On Friday, the Phoenix Suns made their first major offseason addition, hiring Mike Budenholzer as head coach after firing Frank Vogel earlier this week.
Suns Land New Head Coach
Budenholzer will join the Suns on a five-year, $50 million-plus deal, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. He now heads home to Arizona with an eye on winning at least one more NBA championship.
Mike Budenholzer has agreed to terms on a five-year, $50-plus million deal to become the new head coach of the Phoenix Suns, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Suns land the two-time NBA Coach of the Year and Arizona native. pic.twitter.com/FknlqMY6nD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 10, 2024
The 54-year-old Budenholzer is a two-time Coach of the Year.
Changes to Expect From Budenholzer
The head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks for five seasons each, his résumé isn’t too dissimilar from Vogel’s. His speciality isn’t either, as Budenholzer’s teams have often been better defensively. However, Budenholzer’s more balanced than Vogel.
Both teams that Budenholzer coached ran a five-out offense that featured a floor-spacing center. With the Hawks it was Al Horford and with the Bucks it was Brook Lopez. Atlanta didn’t have a point-forward like Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, both teams made it a point to emphasize ball-movement and perimeter shooting. Indeed, Budenholzer’s teams have finished in the top-eight in 3-point attempts in nine of the last 10 seasons.
With the Suns, this may be the biggest change offensively. In 2023-24, Phoenix ranked 25th in 3-point attempts per game (32.6). Their efficiency (38.2 percent) from beyond the arc suggests they should have gotten up way more attempts though. That’s without even acknowledging that they have three of the best 3-point threats in the NBA (Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Grayson Allen).
The Suns ranked in the top-10 in points per game (116.2) and offensive rating (117.6). They may transform into a top-five offense under Budenholzer.
Will the Suns Get a Point Guard?
Whether or not the Suns bring in an actual point guard remains to be seen. Phoenix is being dogmatic about keeping the ball in their Big 3s hands. This despite needing a floor general to put them in position and lower the ball pressure they face without one.
That said, Budenholzer is used to running offenses that have a nominal point guard. Dennis Schroder and Jrue Holiday may not be traditional point guards. However, there’s no doubt that it’s their primary position and that they’re capable of running an offense.
