Although the team had an 8-1 start, that was the pinnacle of sustained success. Following that, there was hardly any of that.
Even with a four-game winning streak with notable wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, there was one glaring issue.
Consistency.
Following the Suns’ 109-98 loss against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the head coach detailed his reasoning to AZCentral’s Duane Rankin for the team’s lack of success.
“It’s finding ways for us to get over the hump,” Budenholzer said. “Finding ways for us to win. All year, it’s not just one thing. It’s not even two things. There are lots of things that go into winning. We’ve got to be better at a lot of things.”
‘We’ve got to be better’ is a phrase that plenty of Suns fans have grown tired of since the New Year. Plenty of mid-season changes and nothing fruitful coming from it isn’t what they imagined.
Even a Big 3 with Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant, many thought the answer was a head coach. However, the 36-46 record indicates something else.
Injuries never help a situation, but 35 different starting lineups don’t make matters any easier. It’s resulted in major inconsistencies that plagued the team from Game 1 to 82.
Could Mike Budenholzer remain with the Suns?
Midway through the season, some were optimistic the franchise would run it back. In recent weeks, though, that thinking has changed.
When the Memphis Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins, and the Denver Nuggets fired Michael Malone, those were two elite coaches. Those are also two guys the Suns could target.
However, elements were brewing throughout the season that caught many folks’ attention. One of those was the ongoing tension between Budenholzer and Durant.
While both men refuted the claim, it’s hard to deny some of the underpinnings of the struggles. Recently, the head coach and Booker had their rumor float around of Budenholzer telling Booker to vocally tone it down.
Again, both men dismissed the rumor, but it didn’t eliminate the distraction and how much it has impacted the season. Regardless of the claim, the head coach laid out his vision for what should change.
“We’ll start looking to figure out how we can move forward,” Budenholzer said via Rankin. “We’ve got to be better. There’s some positives to take from it and there’s a lot of things we got to look at and figure out how we can be better.”
“My focus has been on the guys. My focus has been on today. That never changes. We’ve got to figure out how to get better and that includes me. I’ve got to be better. That’s where the focus is. How can we be better.”
What does Mike Budenholzer need to change for the Suns?
Defense is not his specialty, but the defensive effort was abhorrent. It was absent for much of the season. There were glimpses of the Suns being a quality defensive team, but that’s all they were.
While they wouldn’t be a Top 5 defensive-rated team, they still have the talent and versatility to be quality on that side. Still, they were towards the bottom of the league.
Many plays looked like the players lacked effort. From not boxing out to not rotating quickly enough to simply leaving guys open, there was a barrage of mistakes on that side.
More importantly, though, the culture needs to change.
It hasn’t been the same since Monty Williams and Chris Paul both left The Valley. When those two left, it sparked a downward spiral in the franchise.
Establishing some of the grit and tenacity could be the key. However, considering how quick ownership has been to fire a head coach, Budenholzer’s name might be on the chopping block.
