Photo Credit: Axios
Hopes were reasonably high this season; a 49-33 record last season wasn’t quite what was expected with such a star-studded roster, and a first round playoff exit was a disappointing thud of an ending. They switched coaches, rolled into the new year with its three big stars, and ostensibly there was reason for a strong performance this year. With this roster how could they fail, after all?
So far, so disappointing. The trade deadline came and went, and the team was heavily rumored to be making a play for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler but couldn’t get it done. There were rumors that they were shopping around Kevin Durant but that never went through. The roster is not materially improved at all, it has a jaded aging star that knows that he is not especially wanted there, and there is no reason to think that anything will improve before the playoffs arrive.
As of the time of writing, they are one game over .500 and are holding on to the last play-in seat in the playoffs, 10th place in the Western Conference. They have three gigantic contracts that are handcuffing them, contracts that no one else is willing to take on except for that of cornerstone Devin Booker. There are reports of a toxic locker room that Coach Budenholzer is forced to respond to.
They are stuck in mediocrity with no ability to materially improve, save a lottery ticket win that is a non-lottery pick player eventually working out as a star.
It’s safe to say that the dream is dead. There is no real chance for this lineup to live up to expectations. They will not deliver a Championship. The all-in gamble was a loss. And we all know it.
Perhaps the most difficult part is that this team is dead in the water for a few years. We are wasting Devin Booker’s best years, and when the conversation is not just getting rid of a player or two but a full rebuild including trading Booker??
And this is now the legacy of the Mat Ishbia tenure of ownership: splashy failure with its roster, no cohesion, and utter disappointment. But hey…$2 hot dogs. Cool.
And just like that, the Diamondbacks are our only hope to avoid complete sporting disappointment.