The owner is clueless
It would be impossible to talk about the terrible culture the Phoenix Suns have built without starting at the top. The team’s owner, Robert Sarver, has his fingerprints all over every mistake the team has made over the past few seasons. And there are many of those.
The Phoenix Suns haven’t made the playoffs since 2010. In that time, Sarver has become known as one of the most overbearing owners in the NBA. And he clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing. Most executives as impatient Sarver drag their teams into mediocrity, sacrificing long term potential to get there. But Sarver can’t even seem to get the Suns out of the basement.
Sarver has had issues evaluating how free agents will mesh with the team, and he’s had well documented issues evaluating draft talent, notably demanding the team move back up for Marquese Chriss. But nothing is worse than his inability to evaluate his own team. Sarver inaccurately believed the Suns were just a point guard away, resulting in a last minute firing of GM Ryan McDonough right before the start of the season,
Sarver clearly doesn’t have confidence in his coach and general manager hires, as he’s been known to interfere with the operations of both. His control issues and poor management are without a doubt one of the biggest causes of the team’s dysfunction. The Suns might never be good again under Sarver’s control.