Le Journal

Last season, the Phoenix Suns managed to turn disappointment into an art form. The most expensive roster the league has ever seen could not even sniff the Play In, let alone the postseason. A masterclass in how fast things can go sideways. Most of us have tried to memory hole that year and move on, but every so often, a new detail leaks out. Another breadcrumb. Another explanation. Another quiet “why”. This time, it came from Brent Barry. He popped up on an episode of the No Dunks Podcast and peeled back the curtain a bit on how that team actually functioned behind the scenes. And the picture he painted helps explain how something with that much talent unraveled the way it did. View Link “The situation there overall, I would tell you guys, being on the inside, was it was a team that just didn’t know how to get along,” Barry stated. “They were all cordial towards one another. They all came to practice and were friendly, but it was one of those situations where you’re just not invested.” “I thought it was going to be a slingback from what happened with Frank Vogel and the disappointment from the year before that there would be some piss and vinegar in the team and that these guys would want to show like, hey, we’ve got the highest salary in the league,” he continued. “We’ve got to figure this thing out together. Let’s use our superpowers to do that. Let’s use our superpowers for good. Unfortunately, they used them the other way and found ways to dismantle that roster. And sadly, they just didn’t commit to one another.” “If clearly those guys don’t have a hierarchy and you’re not, as a member of the team, as a player, you’re not aware of which of the guys were leaning on the most, it confuses the rest of the team. And I think we had a lot of guys who didn’t exactly know what the expectations were. And again, this comes back to really good coaching and leadership. You have to define those for a team. And at no point did we do that for the Phoenix Suns last year.” This was incredibly revealing. It highlights the contrast between last season and this one in bold print. Starting with Bradley Beal, it became clear that he never fully bought into operating within a true team structure. He had been the alpha in Washington for so long that the adjustment never really took. When reports surfaced that he took offense to his head coach asking him to play more like Jrue Holiday, that told you everything you needed to know. That was a crack in the armor. I have said it plenty of times. I liked the player. I did not like the contract or the situation. But once that detail came out, it reframed things. This was not only about fit on the court. It was about mindset. When a player resists being part of something collective, when the instinct is “me” over “we”, the whole thing starts to wobble. That mentality bleeds. And last year, it bled everywhere. And if you take Barry’s comments one step further, they also shine a light on the challenge Kevin Durant brought with him. You can talk all day about his greatness on the court, and none of that is up for debate. But the laissez-faire approach, the mentality of wanting to hoop and nothing else, showed up in exactly what Barry was describing. That disengagement, that singular focus, warped the hierarchy of the team and bled into the locker room. That’s the lack of investment. With great power comes great responsibility, or at least it is supposed to. That has never really been Durant’s lane. He wants the praise. He wants the contract. He wants the freedom. He does not want the accountability that comes with steering a group. Last season made that painfully clear. When the players carrying the largest financial weight do not define or embrace their role, everyone else drifts. Structure erodes. Accountability disappears. What you end up with is a roster full of mercenaries. Guys playing for themselves, not for each other. The coaching…

The Arizona Cardinals head coaching search continues, but it seems like based on the candidates that they have requested second interviews with they are looking for another defensive minded head coach. Today it was reported that they have requested a second interview with Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. The #AZCardinals are bringing in #Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile for a second, in-person interview tomorrow for HC, sources say. He's flying in tonight.Jax's emergence was spurred, in part, by Campanile's unit — No. 1 against the run. AZ gets another look. pic.twitter.com/xrk79suOaC— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 21, 2026 This may seem like a bit of a situation out of left field, but the Cardinals have already interviewed Campanile once and are bringing him back for a second round of interviews. Here is some good info on Campanile: 2019 – Michigan linebackers coach under Jim Harbaugh2020 – Linebackers coach under Brian Flores for Miami Dolphins2021 – Linebackers coach under Brian Flores2022 – Retained as LB’s coach under Mike McDaniel2023 – Retained as LB’s coach under Vic Fangio (new Dolphins DC)2024 – LB’s coach and run game coordinator under Jeff Hafley for Packers2025 – DC for Jacksonville Jaguars Campanile was in charge of hiring his own staff with the Jaguars, and has worked under a load of talented play callers in the NFL on the offensive side of things, so he should have some ability to put together an impressive offensive staff. Here is what I was told by a Jaguars beat writer: Think he’s a much better candidate than UdinskiSuper smart scheme and not sure I’ve ever met a coach players like moreWould be massive blow to jags This would be an interesting hire, what would you think?

FanDuel recently came out with their early Heisman odds for 2026.

Vibes. They are impossible to quantify, impossible to pin down, but you feel their absence immediately. You feel their presence even faster. Tuesday night had them. The Phoenix Suns, rolling into the City of Brotherly Love for the second game of a back-to-back, walked onto the floor with a pulse. A hum. Something alive. Why were the vibes humming? Health. Actual, real, honest to basketball health. For the first time all season, everyone was available. No asterisks. No caveats. The full roster. Including Jalen Green, the centerpiece of the Kevin Durant trade, finally upright and ready to roll. VIBES FROM BOOK & JALEN 😁 pic.twitter.com/zSMnof5DPx— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 21, 2026 It did not start pretty. The Suns opened the night 0-of-9 from the field, cold, clunky, searching for rhythm. Philadelphia tried to punch, tried to manufacture runs, tried to tilt the floor. Phoenix bent. Phoenix answered. Every surge met with a response. Every wobble met with composure. The numbers tell part of the story. 16-of-39 from deep, a clean 41%. 20-of-20 at the line. Then there was the bench. 58-28 in favor of Phoenix. Wave after wave. Energy that did not fade. Meanwhile, the 76ers were grinding through their own second night of a back-to-back, short-handed without Joel Embiid or Paul George, asking too much of too few. This one mattered. Not for style points. For tone. For trajectory. For vibes. The win locks in a road trip where the floor is now .500, sitting at 3-2 with one left to play. The math works. The vibes agree. Sometimes basketball is less about schemes and more about momentum, belief, and bodies being available at the same time. On this night, the Suns had all three. Bright Side Baller Season Standings Collin is now up to 8 Bright Side Baller’s on the year after a hyper-efficient 22-point performance against the Nets. Who woulda thunk it? Bright Side Baller Nominees Game 44 against the 76ers. Here are your nominees: Devin Booker27 points (9-of-23, 2-of-5 3PT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 6 turnovers, -10 +/- Grayson Allen16 points (5-of-11, 4-of-9 3PT), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, +11 +/- Jordan Goodwin16 points (6-of-9, 2-of-4 3PT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 0 turnovers, +9 +/- Collin Gillespie12 points (3-of-6, 3-of-6 3PT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 steals, 2 turnovers, +7 +/- Oso Ighodaro12 points (5-of-7), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 4 turnovers, +10 +/- Jalen Green12 points (4-of-11, 2-of-4 3PT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 2 turnovers, +10 +/- …and the winner is?