PHOENIX — ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith had harsh words for the Phoenix Suns on Monday, unleashing a scathing critique of the team’s performance and effort during an episode of First Take.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!"The Phoenix Suns are an atrocity. They are bad for basketball."
—@stephenasmith ???? pic.twitter.com/JE8DdUqrFG
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 31, 2025
“The Phoenix Suns are an atrocity. They are bad for basketball,” Smith said, holding nothing back as he assessed the team’s struggles. While he acknowledged Kevin Durant’s individual excellence, he argued that the rest of the roster lacks leadership and cohesion.
“They do not have a leader—they have a bunch of people playing individual ball just not as good as Kevin Durant,” Smith said. “They clearly don’t vibe with Coach Budenholzer.”
The Suns, currently sitting outside the playoff picture, have stumbled through a season filled with inconsistency and chemistry issues under first-year head coach Mike Budenholzer. After firing Frank Vogel last offseason, Phoenix hoped Budenholzer’s championship pedigree would provide stability. Instead, the team has struggled mightily, a fact Smith emphasized.
“I thought it was subpar with Frank Vogel, but it was much better with him than it has been this year with Mike Budenholzer,” Smith said. “I have never seen a Mike Budenholzer team look this bad.”
Apr 1, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (center) looks on in the fourth quarter while sidelined with an injury against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
His sharpest criticism came when discussing the Suns’ perceived lack of effort.
“They don’t look like they want to play,” he said. “When I say the word ‘atrocity,’ I’m not talking about bad basketball—bad basketball happens. I’m talking about a team… that shows up on the basketball court and 18-19 thousand people in attendance can see they’re not interested in being there.”
Smith concluded by calling for a full reset, insisting that the franchise needs drastic change from top to bottom.
“The ownership has to change everything, and I mean everything,” he said. “They got to go. You have to purge that squad. It is bad in Phoenix.”
With only a handful of games left, the Suns are running out of time to silence their critics.
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Reporter Reyna Stanley covers the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on X @rey_stanley776.
