Kevin Durant spoke openly to the media before of Game 3 on Friday about his team’s current playoff position. Contrary to widespread thinking in the NBA, Durant claims the Suns are all on the same page and that everyone is still focused on the objective at hand.
“We are going through the grind together,” Durant says. “Are we always in agreement? Nah… But everyone understands the purpose; everyone is in this together.
Durant appears unfazed, despite the fact that he is facing an early playoff exit for the second year in a row. In 2023, he guided the Suns past a shattered and crippled Clippers squad and even took the Nuggets to six games before being eliminated in the Semi-Finals. This year, with Brad Beal added to the mix, the Suns were expected to be even better, and new owner Mat Ishbia paid top cash to bring three All-Star players together.
The Suns have been extremely erratic all season, and they’ve struggled to close games in the fourth quarter, ranking as one of the worst clutch teams in NBA history. After finishing 49-33 in the Western Conference regular season, the Suns are now in sixth place in the standings and are underdogs in a must-win playoff game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Needless to say, the odds are stacked against the Suns this season, and advancing past this series will require nothing short of a miracle. Unfortunately for Phoenix, their difficulties extend far beyond this campaign, and if they don’t put up a fight in this series, things could get nasty when it comes time to make some important decisions this summer.
The Phoenix Suns have serious problems.As possibly the most top-heavy team in basketball, the Suns entered the postseason with high expectations, and their performance down the stretch gave many fans hope that they could find a formula that worked for them. So far, however, the trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal has not appeared to gel.
One of the most serious difficulties for the Suns is a lack of depth at all positions. Aside from the big three and wing shooter Grayson Allen, the Suns’ rotation lacks consistency. Off the bench, only Eric Gordon is regarded as a quality shooter, and that is just insufficient for the Suns to compete offensively.
The truth is that after spending everything on stargazing, the Suns may have damaged their own condition. Instead of focusing on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, Phoenix passed on the opportunity to increase their depth by trading for Bradley Beal. And now that he has a no-trade clause, the Suns are at his mercy regarding any potential future moves.
Without a doubt, Frank Vogel’s job is in risk if the Suns lose this series or are swept by the inexperienced Timberwolves. Beyond that, all the Suns can do is move forward and follow Kevin Durant’s lead. As long as he’s wearing a Suns uniform, they’ll have a chance to make some noise.