Bradley Beal's comments taken out of context or final barb at Frank Vogel?

When you think about the 2023-24 season that the Phoenix Suns had - a campaign in which they won 49 games - words like fun and fluid are not what come to mind. The team was good for stretches - they even had a pair of seven game win streaks - but they were far from dominant.

One such theory that grew as the season progressed as to why there was a rigid, almost tense feel to the team was because of head coach Frank Vogel. A defensive-minded coach who had gotten results at most other places he'd coached - sorry Orlando Magic - but who didn't have the kind of personality that current leading man Mike Budenholzer appears to have with both players and media.

But is Bradley Beal still taking shots at his former coach?

Last season - Beal's first in Phoenix - did not go as planned. Limited to only 53 regular season games through injury, the star guard failed to have the desired impact. By year's end he had worked himself up to a point that he was actually one of the team's best players, and the postseason flameout was hardly just his fault either.

Then this happened...

To be fair to Beal, he quickly addressed this not great moment by claiming he was just frustrated not at Vogel, but by the lack of calls on the court and how the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves was progressing. Everybody moved on, and then Vogel literally moved on from Phoenix after being given his marching orders not long after the season ended.

At media day Beal was quick to tell reporters at the Footprint Center that the joy and good feelings had been evident around the team heading into training camp, which some then took to mean that they had dramatically improved once Vogel was given his marching orders. Not so according to Beal, who clarified after practice recently at training camp that -

"I think you kind of took it out of context a little bit, I might have explained it a little wrong. I had a lot of fun last year. Obviously being hurt and trying to work your way back into it, that's the frustrating part. So I'll clear that up. This environment now, is lightyears better than what we experienced - everybody - from last year. It's a new energy."

Beal was doing so well, until that last part. It's true he did look annoyed at times during his first season in The Valley, with injuries and playing an unfamiliar role all playing a part. He was expected to share point guard duties with Devin Booker - and although both were pretty good at it - the team is in a better place now with Tyus Jones involved.

But to even say that after three days of training camp and a media day that the feeling is "lightyears" better than last year, well that feels more pointed. Then again, coach Budenholzer seems to have a much better way of connecting with people, as seen when he was eventually ditched by the Milwaukee Bucks. Players and fans alike not happy with that decision.

With Vogel no longer in the picture, Beal can think what he wants. He's won that particular battle and if he feels a lot more comfortable in Phoenix, then that can only be a good thing for everybody involved. Who knows - while Vogel waits to see if another coaching job ever comes together for him - Beal's play could end up being "lightyears" better than what we saw last season.