Takeaways From Mike Budenholzer's First Press Conference With Suns

Budenholzer had a productive talk with media Friday - here's what we learned.

May 17, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Mike Budenholzer speaks during a press conference to announce his / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns ushered in their third coach in three seasons this afternoon with the introductory press conference of Mike Budenholzer.

This press conference was an emotional one, as coach Budenholzer teared up on several occasions, particularly when introduced by the legendary voice of the Suns in Al McCoy.

The roughly 30-minute session also did a significant amount of good in terms of reinvigorating confidence in a fair amount of the fan base - but what were some major takeaways?

We will explore below.

Philosophy Shift

One thing about the 2024-25 Suns that will undoubtedly be different than the predecessors: this iteration will tick up three-point volume significantly.

The freshly minted coach alluded to the fact that he and the staff need to do everything that can be done to maximize the roster without taking things away - particularly referring to the star players.

"There is going to be philosophical approaches to how we practice every day. How important shooting threes is, the spacing and all the value and all the things that come from being a high volume three-point team, I'm gonna work with the whole group to help them embrace it," said Budenholzer.

"Understand why it's important to us and when I think about Kevin [Durant] and Devin [Booker] being two of the greatest, maybe all time, certainly this generation and as we talk about today's NBA in the mid range. I think of it as just adding to what they do, they're so talented. They are so good at everything they do. I don't want to take away from anything that they do. I want to add to what they do, I want to make them better. I want to push them to be their best and what's best for our team and to get all of us to understand, how do we win?

"There's no doubt that these guys will know: I think threes are part of it, but we're going to do it from day one."

This was largely expected, as Budenholzer-coached teams are typically top 10 in three-point volume, but it was nice to hear confirmation regardless.

Bud is Invested

This Suns job is clearly coach Budenholzer's dream job - a culmination of growing up listening to Al McCoy has lead to this moment.

"I think the biggest message I want you to hear: I would coach this team if it was on the moon. I would coach this team if it was in Alaska. If these players were in Denmark, these owners and front office, I would go anywhere to coach this team," said Budenholzer.

"That's the most important thing for me. I'm excited about the roster."

This isn't to say the previous coaches weren't passionate - it's just that this is personal for coach Budenholzer.

This feels akin to Kenny Dillingham taking over the Arizona State football program - a local who has always held great passion for the hometown team - and they want everyone to know that passion is still alive today.

Accountability Will Be Paramount

Budenholzer made it clear that consistency will be key in his process of reaching the locker room.

"They want to win, they want to be coached, they want to be held accountable, they want to know the vibe of practice and everything."

- Coach Mike Budenholzer

Frank Vogel reportedly lost the locker room by switching up his behavior in the locker room mid-season.

This likely won't be an issue for Budenholzer, who was once again very adamant that accountability will be held in everything from film sessions to halftimes of games - and everything in between.

This is still the honeymoon phase of the new pairing of Budenholzer and the franchise - but the outlook of this team is much more positive now compared to just three weeks ago.