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For all of the uncertainties and unknowns, Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen remains grateful for his head coach, Mike Budenholzer.
The duo were together with the Milwaukee Bucks in his final two seasons. In the 2024 offseason, Budenholzer and Allen reunited and brought with them, their chemistry.
Following Sunday's 109-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings, Allen explained via AZCentral's Duane Rankin his true feelings about the first-year head coach.
“I know he's a winning coach,” Allen said. “I know he's had great success in the past. This obviously wasn't a very good year, but for him, having a bunch of great years, one year doesn't really define him as a coach.
“It's tough. All those decisions are above me. I can't think about that.”
Management will make the majority of the decisions this offseason, or all of them. After Suns owner Mat Ishbia is ready for any move, one might involve firing the head coach.
After all, Budenholzer has been rumored to be fired after the regular season concluded. While it hasn't happened as of writing this, the writing might be on the wall.
Grayson Allen wants the Suns to run it back with Mike Budenholzer
Although Allen's opinion is strong, and one of importance, two significant moves in the NBA might alter the Suns' way of thinking.
Both Taylor Jenkins and Michael Malone were shockingly fired by their respective teams. They were two of the top coaches in the Western Conference, and both led their teams to playoff spots.
However, Budenholzer might be another one-and-done head coach for the Suns. It would spark the third head coach that the Suns would've gone through, in a matter of years.
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Still, there is support to justify keeping the former NBA champion.
When he started with the Atlanta Hawks, he had a similar record in his first season (38-44). Then, the Hawks went to the Eastern Conference Finals one season and even had four all-stars on the roster.
There's no coincidence that the success is there.
Once Budenholzer went to the Bucks, the head coach had immediate success. So much so that within his third season, he won the 2021 NBA Finals with a stacked roster.
Like his colleagues, he was abruptly fired after an upset playoff loss to the Miami Heat.
He took a year off of coaching and ended up joining the Suns in the 2024 offseason. Although he had an offseason to prepare, the league advanced greatly in one season.
More of the former video coordinator and analytics gurus became head coaches, and have taken the league by storm. Budenholzer could likely be playing catch-up with the rest of the league.
No matter what happens, Allen's public endorsement of the head coach might not be enough. Still, it would mark a handful of the players on the Suns roster who have advocated for the head coach to stay.
