After Kevin Durant sustained an ankle injury that's sidelined him for over a week, the Phoenix Suns forward has a potential return date. Durant could either return for Friday's action against the Utah Jazz, or the Suns' home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Phoenix will need its third star back as quickly as possible. With him in the lineup, they post a dominant 11-2 record. However, without Durant in the lineup, their record does a near 180. The Suns are 1-9 in those games without him. Not to mention, both sides of the ball are naturally better.
For instance, KD's presence gives Phoenix the 11th-best offense and 11th-best defense in the league. While head coach Mike Budenholzer isn't known for his defensive philosophy, that side has been night and day with Durant on the floor. Let's rewind to what life looks like without Durant on both sides of the ball.
During the nine losses, Phoenix has been a shell of itself. They have a -8.6-point differential in those games, along with a horrific defensive metric. The Suns currently have a 123.3 defensive rating, which would be the worst in league history for a full season.
Suns will be grateful for Kevin Durant to return from injury soon
The role players have stepped up in a nice way, compared to the two members of the Big 3, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. Guys like Royce O'Neale, Grayson Allen, and Tyus Jones have increased their scoring numbers and efficiency. In a situation like this, it's normally an issue of role players needing to rise to the occasion. However, it's Beal and Booker who haven't done so.
This all ties back into the flow of the Suns offense. Much of it is predicated on off-ball movement, and pick-and-rolls, both areas that Durant excels in. He's averaging nearly 26 points per game and shooting over 50% from the field and 40% from three. He's been the consistent member of the Suns Big 3 so far this season. However, it's unrealistic to rely on solely him for the entire season.
Related Phoenix Suns NewsArticle continues below
Durant is averaging 35.7 minutes per game this season. Although he's been efficient and productive, there's a lot of the season left. Phoenix has poised itself as a playoff team and one that wants to contend for a championship. In order to do that, they'll have to rely on KD less and less. As Durant received a very positive injury update on Sunday, the Suns will hope for their leading scorer to come back sooner rather than later.