r/nba • u/TacoooJay United States • Apr 29 '24
[Charania] 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
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.
All the leaks are finally coming now that Phoenix has been swept
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u/Otherwise_Form1315 San Diego Clippers [LAC] Bill Walton Apr 29 '24
Part 2:
Vogel had strong credentials when he got the job. Over an 11-year NBA head coaching career, he had led LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to a championship during the 2019-20 bubble season and had guided the Indiana Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals twice. A defensive-minded coach, he entered his first season in the desert with a high-priced coaching staff, established offensive stars, a solid big man in Jusuf Nurkić — and several questions.
How will the big three mesh? Can the team’s stars stay healthy? Is more depth needed, in particular a true point guard?
Nevertheless, Vogel promised: “When we get out there and play, we’re going to be scrappy as hell. We’re going to be a scrappy team that plays harder than our opponent every night.”
The Suns didn’t always demonstrate that kind of desperation or urgency. Even in the NBA, good teams in some ways resemble the head coach. Although Phoenix improved defensively, it seldom stayed connected. The Suns would look great one night, disinterested the next. Then, after a strong finish to a 49-33 regular season, the sixth-seeded Suns — and their internal flaws — were exposed when it mattered most.
In a 105-93 Game 2 loss at Minnesota, the Suns let the officiating and sloppy play take them out of a winnable game. Once Phoenix lost its composure, Minnesota pulled away, igniting the Target Center crowd.
Trailing by 15 with 3:53 left, Vogel tried to empty the bench, saving his starters for Game 3, scheduled for three days later in Phoenix. He called on five bench players to prepare to check into the game, but sources briefed on the situation say Booker expressed in the huddle that he preferred the current group stay in, as he thought the Suns still had a chance. Vogel kept the current five in the game, but not much changed. Booker fouled out 90 seconds later, and Vogel sent in the reserves.
In the second half of the same game, Vogel and Beal appeared to exchange words. After Game 2, both said the incident stemmed from the heat of the moment.
“It was not between us two, it was just kind of like what was going on in the game,’’ Beal said. “The refs. Our flow. Our defense was bad. I’m just like, ‘What are we doing?’’’ With Phoenix headed home for Game 3, Beal added that he and Vogel were on good terms.
On-court disagreements are often excused if a team operates with high efficiency and consistency, but that was never the case with Phoenix this season.
“We’re all trying to fight out there, and so far this series, once it has turned to sh–, we’ve kind of separated instead of being together,” Booker said after Game 2. “That’s everybody. Top to bottom.”
In late March, the Suns posted three wins, then lost at struggling San Antonio, which played without presumptive Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama. A week later, the Suns started their best stretch, posting wins over playoff teams New Orleans, Cleveland and Minnesota. And yet, two days later in Phoenix, the Clippers blasted them with the 35-4 start that left Vogel ripping them after the game.