Subscribe
Follow Us
Mike Budenholzer continues to catch strays as the offseason looms. The Phoenix Suns fired Budenholzer after one season, and it was a disaster. The 36-46 record was less than appetizing.
However, in a post by The Athletic, an anonymous player poll said that Budenholzer was the second-most overrated coach in the league. 17.8% of players suggested that he was overrated.
Considering how this past season went, it makes sense. Again, the 36-46 record with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal was a big part of it.
Furthermore, communication issues with all three stars didn't make matters easier. That was a point of emphasis throughout the season.
Despite winning a championship in 2021, that same mentality and execution fizzled out as soon as Durant was injured at the beginning of the season.
From that point out, it was a domino effect. The 35 different starting lineups, in addition to making questionable roster moves, only added more fuel to the fire.
His displeasure with certain players, most notably Jusuf Nurkic, was well documented. That was a microcosm of the season, and only supports players thinking he was overrated.
Players felt Suns' Mike Budenholzer was overrated
Throughout the 2023-24 offseason, everyone was convinced that Budenholzer and a true point guard were the answer. However, neither of those was the answer.
It was quite the opposite.
Everything that could've gone wrong for Phoenix went exactly that way. After all, the Suns missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
For Budenholzer, his firing marked the third head coach fired by the organization in a matter of three seasons. Either way, it might be a while before he makes another NBA comeback.
After taking a season off, there's a major adjustment he needs to make for him to succeed. At that point, he might not be viewed as overrated, and possibly as a good head coach.
However, time will tell how far the latter hypothesis goes.
