The Phoenix Suns have made their first step in trying to return to playoff contention by firing Frank Vogel . It was the expected and arguably easiest move to make, as breaking up the Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal seems the more drastic move.
However, letting Vogel go has not sat well with some folks around the NBA, including Bill Simmons . The podcaster went on X (formerly Twitter) to blast the Suns for their flawed roster construction and using the coach as the scapegoat despite running into a historical defense in the team's first-round sweep against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Vogel's unfortunate stints with powerhouse teams
It was only four years ago when Frank led the Los Angeles Lakers to the title, thanks to an elite defense and top-11 offense. However, the front office decided to overhaul the roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis after an injury-plagued 2020-21 campaign saw the Lakers bow out of the first round of 2021 playoffs.
Gone were key players Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, and Kyle Kuzma, and brought in were the likes of Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. Understandably, the squad's defense took a significant hit, but the organization opted to part ways with Vogel.
The longtime coach had a chance to redeem himself by taking on the Suns' assignment the past offseason. Unfortunately, it was the same old story for the New Jersey native.
Injuries and a flawed roster construction philosophy that curiously decided a point guard wasn't needed to orchestrate the offense resulted in an early playoff exit for Phoenix. To be fair, Vogel got his unit to the sixth seed with a 49-33 record. Unfortunately, running into an inspired Wolves, which are up 2-0 against the defending champion, stopped the Suns in their tracks.
James and Durant as player-coaches?
Simmons also brought up the Lakers' recent firing of Darvin Ham , which is uncannily similar to the situation in Phoenix. In a separate social media post, The Ringer founder noted that James and Durant have fueled their coach-killer reputations further this year.
As such, should the superstar just take on the role of head coach of their respective teams so that they could get what they want? LeBron probably could do it, given that he has become notorious for overriding his past coaches' plays or game plans. On the other hand, KD isn't exactly known for his playmaking IQ.
It remains to be seen which sorry souls are ready to take on the difficult task of helming the squads led by James and Durant. They have already been linked to various candidates, with the Lakers reportedly eyeing Tyronn Lue or JJ Redick. Meanwhile, the Suns are said to be ready to engage in talks with Mike Budenholzer.
Related: "Frank Vogel wanted a point guard on that roster" - Chris Haynes dishes on what happened regarding the Suns' poor roster construction
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