'Pep in his step' Suns welcome back Monty Williams after clearing COVID protocols, Landry Shamet in protocols

NEW ORLEANS — Monty Williams is back.

The Suns head coach was at the team's morning shootaround after clearing the NBA's COVID health and safety protocols and was preparing to coach Tuesday night's game against the Pelicans (23-14).

"It feels real good," Suns All-Star guard Devin Booker said. "We missed Coach and Coach missed us. He had a pep in his step today so it's good to have him back. It's like he never left. We've been having constant communication on the cell phone, but it's good to have him."

Booker said the team first saw Williams on the morning bus to shootaround.

"It's big time," Suns backup guard Cameron Payne said. "Glad to see him back in the gym. Definitely raised the intensity for us. Everybody just happy to see him. He's been gone for a long time. It's just good to put eyes on him, touch him. Glad he's doing good. Glad he's OK and glad he's back with the team."

Williams rejoined the Suns back in the city he started his head coaching career in 2010. He got a laugh out of Booker's "pep in his step" comment.

"I don't feel any different than normal," said Williams, as he had a noticeable smile even through wearing a mask. "I just like being with our team. I don't have any other inclination or any other motive. I'm glad to be back, but I just like being with our guys. I've told a few of our guys outside of my family, this is the closest group in my life. I'm with these guys all the time. It bothered me like you can't imagine not to be there with them."

Booker joked the team's initial reaction to the return of Williams was "ah man, back to practice."

That brought laughter out of fellow All-Star guard Chris Paul, who was sitting nearby, but the players are clearly happy their head coach is back with them.

"We knew we was coming," Booker later said. "It's all good. The spirits are high and we're ready to get after it."

Williams was definitely glad to be back, but did admit he experienced symptoms from the virus.

"It wasn't like mild, but it wasn't so severe that I had to even think about going to the hospital, but it did knock me on my butt for a few days," Williams said. "That kind of surprised me 'cause I typically, when I have a bad flu, I've always been able to function and for about three or four days, man, I was just like, holy toast, this thing has really hit me in the head."

While dealing with the virus, Williams said his thoughts were with those dealing with COVID-19 who don't have the resources and medical attention he has to take care of himself.

"My wife bought half of Whole Foods and put it in the bedroom," Williams said. "I was just sitting there thinking about the people who don't. I was really like impacted by that. People don't have the resources to just run out to grab 20 vitamins set in their bedroom or grab different smoothies."

Williams continued by saying he had a coffee machine and tea in his bedroom. The setup had him taking an even deeper look at those not as fortunate.

"I had everything I needed and I was just sitting there thinking so many people don't," Williams said. "This virus can impact many people just based on resources alone, can impact families and that's something that was on my mind."

Pelicans coach Willie Green, who was lead assistant under Williams for two seasons, said he checked up on his former boss during that time.

"It's tough," Green said. "No one wants to be out. No one wants to have COVID. No one wakes up with the intention that this is something they're going to deal with. It just kind of hits you. So we spoke a couple of times. Just trying to check in and see how he was going while he was going through that and he was doing fine."

Green said he plans to give Williams a "big hug" and talk to him after the game.

"I'm glad to see him back," Green continued.

Phoenix (28-8) went 2-2 with lead assistant Kevin Young as acting head coach, as Williams hasn't coached since the Christmas loss to Golden State.

"He did a great job," Paul said about Young. "KY will be a head coach very soon in this league."

Paul mentioned how NBA head coaches Michael Malone (Nuggets) James Borrego and Willie Green (Pelicans) have all been assistants under Williams.

Young could be the next one.

"If you with our team and you see the way he empowers his coaches and gives them an opportunity to learn and grow," Paul said. "He's already got a little (coaching) tree. I think that says a lot about him, but KY will be a head coach in this league for sure."

Williams said it "was awesome" the way Young handled the situation after he told him the morning of the Memphis game last week about going into protocols.

"Once I processed it, I was like, 'Man, I've got to call Kev," Williams said. "He had a lot thrown on his plate just like that. The last thing I wanted to do was be an armchair quarterback and do what everybody else does to me and try to tell him how to do what he's supposed to do. Our motto is here, our leadership goal here is to produce leaders, not followers and we try to do that with coaches and players. So I just told Kev to go with his gut. Make every decision you feel necessary and we talked, a lot."

Williams took the same approach with Young that Nate McMillian did with him when was an assistant in Portland and had to take over for him after having surgery.

"Nate was like, 'You do it,'" Williams said. "When (Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich) gave me responsibility, he was like, 'You do it' and I was like, OK (laughing). I don't know what to do, but Kevin is a really good coach. He certainly held it down for us."

While Williams is back with the team, backup guard Landry Shamet has been added to the Suns list of players in NBA COVID health and safety protocols.

Shamet scored 17 points, hitting 5-of-8 from 3, in Sunday's 133-109 win at Charlotte.

"It's crazy," Payne said. "Just the navigating uncertainty thing. This COVID thing is crazy. Taking people. (Protocols) giving us people back, take somebody else. It's kind of crazy, but I think Sham' is going to be fine. Hope he's going to fine."

For a player to return, he must have two negative tests taken 24 hours apart or two tests with a CT count of 30 or more taken on days 4 and 5 after infection.

A high CT count indicates person is no longer contagious.

"Can't wait to have him back," Payne continued. "Can't wait to have the other guys back as well, but I think we'll be fine. Just praying for Sham. Hope everything will be fine. I hope he can come back with some negative tests."

Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, JaVale McGee and Abdel Nader (also an injured knee) still are listed in protocols as they didn't travel to Boston to start the three-game road trip last week.

"Like we always say, it's probably redundant, but we're together more than with our actual families," said Paul, who talked with Crowder on Monday. "You think about like being away from your wife and kids, that's not normal. So us not having our whole crew here, that's not our normal."

Jackson joins Suns: Justin Jackson has officially joined the team on a 10-day hardship deal as Phoenix has four players on 10-days.

The Suns released Emanuel Terry.

A first-round pick in the 2017 draft, Jackson won an NBA title last season with the Bucks, who beat the Suns in six games in the finals.

Jackson played one game with Boston this season on a 10-day.

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: Monty Williams clears COVID-19 protocols, Landry Shamet enters protocols