Kevin Durant: I’m here to assist, not to tell the coach how to coach

The Phoenix Suns have not met expectations this season and are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference, outside the play-in zone. Injuries, of course, played an important role in their failures, but that is not the only reason for such a poor performance.

They started the season very well, with as many as 9 wins and only 1 loss, which promised a great course. However, injuries soon came and slowed the team down. Although all key players are now back on the floor, the team's performance is still nowhere near what is expected of them. 

There was a particular problem with Jusuf Nurkić, who was eventually traded, and coach Mike Budenholzer tried different strategies, including using Bradley Beal off the bench. However, this did not bring any effect.

Game balance issues

One of the main problems facing the Suns is the lack of balance in the game. The team has many talented players in the attack, but it often happens that their defense cannot withstand the pressure, which leads to frustration. Kevin Durant, as an experienced champion, does not hide his frustration with this situation, and more often he has disagreements with coach Budenholzer.

Durant, however, pointed out that his goal is not to dictate to the coach what to do, but to provide useful suggestions that can improve the team's game. 

"I'm not saying, 'Coach, we have to do this.' It's his team, I'm here to help. If I have a suggestion that can help, I'll share it, but I'm not here to tell him what to do," Durant said.

With injuries continuing to pile up, the Suns found themselves in a very difficult situation. With a score of 32-37, they are currently in a fight for the last place that leads to the play-in zone, which means that they will have to be almost perfect until the end of the season in order to have a chance for an additional fight for the title.

However, the question is whether it was right when the Suns two years ago decided to give up their original lineup, which was very successful in the regular part of the season (8-0 record), and which included Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton. Although they were later eliminated by the Denver Nuggets, many wonder if they made a mistake by trading a team that showed so much potential.