Celtics
Mike Budenholzer reportedly told Bradley Beal to play more like Holiday. It did not go over well with Beal.
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After the Suns fired coach Mike Budenholzer on Monday, NBA Insider Chris Haynes reported that some players had issues with Budenholzer’s communication style.
He used a conversation between Budenholzer and guard Bradley Beal as an example. Budenholzer, who won a title with Jrue Holiday in Milwaukee in 2021, said he wanted Beal to be the Suns’ version of Holiday.
Holiday is one of the best defenders in the NBA, and while he is a more-than-capable scorer, Holiday has been willing to sacrifice offensively. He’s sixth on the Celtics in field-goal attempts (9.2) per game.
The message reportedly did not go over well with Beal, who had established himself as a go-to scoring option while he was in Washington. Beal, who averaged more than 30 points per game in two seasons, did not like being asked to change his game.
“Don’t ever disrespect me like that,” Beal told Budenholzer, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.5 FM in Phoenix. “Don’t ever tell me to play like another player.”
Holiday was asked about the reports at Celtics practice on Tuesday. He said it was his first time hearing about them.
“I think me and Brad are different players,” Holiday said. “I don’t know what he meant by saying that, but we are different players. Brad is an elite scorer and he’s had somewhat of an off year.”
“I feel like things are different,” Holiday added. “It’s tough to go from where he was in somewhere like Washington to the experience that he’s been going through. I just want to know why people got to bring me in it? Let me just do me, go out here, and try to win as many rings as I can.”
Budenholzer praised Holiday when the Bucks were in town earlier this month. Holiday earned two of his three NBA All-Defensive First Team selections with Milwaukee. He also won the Tywman Stokes Teammate of the Year award three times, and the NBA Sportsmanship award during that stretch.
“Jrue is kind of the ultimate winner,” Budenholzer said. “He makes so many little plays on both ends of the court. I think everybody talks about how great he is defensively. He takes on tough matchups. He gets his hands on balls. He just does so many little things.”
“Offensively, it’s similar,” he continued. “His selflessness, his ability to create space in places where maybe other people don’t want to go, and he learns how to thrive in those spaces. He loves the big moment. He’s a great player and I’ve got a ton of respect and appreciation for what he’s done throughout his whole career, to be honest with you.”
Budenholzer’s firing wasn’t completely surprising, considering the short leash that even championship coaches have these days. Of the past six coaches to win an NBA title, only Joe Mazzulla and Steve Kerr remain with the teams they won with.
Denver fired 2023 champion Michael Malone earlier this month. Budenholzer won in 2021. Frank Vogel won a title with the Lakers and was fired two years later. After winning their first championship in franchise history in 2019, the Raptors fired Nick Nurse in 2023.
“Can you really be surprised by anything nowadays?” Holiday said. “There’s people getting traded and crazy trades happening, and then a lot of coaches have gotten fired and nobody knows the exact reason.”
“Everybody can speculate, but obviously there’s something they want to work out and that’s something they’ll do as an organization. But, I mean, (Budenholzer) is sitting on a bag. He got fired, but he’s sitting on a bag, so he can’t be that upset.”
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