The Phoenix Suns are scrambling to find any way at all to try and win basketball games. Their latest lost - a scarcely believable NBA 2K scoreline 151-148 overtime defeat at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies - the latest in a string of disappointing performances.
The knock on this group has always been their inability to guard at an elite level. The scoring was supposed to take care of itself with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on the roster - who combined for 54 points - yet they somehow managed to score three points less during a game when buckets were being sent and returned like a tennis match.
The use of a barely seen player didn't help matters either.
Which is actually massively unfair on Bol Bol - starting for only the third time this season - as he gave his team 23 points in a whopping 32 minutes of action. He's a player who engages the fans, and has the kind of unique offensive skill set that you almost feel it is a waste that heac coach Mike Budenholzer doesn't use him more.
But doing so - as was the case here - only highlights the larger problem the Suns have, and that Bol has had throughout his entire career to date. Through no fault of his own, he is just not a winning player, and he perhaps never will be. It's the reason the Denver Nuggets cut ties with him early, although the Orlando Magic was when we saw this theory confirmed.
Through two seasons there - and at a time when the Magic were not good - Bol was given some time to go out there and do some things. He has an excellent stroke despite being such a tall human, and he presents difficult matchup issues for opponents when being used as a monster wing. Magic fans loved him, and he gave them some nice nights when he filled up the stat sheet.
The Phoenix Suns struggles can be solved by Bol Bol 😅 ☠️ pic.twitter.com/DIaqUOqNhg
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) February 27, 2025
Only the Magic weren't trying to win - and as soon as they decided that they were - getting rid of Bol was one of the first things that they did. In his first campaign in The Valley it was much the same. He didn't get much run until the season started to get away from them, at which point previous head coach Frank Vogel threw him out there around Christmas time.
Bol again repaid the belief shown in him by doing his part - but as soon as the ship was steadied and the Suns started to win some games - he again found himself stuck to the bench. This continued right through to the playoffs - and although player and franchise were happy to go again this season - the same thing has happened.
When the Suns started the campaign 8-1 there weren't many Bol sightings, although they did increase some once the losses started to pile up. But now with the walls closing in and this group going nowhere - in much the same way they were last season - coach Budenholzer has again turned to Bol to see if he can do anything to kickstart his team.
The sad part is, Bol actually does that. He's a jolt of energy to the crowd and is a fine offensive player if you're using him as a complimentary piece who throws off the game plans of opponents. Defensively he is dreadful - and he's always going to get picked on - but Bol wouldn't be the first player to struggle in that area.
But it just seems like whenever Bol is given an actual chance to impress, it comes for a team that is not serious about winning, or no longer believes that it can. You can bet that if the Suns somehow manage to finish this season strong - and even if Bol plays his part - he will be yanked in favor of more proven guys.
He's just not a winning player, and Bol starting games in late February for a Suns group that is under .500 shows you just how far they have fallen this season. Perhaps it is going to be different this time, but what is more likely is that Bol will find another home in the league before long - most likely a rebuilding organization - and begin this process all over again.