Frank Vogel and the Phoenix Suns entered the season with championship aspirations. Things did not go as planned, however, as they were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the postseason. Chris Haynes of TNT reported that the head coach and front office were not on the same page this season.
Speaking on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, the NBA insider revealed Vogel wanted to add a point guard, stating:
I know Frank Vogel personally. I know he wanted a point guard on that roster, and the front office believed that bringing a point guard over would take the ball out of the hands of Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant.
Haynes shared that he expects the Suns to make a change this offseason. He added that he is unsure if the change will come in the front office or on the coaching staff. Phoenix has limited assets to upgrade the roster and will be over the luxury tax before filling out their roster. They will need to upgrade on the fringes. After their postseason shortcomings, adding a point guard will likely be atop their list of priorities.
Kevin Durant was not comfortable with how Frank Vogel used him
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, ranking eighth all-time in points. While he continued to play at an elite level, the 14-time All-Star was reportedly not comfortable with his role alongside Devin Booker and Bradley Beal in Frank Vogel’s offense. Shams Charania and Doug Haller of The Athletic wrote:
Durant, among the best scorers in NBA history, was not always happy with how he was used. Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that Durant never felt comfortable with his role in Phoenix’s offense alongside Booker and Beal this season.
Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often and not having the proper designs to play to his strengths as the offense was built around pick-and-rolls. At the same time, some teammates and people close to the organization believed Durant needed to voice his concerns more adamantly and directly with Vogel and his coaching staff. [h/t The Athletic]
Despite his concerns, Durant’s play did not decline in his 17th season. The 2013-14 NBA MVP averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 52.3% from the field, 41.3% from three-point range and 85.6% from the free-throw line. Despite the quick exit, he had an equally strong postseason. In four games, he averaged 26.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 0.5 spg and 1.5 bpg on 55.2/41.7/82.4 shooting splits.
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