When the Phoenix Suns assembled their Big Three in 2023, including Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, they envisioned much better results than what they are currently experiencing. The team is fighting to secure a spot in the Western Conference Play-In tournament, a goal that has remained elusive. In this context, a former NBA champion provided surprising advice to coach Mike Budenholzer.
“The Phoenix Suns are a disaster,” Kendrick Perkins said on NBA Today on ESPN. “This team has completely quit on their coach.” Putting himself in the coach’s shoes, the former center reflected: “If I’m Mike Budenholzer, I throw out the rankings at this point.”
The 2008 NBA champion with the Boston Celtics then made it clear that, in his view, this is the moment for the coach to make drastic changes: “There are no more franchise players. I’m playing the guys who are going to compete.”
Perkins took his proposal even further, suggesting that the Suns’ top stars could be benched or have their roles reduced. “If that means Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal don’t get the minutes, then so be it,” Perkins added. “He (Budenholzer) has nothing to lose.”
What will happen with Budenholzer?
While Kendrick Perkins is urging Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer to make a bold move, which could reduce the involvement of the team’s stars, there are also rumors swirling about the coach’s own future with the team.
According to reporter Sam Amico, the Suns are reportedly considering to sack Budenholzer in an effort to keep Durant and Booker happy. “The Phoenix Suns could fire head coach Mike Budenholzer in the offseason to appease stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, an NBA source told Hoops Wire,” Amico wrote.
Can the Suns compete in the West?
The Phoenix Suns are currently 11th in the Western Conference with a 32-37 record. They still have a chance to reach the Play-In tournament, with the 10th seed currently held by the Dallas Mavericks, who are only one win ahead.
However, the Mavericks seem to have all but given up on competing this season, with injuries to key players, particularly Kyrie Irving‘s ACL tear, and the pending recovery of Anthony Davis, who is unlikely to be pushed beyond reasonable limits for the rest of the season.
Given this situation, Phoenix still has a viable path to the playoffs. The challenge, however, lies in their own performance. The trio of Durant, Booker, and Beal has not been enough to elevate the team collectively. That said, performances like Monday’s dominant victory over the Toronto Raptors suggest that the Suns may still have time to turn things around.