Phoenix: The Phoenix Suns are preparing to pick their Fourth coach in as many seasons, and NBA championship-winning coach Mike Budenholzer is expected to be included in the mix.
Over the past ten years, Budenholzer has been an extraordinarily successful head coach, leading to a 60% win percentage, two coach of the year titles, and an NBA championship in 2021.
All he has done over a significant sample size is be a consistently good coach, much like Gregg Popovich.
Despite a few minor reservations about the move at this time, Budenholzer may ultimately prove to be a “slam dunk” hire, and here’s why:
Increasing Offense
Kevin Young and Frank Vogel were unable to unleash the full potential of the Suns’ offense; Budenholzer could.
As said earlier, Budenholzer is Popovich’s understudy and has infused many of the Spurs’ dynasty’s tenets into his coaching philosophy.
The "strong" series is part of the new offense Mike Budenholzer introduced to the Bucks last year. Read all about it in the link below. https://t.co/dSAuZMp0M9 pic.twitter.com/8gCrIVZfUF
— Bucks Film Room (@BucksFilmRoom) September 11, 2019
Budenholzer bases his offensive strategy mostly on spacing and timing, employing a five-out base.
This mindset and the setups that Budenholzer employs are a little similar to what Mike D’Antoni did to light up the NBA over twenty years ago, and they would definitely help the Suns offense, which is roiling with promise.
If Mike Budenholzer becomes the next coach of the #Suns, expect them to shoot more threes.
Budenholzer's teams by 3-pointers attempted and NBA rank:
2014: 26.4 (Second)
2015: 26.6 (Sixth)
2016: 28.8 (Fifth)2018: 31.0 (Seventh)
2019: 38.2 (Second)
2020: 38.7 (Fourth)… pic.twitter.com/84fqJY7Gye— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) May 10, 2024
Throughout his tenure as head coach, Budenholzer has discovered methods to get the most out of players like Jeff Teague, DeMarre Carroll, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez.
Phoenix’s offense should receive much-needed modernization with the addition of the “five out” and “strong” series concepts; let’s hope that the required personnel adjustments are also made.
Maintaining Accountability
The player accountability viewpoint is one area where Vogel and Budenholzer should be able to stand apart from one another.
The word was out about Vogel’s situation as the season went on, with allegations that he was losing the ability to command respect in the locker room. In contrast, the former Bucks coach might be seen as the complete opposite.
Reactions to Milwaukee’s May termination of Budenholzer were divided; some claimed the decision was primarily based on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s performance.
While victory usually solves most issues and some players react better to accountability than others, it’s arguable that the Suns need an authoritative person who will push everyone to the same level.
Although it’s possible to argue that Vogel’s position in Phoenix was doomed from the moment he had to retain Young on his staff—something didn’t feel quite right from the start of the season—Budenholzer’s staff was hand-picked, which is all the more evidence that he might be the best candidate for the position.
Increases the Regular Season Cap
Vogel’s one and only season saw the Suns win 49 games, which was a letdown in comparison to preseason projections and a mediocre accomplishment in light of the events that unfolded throughout the season.
The potential ceiling of this team in the regular season and postseason is immediately increased by Budenholzer’s apparent impending hiring, provided the right personnel decisions are made over the course of the next two months.
The Suns could have been in a much more manageable position with over 50 regular season victories, and that could be a very real possibility with the new coach coupled with a strong high-end talent pool. However, Suns supporters realized that regular season success meant nothing in some circumstances.
