The coach’s actions have many fans and analysts confused and also frustrated by him.
As the season and opportunities from the Phoenix Suns and the Big Three’s chance to succeed continue to whittle away, Mike Budenholzer is losing belief from the fan base.
After essentially benching Ryan Dunn in the team’s first game out of the break, the criticism ran loud.
.@ErikRuby goes OFF on Mike Budenholzer’s treatment of Ryan Dunn ️
“I’m over it. I’m sick of it. There’s no reason [not to play him]!” pic.twitter.com/fXlkNE1ogs
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) February 21, 2025
And then the criticism ran even louder after Dunn played seven minutes against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, where the Suns gave up 127 points, with 77 of those coming in the second and fourth quarters. People online appeared so frustrated, that an account jokingly tried to say the Suns fired him and replaced him with Frank Vogel.
BREAKING!!!
After just 57 games, the Phoenix Suns have fired Mike Budenholzer and have finalized a deal to bring back Frank Vogel as head coach! pic.twitter.com/uS6ovzQbTJ
— Franklin (@FrankVogelPHX) February 24, 2025
After ranking 13th in defensive rating a season ago, Phoenix is 27th.
With his length, athleticism, and clear willingness to play hard, Dunn’s lack of minutes is startling not only to fans but also to prominent members of the Phoenix Suns media.
I’m beyond tired of a team that plays no defense sitting Ryan Dunn, the one guy who can play defense, the whole game. Help me make sense of this? WTF is Bud doing? Is he not watchingFox drive by Grayson time and time again with by the way zero help defense. Memo to BUD – WAKE UP
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) February 21, 2025
Last week on Fox Sports’ First Things First, longtime NBA journalist Chris Broussard said he wants to see Kevin Durant and the team get into the Play In. Even for a squad that had a disappointing first season together, the bar has completely changed for the Suns.
Not owning their own first-round pick this upcoming draft, the Suns do not have any incentive to tank for the rest of the season. Mat Ishbia and James Jones have shown a clear willingness to move on from coaches if they don’t think they’re the right fit. The squad’s on its third head coach in as many seasons and is still paying Vogel and Monty Williams large sums of money.
Clearly, the expectations going into the season are not the ones that the team has in place right now from the public; that can’t be all on Budenholzer. Inheriting a roster without a big man, versatile wings, and little athleticism are more indictments on team construction rather than him, but the way he had utilized the talent, appearing to alienate Jusuf Nurkić before he was traded, sticking with Mason Plumlee for long periods, and not leaning into a more defensive-minded approach when the team struggles on that end has many people in the Valley confused and frustrated.
With benching Beal, starting Dunn to then not playing him much, to reinserting Bradley Beal back into the starting lineup, he’s shown a willingness to make changes he deems necessary, but the decision he makes saddled with the lack of winning from the team has many fans frustrated and pundits who follow the team closely frequently confused.
One thing the team had going into the season that was different from last was continuity; nine members of last year’s team started the year in the Valley. Nurkić and Josh Okogie traded to Charlotte to make that number seven, but the chemistry and continuity the team built from a season ago hasn’t been utilized as much as it could be with Bud switching up the rotations so much.
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