Breaking: NBA teams deal with injuries all the time.
There are cases for legitimate excuses, but the Phoenix Suns' recent nightmare back-to-back in Florida is not one of them. The Miami Heat and Orlando Magic disposed of the Suns in games they blew leads in.
What happened against a banged-up Brooklyn team at home a couple of weeks ago? That one still stings along with the Pelicans loss, but the most recent back-to-back in Florida has fans in all-out panic mode, rightfully so.
Two of your “Big 3 stars” in Devin Booker and Bradley Beal were healthy for these last two games. Veterans Tyus Jones, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Mason Plumlee, and Monte Morris are healthy.
It’s worth noting that Jusuf Nurkic (who has struggled & been benched this season) and rookie Ryan Dunn were also out these past two games. The reality is, if you look at every team’s injury report in the NBA, it’s not going to be pretty most nights. In other words — everyone is dealing with it to some extent.
Sure, they are down Kevin Durant and the equation might be as simple as “they are fine with him and done for without him”, but that shouldn’t sit well with this team. There is too much talent for them to be dropping games vs. teams like the Nets, Pelicans, and a depleted Orlando Magic team. They don’t need to look like a contender without him, but they shouldn’t look like a bottom-feeder without him, either.
Orlando Magic v Phoenix Suns Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Suns have failed to put together an identity this season in games without Kevin Durant. They are simultaneously allowing other teams to find their own (identity) against them even when short-handed. That has been the most frustrating part about this brutal stretch of games without KD.
Suns with Kevin Durant: 11-2
Suns without Kevin Durant: 1-9
— Zona (@AZSportsZone) December 9, 2024
Glass Half Empty
Typically, I like to stay optimistic. The statistic above can warrant a glass half-full or glass half-empty approach, but I’m focused on the latter. Why can’t they win games without Kevin Durant? How likely will it be that all three of Booker, Durant, and Beal will be healthy entering the playoffs?
The questions highlight the stark reality of this team now and for the foreseeable future with this core. How much longer does this experiment actually have? If the Suns fail to make the playoffs or are a first-round exit again, it’s tough to imagine them running it back. At the same time, if they start to roll again once Durant returns and he’s healthy the majority of the way to close the season out, the vibes go up. It feels like a never-ending rollercoaster.
So. Where are things going wrong? The 3rd quarter is one recurring issue. They entered the third quarter -58 over its last five ahead of the Orlando game. They started the third quarter on an 8-2 run which looked promising. Phoenix extended their lead to 11 only to see it disappear quickly as they lost the quarter by two points despite the strong start.
Looking at the Suns' last three games, their rotations, and the periods in which they were successful and unsuccessful, what stands out to you: pic.twitter.com/DNSWG257jL
— John Voita (@DarthVoita) December 9, 2024
The turnover issue has improved compared to last season based on the numbers (down 0.6 turnovers per game from 2023), but the untimely turnovers coming in waves shift the entire momentum of the game. They had a stretch where 4 of 5 possessions resulted in turnovers which snowballed into an Orlando lead that they would not relinquish.
The Phoenix Suns' inability to play consistent basketball across 48 minutes continues to doom them, plain and simple. The West is loaded so the Suns will need to figure out how to start stacking wins again soon. If not, they’ll find themselves in jeopardy of missing the playoffs altogether, and who knows what the fallout of that entails.
I hate to say it, but this team feels like a ticking time bomb. It’s their job to prove me (and all of us on this side) wrong. I’m sick of the “when they are healthy” discourse.
The reality is, this is who they are and it’s time to win games. No more excuses.