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The Phoenix Suns have a huge problem on their hands after their star-studded lineup lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in four straight games. It’s an embarrassing defeat that betrays the lofty pre-season expectations many fans and media had for the franchise.
Suns fans can point to multiple reasons behind this massive failure. Some may credit the defeat to the terrible bench that the Suns have to make do with due to the money tied to their three stars. Others may be pointing fingers at Bradley Beal’s lack of production to make up for the weakened Suns roster.
However, others are beginning to look into Frank Vogel as the primary suspect for Phoenix’s disappointing playoff run. Fans believe that good coaches would have found a way to make a team with three high-powered scorers work despite the lack of a decent supporting cast.
There’s a recent report that suggests Kevin Durant is also sharing the same sentiment about his coach.
Kevin Durant is rumored to be frustrated with Frank Vogel’s management of the Phoenix Suns
Steve DelVecchio of Larry Brown Sports wrote about the specific issues Durant found playing with Beal and Devin Booker this season:
According to The Athletic, Durant “never felt comfortable with his role” playing alongside Booker and Beal. Durant reportedly felt he was “relegated to the corner far too often” rather than having more plays designed to maximize his strengths.
Durant remained one of the top scorers in the NBA this season with 27.1 points per game, but he shot 52.3% from the field after hitting 57% of his shots a year ago. The Suns had Chris Paul to help facilitate their offense last season, and neither Beal nor Booker were able to successfully step into that role this year.
If you look at the stat sheet, it doesn’t seem like Durant had a rough time with the Suns this season. The 25-year-old finished the regular season with 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 52.3/41.3/85.6% shooting.
However, his numbers dipped as the Phoenix Suns struggled against the Timberwolves. He exited the playoffs with averages of 26.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on slightly better shooting (55.2/41.7/82.4%).
Unless Frank Vogel promises to make major adjustments to his team’s overall approach, it wouldn’t be strange to see KD request for a trade in the offseason.
More must-reads:
- Timberwolves chew up Nuggets to force Game 7
- Cavaliers could be forced to choose between star guard pairing
- The 'Most career 40-point playoff games' quiz
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