Wow, so… the Phoenix Suns just threw Mike Budenholzer off the bus. Or maybe under it. They dumped him after one wild rollercoaster of a season where they scored a thrilling 36-46, missing not only the playoffs but (get this) the play-in, too! I mean, you’d think it takes skill to avoid that. Even the 39-win, Luka-less Mavericks somehow squeezed in. Go figure.
Now, Budenholzer’s gonna walk away with a fat $40 million check, leftover dough from his five-year gig. Not to mention, Frank Vogel’s out-of-the-blue $31 million firing package from back in ’24. It’s like they’re playing millionaire bingo with their coaches. Anyway—no, wait—they’ve got Durant on the trade list, so clearly, things kinda went sideways for the Suns.
Poor rotations? Let’s dig into this. Budenholzer, who by the way snagged a championship with Milwaukee in 2021—yay, him!—mysteriously avoided playing these rookies, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, who could have flipped the script on defense. I mean, Dunn wasn’t just a benchwarmer. He learned to nail threes over a few summers—talk about dedication. He could have been soaking up the court for like, 25 minutes each night, easy. But his playtime looked more like… a toddler’s coloring book. All over the place. Some nights no one even knew he existed. No idea if it was strategy or just shrugging randomness.
And this, when Phoenix is languishing near the bottom on defense? Seriously, coach, come on—that’s like trying to fuel a jet with soda pop.
Then there’s Ighodaro, strapping lad at 6-10, capable of snatching rebounds and weaving through defenses like a hot knife through butter. Used to big men doing clever stuff, you’d think Bud would’ve unleashed him more. But nope. Kept him leashed like an uncooperative kitten. Why? Shrug.
Oh, and did anyone really buy into Budenholzer’s game plan? Seemed not. Players were spacing out out there, each doing their own jazz, minus the harmony. Despite the obvious star power of Durant and Booker, their styles were like trying to mix oil and water in a blender. Attempts were made, yeah, but things just never clicked into place.
Offense was predictable, like watching the same car commercial repeatedly. Everybody was doing their own thing, long shots here, quick throws there, more improvisation than calculated play.
Plus, who thought adding Bradley Beal into the Booker mix-up was a neat idea? Flags were waving, people shouting, but owner Mat Ishbia just nodded, forging ahead. Beal with Booker, trying to make them fit in new roles felt as forced as my attempts at cross-stitching. For what? A whopping $99.4 million for a crossover duet that never harmonized. Brilliant.
Oh, and just as a quick heads-up: Phoenix is kinda out of sync with their future draft picks. Running low, you know.
So here we are. Budenholzer’s probably packing his bags, Durant’s pondering the moving boxes, and Beal’s glued to his no-trade clause. It’s like watching a slow-motion car crash without the seatbelt. Stay tuned, I guess?
