The Phoenix Suns have been arguably the most disappointing team in the league this season.
After a season in which the Suns earned the No. 6 seed in the West but were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Suns owner Matt Ishbia decided to replace Frank Vogel with Mike Budenholzer.
It was not overwhelmingly popular due to where Vogel had the team despite all the injuries and hiccups throughout the last season. Still, Ishbia thought it was necessary.
However, things have not panned out for the Suns, who are the 11th seed in the West, 2.5 games back of the 10th spot, and have lost eight of their last ten games.
The Suns will likely miss the playoffs and play-in tournament altogether, and if that is the case, some big changes could happen once again in the Valley of the Sun this offseason.
One of those big changes could come in the form of another head coach, especially after the comments Budenholzer made towards his star player, Devin Booker.
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that Budenholzer called the star Suns guard into his office a few weeks ago to tell him that he was “being too vocal” on the court and during huddles and asked him to “tone it down” so that the coach could speak.
“I was told that weeks ago Mike Budenholzer called his star guard Devin Booker into his office to issue a complaint,” Haynes said. “That complaint, I’m told, was that Booker was being too vocal on the court and during timeout huddles. He implored his star guard to tone it down to let the coach’s voice be heard. This completely shocked Devin Booker.”
In a recent press conference, Booker expressed the importance of communication on the court. This report by Haynes puts Booker’s comments into context, as they might have been a slight shot at his head coach.
Booker spoke to the media recently and expressed his frustration with not executing the game plan, saying it’s “been the story of the season thus far.”
“It could be fixed with just a little bit more talking,” Booker said. “[When] things get tough, we get quiet as a team, and from my experience and from what I’ve seen, that’s not the way to get through it.”
This begs the question of whether the Suns made a mistake by getting rid of Vogel for Budenholzer.
That could be the case, as under Vogel, the Suns ended last season with a 49-33 record and were ranked 10th in offensive rating, 13th in defensive rating, and eighth in net rating. This season, they have dropped dramatically in each of those categories.
Budenholzer’s days in Phoenix are likely numbered, and it’s fair to question whether the Suns should rebuild.
It is likely they will trade Kevin Durant this offseason, and if that’s the case, there could be a fire sale in Phoenix.
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