How Suns Can Return to Winning Basketball
The Phoenix Suns' season is officially sitting at a crossroads.
The Suns now sit at 14-13 after a loss to the lowly Portland Trail Blazers last night, and things are getting worse instead of better despite the lack of health.
We outlined some of those problems in the article below:
It's clear that some things are going to have to change in Phoenix in one way or another - and those changes must be done in short order, or it can officially be labeled a "lost season" in the desert.
What are some things that can be done to get the ship through the storm?
Three things Phoenix can do, with two measured approaches and one bold approach:
Measured Approach: Explore Trade Market
This is obviously the clearest solution to try and improve the situation the Suns find themselves in.
The issue? The Suns are asset-strapped.
The Suns drained virtually all of their positive assets in the last year in the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal trades.
While those moves were necessary to make a title push, it has severely hampered what they can do now.
Phoenix has a handful of second round picks, one-year contracts, and potentially either Grayson Allen or Nassir Little to move in a deal.
The ideal targets would include Chicago's Alex Caruso, Indiana's T.J. McConnell and Washington's Daniel Gafford among others.
But how realistically attainable are those names?
Probably not truly realistic, but a player such as Atlanta's Saddiq Bey could potentially be a legitimately attainable piece in a trade.
Measured Approach: Game-Plan Tweaks
This might not be enough to please a fanbase as anxious as the one in Phoenix currently, but something has to give.
The Suns are too poorly connected on both sides of the ball to have any semblance of consistency, no matter the opponent.
Head coach Frank Vogel and associate head coach Kevin Young may simply need to lean into the basics for the time being. Phoenix needs to push the pace on offense, attack the hoop more, and prioritize ball security.
On defense, the Suns need to focus on communication, anticipation, and boxing out.
There are far too many "simple" things that Phoenix is showing incompetency in. That's why they are locked in competitive games with the Washington Wizards and can blow a double-digit lead to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Maybe the Suns can return to their winning ways once they stop underwhelming between the margins and start excelling at the "little things" once again.
Nuclear Option: Fire Vogel, Promote Young/Fizdale
Once upon a time, the Phoenix Suns hired Terry Porter, a defensive-minded coach, to lead the franchise going into the 2008-09 season.
That endeavor lasted all of 51 games.
Porter was fired when the Suns were sitting at 9th in the West with a 28-23 record.
He was of course replaced by Alvin Gentry, who in turn nearly lead Phoenix to an NBA Finals appearance the very next season.
Will history repeat itself?
Don't count on it, but it could certainly be possible.
Suns governor Mat Ishbia has already proven time and time again that two things aren't a problem for him - spending money and making changes.
Ishbia has already overseen a rampant increase in spending for both personnel and coaching staff hires while also bringing in a new CEO among other bold moves to reshape the franchise.
Is it possible that he feels a move is needed not even halfway into the NBA title-winning coach's first season? It remains to be seen, but this should truly only be a nuclear-option scenario.
Vogel should only get the boot if Phoenix heads into the All-Star break with a sub-500 record.
The Suns face off against the Sacramento Kings Friday night in Sacramento. Tip off is set for shortly after 8 PM Arizona time.
