SUMMARY
- After firing Frank Vogel, the Phoenix Suns hired ex-championship coach Mike Budenholzer.
- The Suns still have issues around their roster which might need a little upgrade soon.
The Phoenix Suns firing Frank Vogel was a huge possibility after they made a first-round exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But at the same time, considering that it was his first stint with the team, nobody saw it coming this early. Vogel served as the head coach for 11 months after signing a five-year $31 million contract. Right after his dismissal, the Suns made immediate moves to hire their next admiral.
Recently, they announced that Mike Budenholzer will be replacing Vogel as the Suns’ head coach. Mike hasn’t coached in the NBA for over a year after getting fired by the Milwaukee Bucks, who made a first-round exit last season. The 2021 NBA Championship coach signed a five-year $50 million deal to be their third coach in three years. Hiring Budenholzer was a fairly good decision, let’s give the Suns’ front office credit for that.
Mike Budenholzer has agreed to terms on a five-year, $50-plus million deal to become the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Suns land the two-time NBA Coach of the Year and Arizona native. pic.twitter.com/FknlqMY6nD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 10, 2024
Interestingly, Coach Bud helped the Bucks defeat the Suns in 2021 for the title. While the Suns’ roster has changed drastically since then, Budenholzer probably has decent knowledge of how to maximize Devin Booker’s contributions. He also coached Grayson Allen on the Bucks over a year ago. Mike might have a better understanding of how to use Booker and position the other pieces around him.
Frank Vogel wasn’t the biggest issue about the Phoenix Suns
With an injury-plagued roster and the Big 3 featuring Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal barely spending time on the floor, firing Frank Vogel now may have been a tad bit early. Of course, Vogel failed to utilize his roster of players well during the playoffs and possibly throughout the entire regular season. But he still wasn’t the biggest issue. One of the problems was the Suns’ not having enough firepower from the bench.
Lou Will says the Suns should give Isaiah Thomas minutes and maybe bring Bradley Beal off the bench
“Is it a time now for the Phoenix Suns, where they explore the idea of maybe Bradley Beal coming off the bench?”
(Via @RunItBackFDTV ) pic.twitter.com/rNQXtBx4V0
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 24, 2024
Putting aside the regular season, the Suns’ bench barely had any contributions during the playoffs in addition to Allen’s injury. Eric Gordon primarily came off the bench during the regular season averaging 11 points per game, but as a playoff starter, he put up only 8 points per game. Players like Drew Eubanks, Nassir Little, David Roddy, and Thaddeus Young barely made contributions throughout the year. What the Suns need is a better depth lineup and that’s what most teams in playoffs right now are thriving on.
The Phoenix Suns front office needs to allow Mike Budenholzer to take charge
Coach Budenholzer is possibly one of the most experienced coaches they acquired in recent times. After the Phoenix Suns made their playoff exit, reports regarding Vogel’s requests for a roster upgrade being rejected surfaced. Sources claimed that Vogel wanted a proper point guard to piece alongside Booker and Durant. However, the front office rejected the idea of acquiring Beal.
While this trio can be exceptional offensively, neither Booker nor Beal are the best facilitators. While Chris Paul was on the roster, the Suns’ offense had a flow that helped them create more space on the scoreboard. Perhaps, the Suns could use players from their depth lineup to acquire a good free-agent point guard, or they could re-sign Isaiah Thomas to an extension and give him more minutes with their second unit.