The Phoenix Suns’ season has not gone as planned. Going into the year, they looked to build on last year’s success. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal were slated to carry a team of quality role players to the playoffs and push for a championship. The new head coach, Mike Budenholzer, brought a championship pedigree, and the hire was praised by many. However, the team has struggled this season. The Suns are currently not even in the play-in, sitting 3.5 games back from the Sacramento Kings for the ten-seed. A new report has surfaced that there may be some tension between Booker and Budenholzer.
Phoenix Suns Devin Booker & Mike Budenholzer Tension
The Phoenix Suns dropped a game at home to the lowly New Orleans Pelicans last night. After the game, Devin Booker talked about the importance of communication on the court. The Suns are running out of time to make a push. They need to start winning games if they want even to have a shot at a championship. This comment doesn’t seem like a big deal, but NBA insider Chris Haynes revealed the communication piece has reportedly been a touchy issue in the locker room, with Budenholzer telling his star to “tone it down” weeks ago.
“I was told that weeks ago Mike Budenholzer called his star guard Devin Booker into his office to issue a complaint. 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.”
This is not a great look for the Phoenix Suns. It isn’t surprising that Booker was shocked by the comment. While Durant and Beal are leaders of the team, Booker is on a different level. He has been in Phoenix the longest and has seen the team evolve over the years. It makes his comments about communication a little more curious. He could be trying to show up his head coach by constantly saying more communication is needed. This points to even more dysfunction in the locker room.
Outlook Beyond This Year
It would be a historic turnaround if the Phoenix Suns were able to make a championship run. At this point in the year, you are who you are. Minor things can change, but it would be surprising if this team all of a sudden became a Western Conference juggernaut. At the trade deadline, it was reported the team was trying to move on from Durant but could not get a deal done. In the offseason, it might be time for Phoenix to regroup.
The team gave up a war chest of picks for Durant. It didn’t work, and that’s okay. There is no shame in trading for one of the best players in the NBA and trying to win it all. Now, the goal is to reload to compete in the future. Durant has been rumored to be moved this offseason, but this report brings up another question. If the relationship with Devin Booker has deteriorated, could the team move him as well? It seemed unlikely for a while, but players have left teams over less.
Final Thoughts
The Phoenix Suns are one of the big disappointments of the NBA season. While many didn’t have them winning it all, not many people saw them sitting 11th in the West as the calendar turns to March. Can they turn it around, or will they miss the playoffs completely?
