On April 30, Beijing time, NBA Hall of Famer Chris Haynes reported that Vogel wanted to add a point guard this season, but Suns management believes that this will reduce the time that the Big Three can hold the ball. The Suns were out in the first round, and some fans thought that the culprit was Vogel. It's a bit interesting to release this news, and Vogel obviously doesn't want to take the blame.
As we all know, the Suns have been swept out of the game by the Timberwolves. The fate of the Suns' Big Three, as well as head coach Vogel, has become the topic of most concern for fans. Shams and Doug Haller of The Athletic jointly wrote an article revealing that there has been a division between the Suns and coaches, and the Suns management is considering a complete change of coaching staff.
There was a shot captured by the media that with 5 minutes and 52 seconds left in the third quarter of the series G3, Beal was replaced with 4 fouls. Vogel reached out to high-five Bill, but Bill refused, shook his hand and walked away. Back on the bench, Beal high-fived his assistant coach and other teammates, in stark contrast to his attitude toward Vogel.
Based on this fragment alone, it is obviously impossible to conclude that the sun is infighting. Shams revealed another thing in the article: On April 10 of this year, the Suns lost 92-105 to the Clippers. Vogel was furious in the dressing room after the day's game and lost his temper again at the training ground the next day. But the Suns players were dismissive of it, and one player almost burst out laughing.
According to ESPN, there is a growing belief in the league that Vogel will be fired at the end of the season. In the 2023 offseason, the Suns signed Vogel for $31.2 million in five years, but he didn't expect him to leave the team after just one season of coaching. If the Suns fire Vogel, the remaining $20 million in wages will also be given to him......
The Suns are out in the first round, how much responsibility does Vogel have to bear? However, when a coach loses control of the locker room, he is not far from getting out of class. Vogel has suffered a seven-game losing streak in the playoffs, three in a row with the Lakers and four in a row with the Suns. The Suns boss is a quick success, and he doesn't have the patience to observe Vogel for another year.
The Suns' infighting isn't just about the generals and managers, it's also about the problems between the players. According to Shams, Durant is not happy with his offensive role on the team, believing that the ball is mainly with Booker and Beal, that he often stands in the bottom corner waiting to receive the ball, and that the Suns do not have a reasonable strategy to make himself play pick-and-roll.
Although Vogel has its own problems, the squad is formed by the owner and the general manager, and the game is also played by the players, and everyone is responsible. Beal's contract doesn't expire until the summer of 2027, with three years and $161 million remaining. Not only does Beal earn more than $50 million a year, but he also has a trade veto, and it's hard for the Suns to move him!
In this year's playoffs, Beal averaged 16.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.3 turnovers and 3.8 fouls per game, shooting 44.1%, 43.5%, and 80% from three.
Durant averaged 26.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 blocks, 2.5 turnovers and 2 fouls per game, shooting 55.2%, 41.7% and 82.4% from three.
Booker averaged 27.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.8 steals, 2.8 turnovers and 4.5 fouls per game, shooting 49.2%, 35%, 95.1% from three.
Whether a player is worth it or not depends on his salary. If Bill has an annual salary of 20 million, this kind of data is not bad. However, Beal's salary this season is $46.74 million, ranking sixth in the league, and his average of only 16.5 points per game is obviously not qualified. Not an afterthought, there were many fans who were not optimistic about the Paul trade for Beal at the time.
On April 13 of this year, at the end of the regular season, Beal boasted: "I'm going to defend well, it's time to start possessing the ball and leading the team's offense." We're going to win the championship!" I didn't expect the Suns to be swept in the first round! The last question: Do you think Vogel should be out of class? If you change the coach, can you solve the Suns' problems?