The Phoenix Suns doubled down on no depth and superstar talent this summer when they made a move to acquire Bradley Beal. That has predictably backfired, with Beal being injured for most of the entire season so far and the Suns’ lack of depth causing the team to struggle.
Kevin Durant is carrying an incredible load and even the organization feels frustrated for what the two-time Finals MVP is having to do to carry the Suns.
“Let’s start with Kevin Durant. He talked to people around the Phoenix organization. They can feel the frustration with Durant. Part of it is because of the missed game for Bradley Beal. This team was built around those three stars… They lack the assets to go out and improve this team. This is something they have to manage in Phoenix with Kevin Durant. It’s a stark reminder of how short of a window. This team needs to win big and win big quickly. Having Kevin Durant still play at an All-NBA level and be healthy, there’s a lot at stake for this organization.
People in Phoenix are feeling Kevin Durant’s frustration 😳, per Woj
(h/t @16and0 ) pic.twitter.com/FsY7q4w7RV
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 25, 2023
Kevin Durant averaged 33.6 minutes last season with Phoenix, a number that has increased to 36.6 per game this year. He’s one of the league’s best players still, but the sort of load he has right now is bound to cause him to suffer injuries as well. For the last three seasons, Durant has gotten injured every January and missed over a month of action. If that happens this season without Beal returning, the Suns may have gone all-in just to miss the playoffs entirely.
Devin Booker has shaken off injury concerns from earlier this season and has been doing a solid job. However, his inconsistency and the lack of natural point guard skills cause him to struggle as well. He isn’t scoring like he used to because he needs to set his teammates up, something he can do at a high level, but not at the level of the best point guards around the NBA.
Booker is averaging 27.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 8.2 assists this season while KD is averaging 30.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
Can The Suns Make Any Moves To Improve Their Roster?
The Suns have exhausted their draft capital, but could still move a couple of second-round picks. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find actual rotational players for second-round picks. They’re also a second-apron team meaning they can’t just throw out their minimum contracts and hope to get someone making $8-9 million. They can only trade for other minimum-level players unless they move one of the bigger contracts on the roster.
The Suns could move Jusuf Nurkic, but they’re unlikely to find an upgrade on Nurk after they sold Deandre Ayton for nothing to land him. They could also move Grayson Allen, but Allen has been one of the only Suns’ role-players to provide the promised 3-and-D play around its stars that they needed.
Not adding a point guard in the summer is one of the team’s major issues. Even though Jordan Goodwin is a good PG backup, someone like Cam Payne, whom the Suns waived to save money, would’ve been perfect right now. Booker is being overburdened and so is Durant, two things that could lead to a disastrous season for Phoenix that they won’t be able to get out of next year either.
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