With two games to go, the Phoenix Suns (36-46) were officially eliminated from the play-in tournament following their loss to the 1st-place Thunder. Monday, they fired Mike Budenholzer, their third coach dismissed in as many seasons. The difference from the last two cannings? Frank Vogel (2023-24) and Monty Williams (2022-23) coached their teams into the playoffs.
Under Vogel last season, Phoenix went 49-33 en route to being swept in the first round. Williams was coming off a finals berth in 2021-22 and won a playoff series in ’23. Since the takeover of new owner Matt Ishbia, things in Phoenix are only getting worse. A slew of hired, then promptly fired coaches hasn’t been the answer. With the team desperate for stability, why did Budenholzer get the ax?
Deserving Scapegoat or Not, Mike Budenholzer Got the Least Amount Possible from Phoenix Suns Roster
No one was surprised when ESPN’s Shams Charania announced Budenholzer’s dismissal. Afer losing his job with the Bucks in 2023, he spent last season out of a job before accepting the position in Phoenix. The Suns were so unenthralled that he was dismissed with four years left on a $50 million contract.
Although he inherited a trio of superstars in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Budenholzer did not have a deep roster to work with. Still, fans criticized him for failing to utilize promising youngsters like Ryan Dunn (wing) and Oso Ighodaro (center) or intriguing, high-risk, high-upside role players like the 7’3 Bol Bol (power forward).
Instead, Budenholzer gave a head-scratching wealth of center minutes to Mason Plumlee (4.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG), sticking with him even after the Suns traded for Hornets big man Nick Richards to provide more athleticism (9.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG as a Sun). Even after sliding into the starting role, Richards often disappeared after the first quarter as Budenholzer prioritized the reliable but flatfooted Plumlee. His stubborn refusal to adapt flummoxed and infuriated fans throughout the season.
Alongside Fundamental Roster Flaws, Lack of Creativity and Experimentation Sinks the Suns’ Season
Budenholzer’s seemingly egotistic stubbornness was not limited to the center position. Players like Dunn, the team’s best defender, and Bol, a versatile stretch big with much needed shot-blocking abilities, offered useful if unproven skillsets that could have provided a much needed spark. After Dunn was injured, Budenzholzer chiseled his already spare minutes to virtually nothing, only reinserting him into the regular rotation when it was far too late.
Bol started just 10 games and played in only 35 overall despite averaging 17 points and 2.4 blocks each of the eight times he played more than 20 minutes. He essentially vanished in the final month-plus of the season, often remaining on the bench even in garbage time.
No one expected this team to be great defensively, but, whatever blame Budenholzer is due, their all-around underachievement made his firing all but inevitable. At season’s end, Phoenix ranked 27th in defensive net rating, ahead only of the tanking Pelicans, Jazz and Wizards. During the final stretch of the season, they had the worst defense in the league. With all their firepower, they finished only 13th in offensive rating.
No Light at the End of the Tunnel
While their three best players all have extensive injury records, they experienced relatively good health throughout the year–as good, at least, as could be expected–until Durant’s ankle injury in a loss to Houston kept him out for the last seven games. Missing Durant this season, Phoenix went 3-17. In the end, their star trio missed 56 combined games.
Despite being handed a play-in spot on a platter after Dallas played an extended stretch missing most of its roster, the Suns lost nine of their last 10 games to eliminate themselves from the race. If they had any chance before, Durant’s injury effectively ended their season.
Even securing a play-in spot as a nine or 10-seed, however, and winning the two games required to get into the playoffs as the 8th team in, what chance would this team stand against Oklahoma City (68-14) in the first round?
Unable to unload Beal and his massive contract, and with insiders more and more convinced that Durant will be traded this offseason, Phoenix is an unenviable situation. Having emptied the clip to acquire Durant two and a half seasons ago, the Suns are devoid of draft capital to improve their stock, either through the draft or further trades. That a proven coach would want to come put out the dumpster fire seems doubtful.
As for Budenholzer, whatever the team’s fundamental flaws, the Suns’ collapse down the stretch is an unflattering look. At this point, he would be lucky to land another head coaching job in his career. Phoenix will be lucky to land a qualified skipper of any kind. Buyer beware couldn’t be inked any more plainly on both fired coach and floundering franchise.
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