Tracy McGrady explains why the Suns were a huge disappointment this season: "The offense is just really tailored for them to go one-on-one"

Like many fans, Tracy McGrady had high hopes for the Phoenix Suns this season after they acquired Bradley Beal during the summer.

However, the Suns could only muster 6th place in the Western Conference regular season standings, and they were swept in the first round of the playoffs by a young and hungry Minnesota Timberwolves team.

"The Suns getting swept is a huge disappointment cause I actually thought with the three of them, that they can make something happen," said McGrady on his Instagram page. "When you have a team with KD, Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, I don't think you could go around the NBA on any other team, and your third guy has put up 60 points, and your second guy's put up 70 points in a freaking game."

The Suns played pick-up basketball

According to McGrady, having those three guys alone made the Arizona squad an impressive team. The NBA has turned into a more offensive-minded league, so with three incredible scorers like KD, Book, and Beal, they should have been tough to beat.

"Just those three guys alone; I don't care what you have on your bench. This is an offensive league. Nobody is playing defense. So the fact that y'all couldn't figure that out and I'mma blame some on the coaching as well because I'm watching the Suns, it's pick-up basketball. The offense is just really tailored for them to go one-on-one. But what I don't see is getting the other guys involved," he added.

McGrady added that the Suns had a big man in Nurkic who could pass. So, it could have been better if they had utilized Nurk's passing ability by getting him involved in the offense. Mac pointed to the Golden State Warriors offense, which uses a lot of movement, screens, and passing to get good looks for their scorers.

KD and Beal aren't that kind of scorers

But while using the Golden State blueprint isn't a bad idea, using it with elite one-on-one scorers like Durant and Beal might not be as effective as using superb catch-and-shoot guards like Steph and Klay. Unlike the Splash Brothers, KD, Beal, and even Booker prefer the ball in their hands to be able to get their own shots.

Perhaps the bigger problem was that their offense had no hierarchy. Given their statuses, Frank Vogel could not say which of the three would be the first, second, or third option. However, what made the KD-led Warriors work was Steph and Klay yielding to Durant. With no clear No.1 option, the three just took turns doing their thing on the court, just like pick-up ball, as Mac noted.

The Suns will have to do a lot of soul-searching during the offseason, as it is clear they can't head into the next one with the same game plan. Also, Phoenix could perhaps listen to repeated calls to get a point guard to facilitate their offense. While talent is key, playing organized ball still matters.

Related: Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes pinpoint the reason why the Suns failed: "You got three stars, and none of them are defenders"