Suns Shocking Twist! Teague Suggests Mike Budenholzer will Thrive Without Kevin Durant
The Phoenix Suns have struggled to put together a cohesive unit around Kevin Durant and Devin Booker with head coach Mike Budenholzer. Which caused former NBA player Jeff Teague to chime in with his thoughts about the situation.
Teague provided his stance in a segment of the Club 520 Podcast on Monday. He says Budenholzer needs players to buy into his system more so than he just needs superstars, suggesting he will be better off without Durant.
“If they trade KD, and it’s not KD’s fault, but they’re going to have more continuity. It’s going to a lot easier. I told you Coach Bud does a lot better with less. He’s going to find some glue guys, some guys that he can build around,” Teague said, who played for the head coach in both Atlanta and Milwaukee.
“Make D Book the focal point and it’s going to be a lot smoother for them. With all that talent over there, it’s just too much for him on his plate. He’s used to that San Antonio s—t where everybody is buying in, it ain’t the same.”
Time is running out for Kevin Durant, Suns
The old way of bringing in a Big 3 of superstars isn’t working anymore when teams like the Thunder and Cavs are building around talented younger stars and depth. This is certainly the case for Kevin Durant’s Suns, which explains why Jeff Teague believes in Mike Budenholzer doing better without the star forward.
Since the NBA All-Star break, the Suns have gone 2-5 in their last seven games. They are averaging 118 points on 49.9% shooting from the field, including 39.4% from beyond the arc. However, their defense has given up 123 points on shooting splits of 47.4% overall and 40.1% from downtown.
Phoenix currently has a 28-33 record on the season, outside the playoff picture at the 11th spot. They are four games behind the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings.
Following Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns will prepare for their next matchup. They host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.
