The Phoenix Suns are reportedly looking to hire a former Milwaukee Bucks coach following the departure of Frank Vogel.
summary
- The Suns have fired Frank Vogel after 11 months coaching the team.
- Sources claim that Mike Budenholzer is expected to work out a deal with the Suns.
Frank Vogel barely had a career with the Phoenix Suns as his tenure with the team recently ended. The Suns didn’t have the best regular season as they struggled with injuries and inconsistency. They hovered around a play-in tournament berth for a good portion of the calendar while finishing sixth in the Western Conference at the end of the regular season.
Phoenix’s postseason run was cut short without a single win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Amazingly, this came after the Suns went undefeated against the Wolves during the regular season. βWe appreciate Frank’s hard work and commitment. We came here to win a championship and last season fell far short of our expectations. We will continue to evaluate our operations and make the necessary changes to reach our championship-caliber goals. We all take accountability.” said James Jones, president of the Suns.
Frank Vogel just said he hopes to be back for two years no matter what happens with the Suns in this series. βI have full support [owner] Matt Ishbia.” @sportico @Grampski pic.twitter.com/noIpjw6An8
β Barry M. Bloom (@boomsky) April 28, 2024
Ironically, the Suns fired Vogel after he claimed he had the support of the Suns’ front office to return next season. There are reasons Vogel can’t be blamed entirely on, and one of them involves injuries. The Big 3 barely got time on the floor and their bench unit also lacked depth.
Fans slam Suns for firing Frank Vogel
Interestingly, Frank Vogel wasn’t the only coach to lose his job this season. Earlier, the Milwaukee Bucks fired first-year coach Adrian Griffin and hired Doc Rivers as a replacement before the All-Star break. The Los Angeles Lakers fired Darvin Hamm shortly after their first-round exit. Fans strongly believe that front offices aren’t putting together great rosters while dumping all the weight on coaches to look after.
Scapegoat for a terribly constructed list
β Cole π (@CREAMYCOLE_) May 9, 2024
They gave him three ISO heavy midrange-focused scorers and a roster severely lacking in defense. Not sure how any coach could have done better
β Jeff Pratt (@ByJeffPratt) May 9, 2024
One X user responded to Vogel’s firing, saying, “The scapegoat for a terribly constructed roster.” Another fan added, βThey gave him a roster with three iso-heavy midrange-focused scorers and a serious lack of defense. Not sure how any coach could have done better. After their postseason run ended, sources revealed Vogel wanted a point guard on his roster because they lacked one. However, the front office refused to acquire anyone else on the Bradley Bills.
The Suns are expected to strike a deal with Mike Budenholzer
NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that the Suns are expected to negotiate a deal with Mike Budenholzer. The franchise will hire its third head coach in three seasons after firing Monty Williams shortly after the end of the 2022-23 season. Williams had success leading the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals against Budenholzer’s former team, the Milwaukee Bucks. Phoenix lost against the Bucks that season.
ESPN sources: Phoenix Suns fire coach Frank Vogel. The Suns β who won 49 regular-season games with the league’s third-highest payroll and taxes β were swept in the opening-round series by the Timberwolves. Mike Budenholzer will be a prominent part of the search. pic.twitter.com/SDTRkXxkrG
β Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 9, 2024
Vogel had four seasons remaining on his five-year, $31 million deal he signed last off-season. Coach Budenholzer, on the other hand, is an Arizonan who has had a successful run in the NBA. He was named coach of the year twice while ama*sing a 271-120 record with the Bucks.