Kevin Durant‘s heated sideline exchange with coach Mike Budenholzer (Twitter video link) may be the only positive to come out of the Suns‘ loss to the Lakers on Sunday, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. It suggests that Durant is still locked in enough to care about the team amid widespread reports that he plans to ask for a trade this summer.
Durant and his teammates are struggling to make up ground on the 10th-place Mavericks, whose season is imploding amid a constant string of injuries. Phoenix has gone just 4-6 in its last 10 games and remains a game and a half behind Dallas with less than four weeks to play.
“This group is — there’s still (14) games left. We need to get into the play-in, we need to get into the playoffs and try and do something there,” Budenholzer said. “Like, there is a lot of talent in our locker room. There is a lot of fight in our locker room. So we got to get in (the play-in), and then we got to play good basketball, win games. But we got to start winning to get there, (and) I think the guys know that. And I think the mindset and the fight, in the first quarter, wasn’t where it needs to be.”
Budenholzer dismissed the latest run-in with Durant, saying it involved defensive rotations and calling it “pretty normal stuff.” Durant didn’t talk to reporters after the game, according to Vardon, telling them he was going to shower first and then quickly slipping out of the locker room after he was done.
Vardon states that there’s no easy explanation for what has gone wrong with the Suns, who looked like one of the NBA’s best teams in October and early November with an 8-1 start. There’s plenty of firepower on the roster with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal playing alongside Durant, and the front office thought it had upgraded the coaching staff by hiring Budenholzer, who has an NBA title on his resume.
Some observers have labeled Beal a disappointment, but Vardon points out that he has been playing pretty well as a third option, averaging 17.3 PPG while shooting better than 50% from the floor and nearly 40% from three-point range. However, Beal suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday that prevented him from playing in the second half and he’s considered questionable for tonight’s game against Toronto.
Phoenix is 27th in the league in defensive rating, and Budenholzer cited the need to improve in that area several times after Sunday’s loss. Vardon also notes that the three-point shooting has been inconsistent as the Suns missed 18 of their first 20 attempts from beyond the arc against the Lakers.
“I think it’s more than one thing,” Booker said. “In spots, we’ve shown we can do it, and that’s what makes it even more frustrating. We have a game like last game (a 122-106 win over Sacramento), and then we come in and miss a few shots, which affects our defense, which, you know, affects our offense. So, it’s a domino effect. If you’re playing with energy and effort, you know, you can sleep well at night, regardless. And I don’t think we’re doing that right now.”
the team looked very bad yesterday. Just a average team would have won against a injured Lakers team. Instead they made so many TO that were not contested. Missed so many open shots. Played very little defense with no energy. The played like they mailed in the season already.
Suns continue to hit wall, suffering
So so so so so many open shots
Was kinda frustrated seeing the Lakers D be so bad ~ I get you p[lay different up double digits as they were most all the game but damn that was crazy
“Thank goodness for the Dallas Mavericks.”
-Phoenix Suns fan.
arc89 , you said it. Suns looked very bad. I watched the game because there would be 2 hungry teams, but Suns clearly don’t care.
Time to address the elephant in the room: Booker must be part of the problem. KD on his own can’t be *all* of the problem. Nor can the 2 Championship coaches. For all the criticism of KD’s teams underperforming for the last 4 years, Booker’s teams have been worse. The Suns clearly need an “alpha” to help Booker, because, despite what anybody in Phoenix says publicly, this was his last chance to show he’s a leader.
KD is the vet and supposedly the Superstar. He’s the one who wanted to play with Booker and demanded a trade to Suns. He’s the one who demanded Beal trade. He’s the one who wanted to play with Kyrie and ruined the Nets. KD is no lbj or Curry. Heck, he’s less than Butler. He’s just picking up his paycheck and trying to act like he cares.
KD and Booker was motivated during the Olympics. I did see KD trying yesterday and not getting any screens for open shots. Booker look non-existence on defense. Booker play defense in the Olympics so what gives? lakers played much more aggressive is why they won. Reddick was the better coach.
Michol, I strongly disagree. KD is not an alpha and never acts that way.
When KD arrived in PHX, he openly deferred to Booker as the #1A, both on the court and in the media, saying he was the #1B. It was exactly like what KD did with Steph on the Warriors.
I’ve watched PHX and I don’t believe KD is going through the motions. He does care, but he doesn’t have the leadership qualities to influence other players. Booker wants to be the alpha, it just doesn’t seem to be happening.
Their season is OVER! These are garbage time games.
Of course they’re going to try to salvage the season, what benefit is it to them to write it off.
Booker is not a true star… He’s closer to LaVine’s level than Luka’s…
Beal has lost a step or 2…
And KD doesn’t play as hard on defence as he once did due to age…
They also traded their best wing defended in Okogie…
27th defence is what they have a result…
First half was terrible. And team doesn’t play D. No leaders on this team. Seems they have checked out to me. KD definitely should be traded. I do it at draft.
Back to the stale chips, cheese whiz, and pickles nacho days.
I don’t think I saw a single play where Booker made KD better or vice versa yesterday
I wouldnt be quick to downgrade Booker or KD yet tho based on this PHX season. We were all making Daruis Garland assumptions just like these a year ago too and slanting eyes at Bos 2 yrs ago as well
Booker Imo can still re-gain top 15~20 players in the league next year and KD can also; just not together
**KD is going to give Bud a heart attack if Buds not careful. Was giving Stanleys heart pacer setting off when Micheal got near vibes yesterday (The Office)
They have no player leadership. Simple as that neither KD or Booker is the emotional or verbal leader and it reflects down from there.