach initially recruited Nash to his school before encouraging him to take his lone Division I offer at Santa Clara. Ever since, they've been close friends and colleagues. Triano later coached Nash from 1998-2004 as the Canadian national team's head coach, and when Nash became Canada Basketball's general manager in 2012, he rehired Triano as the squad's leading man.
And then there is Triano's history with first-year Suns Head Coach Earl Watson. While an assistant for the Portland Trail Blazers, Triano helped groom Watson to enter the coaching ranks during the guard's final playing season in 2013-14. Now they're reunited in the desert.
Also on Triano's resume is a three-year stint as head coach of the Toronto Raptors and a proven track record of helping young players develop in the league (see DeMar DeRozan and Damian Lillard).
After the Suns officially announced Triano as their new associate head coach, we spoke to him to learn more about his past and how he plans to help the Suns' youthful roster bloom.
Suns.com: First off, what attracted you to this position? What made you want to come to Phoenix?
Triano: My relationship with Earl. He was a player here for one of the years I was an assistant coach, and I just really liked the way he approached the game. We talked about so many things on a daily basis. That was a big factor for me. And the other thing was the history with the organization. I have a great relationship with Steve Nash, and the way he spoke about the Suns organization, I just thought it’s very first class.
Suns.com: Will it be a little odd, at least at first, to work under someone who you once coached?
Triano: I’m going to approach it the same way I did with [Trail Blazers coach] Terry [Stotts]. My No. 1 goal is to do whatever Earl needs me to do. I’ve got experience being a head coach in the NBA and as a lead assistant. Whatever I can do to help Earl in any way – whether it’s basketball-related or not. That’s my job and that’s what I intend to do.
Suns.com: As most already know, Watson is among the youngest coaches in the league at 37 years old; did you see this type of future in coaching when you had him in Portland?
Triano: Absolutely. I felt that right away.. He’s a student of the game. We have a lot of the same people that we admire and respect – from John Wooden to Hubie Brown. I just think from our daily conversations it was a natural thing that he was going to be a coach. He understands the game, but more importantly, if you look at some of the things he does with youth in the community, he wants to see people get better and see them succeed.
Suns.com: What do you envision the identity of this young team being over the next year or two?
Triano: It’s a great opportunity for these guys. When you see what they’ve done so far in the summer league and at the end of the season last year, their drive to be good is evident. Now they’re in an environment that will foster that desire with veteran players like Jared Dudley and Tyson Chandler and Leandro Barbosa. It’s a great mix. That’s one of the great things we’ve had in Portland over the last couple years. We had guys like C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard, but we also had veteran guys like an Earl Watson and a Chris Kaman who have kind of helped bridge the gap. They showed them the way of the NBA. I can see the same thing being set up in Phoenix right now.
Suns.com: After seeing him play a few times last year, what are your thoughts on Devin Booker and the type of player he can become?
Triano: Obviously one of the premier shooters in the NBA. With his ability to shoot the basketball and the confidence in which he plays, the sky is the limit for him. He’s got a great attitude from everything I’ve heard. Even last year when he wasn’t really playing, I’d talk to Earl and he’d say, ‘This kid is going to be real good.’ And I’ve always trusted Earl’s opinion, and sure enough, as the season went on, I was like, ‘Yup, Earl was right.’ He grew as the season went on and that growth is something we want to keep going. If he can continue that from his first season, he’s got a chance to be a superstar.
Suns.com: Does your experience in the international game help you relate to international players more?
Triano: I think so. The Canadian team played against Croatia last year, and although Bender wasn’t playing at the time, I talked to a lot of guys on that team about him. Experiences that I’ve had with the national team gives me some insight into what the international players go through. Sometimes it can be a big jump from the FIBA game. The experience helps your overall view of the game.
Suns.com: So what does coach Triano’s life look like away from basketball?
Triano: I really don’t even know. This is going to be my 22nd year in the NBA. I love watching all the games, I love analyzing, I love competing – I do it all year. When the NBA season stops, I dive into the national team stuff for Team Canada. We do have a big 155-pound mastiff, and he needs to go for walks every day. But I think the walks help me more than it helps him. I just love the game of basketball.