It’s desperation time for the Phoenix Suns. Once regarded as a West juggernaut, the Suns are 15-17, 11th in the Western Conference, and have won three games in the last calendar month (since Dec. 4, 2024).
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Injuries have been a major problem, sure, but All-Star forward Kevin Durant doesn’t believe it’s the cause of Phoenix’s shortcomings.
“There’s no excuses,” Durant said after a disappointing 117-112 loss to the evenly depleted Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday. “I just think I got to be better affecting the game.”
The 14-time All-Star is certainly being hard on himself, but the injury excuse is definitely starting to fade as the main reason for the team’s shortcomings. Nonetheless, being in the situation the Suns are in means every game moving forward is a chance to change the trajectory of the season.
And it starts in Indiana against the Pacers Saturday evening.
The last time these two teams met a couple weeks ago, the Pacers’ fast-paced, athletic offense stunned the answerless Phoenix defense. Not only did the Suns lose the game 120-111, they also lost Devin Booker early and for the next five games.
Here are three things to watch as the two middling teams take to battle:
1. Bradley Beal in after hip injury
Bradley Beal left Phoenix’s last game against the Memphis Grizzlies early with a hip contusion and has since been a limited participant in practice. Suns coach Mike Budenholzer listed him a game-time decision ahead of their matchup against the Pacers.
Beal’s injury came at quite possibly the worst time for Phoenix, 12 minutes after Devin Booker was inserted back into the lineup following a five-game absence.
The Big Three have been ravaged by the injury bug early this season, only playing in 11 games together and sharing the court for a total of 197 minutes. They boast a -4.3 net rating in those minutes. Not ideal for three guys responsible for $150 million of the team’s cap.
But, as was mentioned previously, every game moving forward is an opportunity to turn the season around.
2. Okogie and Dunn: The Terror Twins
One of the more optimistic developments to come out of the whirlwind that has been Phoenix’s last month has been the energy boost forwards Josh Okogie and Ryan Dunn have given the team defensively. Dunn starting and Okogie coming off the bench gives the Suns an energy source in nearly every part of the game.
Okogie acknowledges that their energy is important, but notes that he and Dunn need to do whatever it takes to win games.
“It’s important, but at the end of the day, it’s a matter of wins and losses,” Okogie said “And it doesn’t matter how much energy you bring if we don’t win the game. It’s like, we didn’t complete our job. So we got to find a way to continue to do the right things and focus a lot on the process and then the results will come.”
Josh Okogie on him and Ryan Dunn bringing energy lately: "It's important, but at the end of the day, it's a matter of wins and losses, and it doesn't matter how much energy you bring if we don't win the game. It's like, we didn't complete our job. So we gotta find a way to… pic.twitter.com/I8VDLH97Nb
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) January 2, 2025
3. Phoenix’s next battle… illness?
Just 30 minutes before tip-off, Tyus Jones and rookie Oso Ighodaro were listed as out with an illness. Yet another battle the the Suns must face throughout this cold, cold winter stretch.
How does this affect the Suns? Much more than you’d think.
Already slim at the center position with Jusuf Nurkic serving the last of his three-game suspension for his altercation with Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall on Christmas Day, Mason Plumlee and Bol Bol are the team’s only true centers.
Tyus Jones has been Phoenix’s most important role player this season, responsible for high-quality playmaking and secondary scoring whenever he is needed. The Suns lost a crucial piece of its offense against one of the fastest teams in the league on that side of the ball. The Suns are extremely shorthanded.
Kevin Durant ranked 2nd in West in early NBA All-Star voting
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Connor Moreno covers the Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @cmorenosports, and on Bluesky, @cloading.bsky.social
