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Breaking News: Western Conference Heavyweight Unveils Unexpected High-Profile Acquisition
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Budenholzer will sign a five-year contract worth more than $50 million with the Suns. He now returns to Arizona, hoping to win at least one more NBA championship.
Budenholzer, 54, has won the Coach of the Year award twice. Changes to Expect from Budenholzer His résumé is comparable to Vogel’s, having served as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks for five seasons apiece.
His speciality isn’t either, as Budenholzer’s teams have frequently been better defensively. However, Budenholzer is more balanced than Vogel. Budenholzer coached two teams that ran a five-out offense with a floor-spacing center. Al Horford was with the Hawks, while Brook Lopez was with the Bucks.
Atlanta lacked a point-forward like Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, both teams emphasized ball movement and perimeter shooting. Budenholzer’s teams have finished in the top eight in 3-point attempts in nine of the last ten seasons.
This could be the Suns’ most significant offensive change. In 2023-24, Phoenix ranked 25th in 3-point attempts per game (32.6). Their efficiency (38.2 percent) from beyond the arc shows they should have made many more tries.
That’s without even mentioning that they boast three of the NBA’s finest 3-point shooters (Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Grayson Allen). The Suns rated in the top ten for points per game (116.2) and offensive rating (117.6). They might become a top-five offensive under Budenholzer.
It remains to be seen if the Suns actually bring in a point guard. Phoenix’s insistence on holding the ball in their Big 3s hands comes out as rigid.
This is true even if they require a floor general to position them and lessen the pressure from the ball if they don’t have one. Nevertheless, Budenholzer is accustomed to managing teams with a reserve point guard.
It’s possible that Dennis Schroder and Jrue Holiday are not your typical point guards. But there’s no denying that they can run an offense and that it’s their major position.
