[Gambadoro] Inside the Suns organization, “Mike Budenholzer is miserable to deal with.”

Source: Arizona Sports Radio (98.7 FM Phoenix) [https://arizonasports.com/nba/phoenix-suns/bud-devin-booker/3575404/]

Following the report from Chris Haynes that Mike Budenholzer told Devin Booker to quiet down and allow the coaches to be the primary voices in the huddles—Gambadoro, who is a very trusted Phoenix Suns source (broke the Nick Richards trade before Shams Charania), said on his radio show that Mike Budenholzer is miserable to deal with within the Suns organization.

After the Suns lost, 124-116, to the Pelicans at PHX Arena on Thursday, Booker was asked to assess how Phoenix finds itself below .500 and chasing a play-in spot.

“I’d say it could be fixed with just a little more talking, I would say,” Booker said. “Things get tough, we get quiet as a team. And from my experience and from what I’ve seen, that’s not a way to get through it.

“I’d say just skipping over the details and always taking the ‘get-em-next-game’ mentality. At some point, you got to draw a line. Should have been drawn a long time ago.”

Booker said that the communication starts with himself, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Budenholzer.

He added that he’d “rather two people say the wrong thing to each other” than not talk at all out on the court at risk of leaving any grey area. And despite a game plan being in place, Booker believes navigating tweaks during a game is an important thing. It takes communication.

Asked if he regrets not drawing a line earlier, Booker added this:

“I always look at myself first. But I also talk a lot,” he said.

Durant also avoided creating controversy when asked about Budenholzer’s comment that the Suns should attempt to remain optimistic with a 27-32 record while being 3.5 games out of the last play-in spot and No. 10 seed.

“I don’t want to say the wrong thing and people take it out of context so I’m going to just agree that we got to be better,” Durant said.