Just one week ago, while the Suns were grappling with a challenging 12-game stretch where they picked up just 3 wins amid injuries and overall inconsistency, things seemed to be going south very quickly in Phoenix.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Given the heightened expectations surrounding the Suns big 3, which consisted of a championship or bust, Phoenix’s 128-114 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Christmas Day, that brought their record to 14-15, had fans ready to throw up the white flag.
But now, a four-game winning streak later, the tone has shifted in the valley.
Over the past couple of nights, the city has seen the impact that Bradley Beal can bring to a roster. For the first time this season, Beal has recorded back-to-back games with at least 20 points and has started to feel comfortable with his new team.
It really was only a matter of time. You can only hold back the most elite veteran guards in the league for so long.
After the Suns picked up their fourth consecutive win, which consisted of Beal leading the Suns in the absence of KD, Jusuf Nurkic made it clear who is responsible for the team’s recent success.
Interrupting a reporter, Nurkic was quick to insist that Beal is the reason why the energy has shifted, proclaiming, “Bradley Beal. It’s Bradley Beal changing everything. For our group, but people don’t understand; it’s simple: having a guard like that who can score with that much attention in the scouting report, the people have to prepare for three of them or two of them tonight. So, we depend on him and demand for him to be out there. When he’s out there it doesn’t matter what he does for us. Just being out there makes a big difference for us.”
"Bradley Beal…sorry to cut you off, but it's just simple."
Jusuf Nurkic on how having Beal on the court changes everything for the Suns 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/zr4B60PLwl
— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2024
Bradley Beal then responded to the encouraging words from his teammate with, “It means a lot for sure, hearing it from my teammates and my peers. It is very enlightening to feel welcome, to feel wanted, to feel like you are a contributor to our success. That is humbling. It definitely motivates me to continue to be better and do whatever it takes for this team to push forward and help us win.”
Looking ahead for the Suns, they are currently in the midst of a very important stretch of the season. They will play four games over the next five days, starting on January 3rd against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Considering how injuries have impacted Phoenix, if they can make it past this stretch unscathed, healthy, and above .500, it is only a matter of time before they begin their ascend through the standings.
