The Phoenix Suns have had an abysmal season. Shortlisted in preseason title odds, the would-be super team has flopped to a 28-32 record and sits 11th in the Western Conference, outside the last play-in spot.
And it hasn’t just been bad, it’s been embarrassing. At the trade deadline, the Suns tried and failed to ship star guard Bradley Beal for a better return, but he refused to waive his no-trade clause and even the Miami Heat didn’t want to take on his enormous salary.
When a Beal deal would not gain traction, they looked to move the team’s best player, Kevin Durant, without making him aware of their plans. Franchise player Devin Booker is having his least efficient season shooting since 2021-22. Fans have criticized him for a lack of defensive effort and poor on-court decisions leading to bad shots and sloppy turnovers.
The word on the street is that Phoenix may fire its third coach in two years’ time. Mike Budenholzer is on the hot seat. Instead of arguing over which star(s) to blame, Durant, Booker or Mr. No Trade Clause, Suns fans could use a point of unity. With the season all but lost, they may hay finally found it.
The Phoenix Suns Have Unlocked Something in Bol Bol This Season–Or Maybe It’s Just the Fact He’s Getting Minutes
The “it”: a 7’3 forward who drains threes like KD and swats shots like Wembanyama, long labeled a tantalizing bust and banished to the bench. His name is Bol Bol and he is, at this point, perhaps the only reason to sit through the torture of watching Suns games on a nightly basis.
Given the chance to play, he has lent credence to fans’ outrage over Coach Bud’s stubborn refusal to give him minutes. Even as the team suffered from size issues and stumbled further down the standings, there Bol Bol sat, snug in a team jacket on the end of the bench.
It has taken till February for the Sudanese unicorn to get his first real shot. In the seven games this season in which he has played at least 20 minutes (all in February), he has reached double digits every time, good for an average of 18.1 PPG.
In those seven games he is shooting 54.3% from the field, and not just on dunks. Of his 49 attempted threes he has made 19, a clip of 38.8%. On top that, he is also averaging 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.
While susceptible to physical “big” and lapses in focus, he has provided a paint presence unlike anything this team has enjoyed all season. Even when he doesn’t block the shot, he alters the shooter’s motion, resulting in botched layups or players avoiding the rim altogether.
His second 20-pointer in three games, his 25 Friday night against the Pelicans, accomplished on 9-12 from the floor in 26 minutes, fell one shy of his career high. To fans’ frustration, he did not get a shot after the third quarter. He did set a personal best in made triples, going 5-8 beyond the arc. His two blocks marked the 7th time in those 7 games in which he has had multiple rejections.
Despite the choice of stars in Phoenix, Bol has become a nearly universal fan favorite.
Bol Has Phoenix Fans Agreeing On Something That Doesn’t Directly Involve Taking a Player/Coach’s Job
The phrase “has become” isn’t necessarily fair to faithful Bol stans. Even as the team implodes, the last stretch of games has been vindicating in that regard.
I’ve been on the Bol Bol train.
Choo choo mf 🚂 pic.twitter.com/fp6Flac6te
— General Manager Zero (@GeneralManagerO) March 1, 2025
they doubted you when i believed keep ballin king
— A$AP Drew 🌎☄️💞 (@DrewJiggy) March 1, 2025
he literally does this every time he gets actual minutes
— Purpe (@Purpeskii) March 1, 2025
Whether you believed in him or not, watching him glide across the court is simply something to behold, a joy conducive to hyperbole. Even if, admittedly, he sometimes glides right out of the play on defense.
bol bol the suns savior
— shiftyindy (@Imdahdude25) March 1, 2025
Bol Bol >>>> Wemby
— Luke (@itsthedudeman) March 1, 2025
Trust and opportunity goes a long way
— QU3ST (@QU3ST89) March 1, 2025
Like the last fan said, it seems like confidence and playing time is all Bol needed to start getting in his bag. For the Suns, it is too little far too late, but for Bol, it could be the chance he needs to ignite his career, now in year number six.
Making $2.4 million this season, he is free to leave at season’s end and could be an attractive free agent for a two-year, $8M flyer. Whether he re-signs or goes elsewhere, Suns fans will be rooting for him.
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