The fate of the head coach has been a primary topic of discussion since the season ended a week ago.
A myriad of decisions awaits Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia and general manager James Jones this week. While the team may not have many alternatives when it comes to player decisions, they have total control over their choice of head coach.
When Mat Ishbia arrived in Phoenix last week to hold his end-of-season press conference, he informed the media that he had not yet had any conversations with anybody in the organization about their job security.
“I have not had one discussion about my GM, my coach, we’re trading players now supposedly in the media,” Ishbia said. “Not one discussion has been had, let alone a decision. That’s what I’m here for now. I’m here Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to have those conversations. I’m meeting with the players, the coach, the GM, the CEO, I’m meeting with all those people this week.”
There’s no doubt that a cloud of disappointment currently resides over the Phoenix Suns’ organization after the 2023-2424 season. This was hardly the team that many had anticipated heading into the season to be a formidable foe in the Western Conference. They posted a 49-33 record during the regular season, which was enough to get them the sixth seed. Then they won a grand total of zero games in the postseason as the Minnesota Timberwolves swept them away.
“Blame” might not be the right word here as I don’t know if you can point the finger at one single individual and say they were the root problem of the Suns. It was a comedy of errors that led to such a disappointing season that ended in an embarrassing fashion.
Regardless, “accountability” is a word that Ishbia utilized on numerous occasions last Wednesday we will soon know what his thought processes are relative to that word within the upcoming days. The murmurs are becoming louder and we should know soon.
I’d expect some news on Frank Vogel sometime tomorrow or Tuesday! Suns leadership has spent several days having their internal conversations.
— FLEX From Jersey (@FlexFromJersey) May 6, 2024
Ishbia has been in town for nearly a week, most certainly having conversations behind closed doors about what to do next. Conversations with Frank Vogel about his ability to lead this team and coach these players should have been at the top of the list for his meeting agenda.
The Athletic released a summation of the team’s season an hour after it had ended, and the unhappiness of Kevin Durant among the bullet points of discontentment.
Meanwhile, Durant, among the best scorers in NBA history, was not always happy with how he was used. Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that Durant never felt comfortable with his role in Phoenix’s offense alongside Booker and Beal this season. Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often and not having the proper designs to play to his strengths as the offense was built around pick-and-rolls. At the same time, some teammates and people close to the organization believed Durant needed to voice his concerns more adamantly and directly with Vogel and his coaching staff.
You can be certain that in order to gain a deeper comprehension of the principles underlying Vogel’s tactics during the season, Ishbia and Jones have undoubtedly communicated with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
We will soon learn the repercussions of those rumors.
Is it something that both Durant and Vogel can move past? Can they coexist in a world in which Durant feels he is properly utilized? Or is the easiest solution the subtraction of Frank Vogel?
It shouldn’t be long until Ishbia tells us whether he’s actually running it back with this core and coach or breaking ties with someone who was given one of the league’s most talented squads and couldn’t manage a single postseason victory.
Stay tuned to Bright Side of the Sun as all of this unfolds throughout the week.