On Friday, Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal made his highly-anticipated return in his team’s 133-119 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He had missed the team’s last five games after suffering an ankle injury against the New York Knicks. Beal had an underwhelming return to the lineup, scoring six points, dishing seven assists, and grabbing three rebounds in 30 minutes.
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Beal made his return earlier than expected. In the post-game interview, he explained he felt comfortable and confident putting weight and jumping off his injured ankle and decided he was ready to play. He was about his return and the team’s win but criticized the defensive effort, saying:
“I’m just thankful that we are at full strength. We got all our guys back. It was a totally different team tonight. A lot more space, a lot more open shooting. Defense was a little bit trash. But you know, we’ll continue to get that better.”
Beal’s comment on the Suns’ defensive effort was quite accurate as Hornets managed to score 119 points against them. The Hornets have averaged only 107 points per game since LaMelo Ball has been absent from the lineup. They had scored 119 points or more in regulation only five times this season before the game against the Suns.
The Suns rank 17th in the league in points allowed, which doesn’t bode well for their title aspirations. Phoenix is heavily reliant on its ‘Big 3’ of Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker to carry them to wins off their offensive prowess. The team hired head coach Frank Vogel, a defensive expert, to help them scheme better on defense. It hasn’t worked so far. However, there’s still over half the season left before the playoffs commence for the Suns to figure it out.
Phoenix Suns’ inconsistent campaign
With the win over the Charlotte Hornets, the Phoenix Suns are now one game over a .500 record. The team would’ve expected to be in a much better position 31 games into the regular season when they acquired Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster trade in the offseason. However, his absence has played a massive role in the Suns’ current predicament.
Beal’s appearance against the Hornets was only his seventh this season. He has missed 24 games due to back and ankle injuries. The Suns’ roster is top-heavy with Beal, Durant, and Devin. After them, there’s a steep drop-off in talent and production. Durant has allegedly alluded to this himself, privately voicing his frustration about the roster.
NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Suns can sense their superstar’s frustration but are in a helpless position. They gave up almost all their tradeable assets to land Durant and Beal and are now reliant on ring-chasing veterans and low-level contracts to fill out the roster.
People in Phoenix are feeling Kevin Durant’s frustration , per Woj
(h/t @16and0 ) pic.twitter.com/FsY7q4w7RV
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 25, 2023
Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce discussed Durant and the Suns on the KG: Certified podcast, and they weren’t too optimistic about the team. Pierce noted:
“Durant is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but I just don’t see the defensive chemistry. It’s just not there. They can score and everything. But they can’t get key stops. These young teams are coming in, they are too fast. The role players are up-and-down for Phoenix. I don’t know with them.”
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Durant is averaging 29.8 points, the fourth-highest mark of his career. He’s also shooting a career-high 46.7% from beyond the arc. Despite his All-NBA level performances, the Suns are ninth in the West. It’s been tough for Phoenix, but they have yet to witness their ‘Big 3’ consistently playing together. If their struggles continue with Beal, Durant, and Booker starting together, it might be time for the Suns to make massive changes to their roster.
