The Phoenix Suns began the season 8-1 and looked as if they were going to be a force in the Western Conference this year. Phoenix’s Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker were firing on all cylinders, winning games over tough opponents.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Then injuries, injuries and more injuries.
Since Durant, Beal, Ryan Dunn, Jusuf Nurkić and Grayson Allen have encountered injuries throughout the season so far just 23 games in, Phoenix has dropped to 12-11 and is the No. 10 seed in the conference.
With the Suns season a quarter of the way done, Bleacher Report‘s Dan Favale released an article about his report card grades for every team in the NBA so far this year and the Suns received a D+.
Here is Favale’s reasoning:
Go ahead and imagine what this grade might be if Kevin Durant doesn’t miss any games. The Phoenix Suns are 11-2 when he plays and 1-9 without him.
And that’s the entire point.
Complete and utter dependence on an age-35 Durant is inexcusable for a team that has Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. Phoenix is a minus-18.4 points per 100 possessions when the latter two are on the floor without KD.
The downturn is not specifically on Beal and Booker—though, Booker too often seems like he’s playing while wearing cinder blocks for shoes. The Suns’ center rotation is an unmitigated disaster. Jusuf Nurkić has devolved into one of the league’s least desirable contracts, and Mason Plumlee’s motor does not translate to enough results.
Calls for more Oso Ighodaro (and Bol Bol) are unsettling, even if deserved. Contenders aren’t supposed to be so dependent on rookies and wild cards. For all its top-end talent, this team remains at least one-closing-lineup-player away from threatening to win the West.
It is fair to question what the Suns could be doing if Durant had been healthy this season. He has missed 10 games and when he is out, Phoenix is 1-9. In contrast, the Suns are 11-2 when he is playing.
Favale is not wrong when saying that the Suns are overreliant on one player. Having two All-NBA-caliber stars in both Beal and Booker with a strong (on paper) supporting cast who haven’t been getting it done without Durant, questions are starting to arise as to why since they have the talent to win basketball games.
Inconsistent play at center has been a massive issue for Phoenix, and is another reason the team has struggled as much as it has. Nurkić has been in and out of the lineup with various injuries and when he does play, the production is either very high or non-existent. Plumlee has been hit or miss since joining in free agency and while Ighodaro has been impressive in certain stretches, there are still things he is picking up and learning on the fly as he adapts more to the NBA game.
Nov 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and forward Anthony Davis (3) against Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (20) during an NBA Cup game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Bol has not received nearly enough minutes this season to be depended on, regardless of what the lineup looks like. Like Favale said, Bol can be classified as a “wild card” and that perfectly describes what he is. He has shown flashes of potential standing at 7-foot-3 and owning a promising shooting ability but has been underutilized.
The Suns are in win-now mode because Durant is not getting any younger, and trading away the future for both him and Beal could come back to haunt the franchise if success is not achieved. Even though they acquired point guards Tyus Jones and Monte Morris during free agency who have benefitted the team in different aspects, it is just difficult to see the team with so many injuries able to gel, build consistency and win an NBA title with how everything is shaping up to be.
Time will tell when Durant comes back if he can help the Suns turn things around before it’s too late because the championship window is slowly closing.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Suns, ASU Athletics and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
