Time is Running Out for Suns' Pursuit of Continuity
PHOENIX -- Time is running short on the Phoenix Suns.
Phoenix entered the All-Star break 33-22 but have gone 2-4 since returning.
Much of the inconsistency that plagued the Suns through the beginning of 2024 has resurfaced over the last two weeks.
Phoenix is well aware that time is finite and things must be ironed out over the final 21 games of the season - which also happens to be the most difficult remaining slate in the NBA in terms of strength of schedule.
Star G Bradley Beal's poor injury luck this season has been a key reason why the Suns haven't necessarily found their rhythm - and Beal spoke on the need to find just that over the next five-plus weeks in his post-game presser Sunday night.
“Yes and no; we got time, but we can’t keep saying we got time. We got 20 games left. It is a good amount of games to get us going and get us going right before the playoffs," said BeaI.
"I think that will be really good for us, but we do got to get rolling. We can’t keep talking about it, we can't keep coming to you guys and say, ‘We got time, we will fix it.’ We got to do it. We have our team now going into the playoffs, we got to hit this steamroller head on. We got a lot of playoff teams coming in here ready to go. It is a good challenge for us.”
The absence of Devin Booker for a week or perhaps longer further complicates this - as the Suns play the Boston Celtics twice, along with other upper-echelon teams in the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets over this time period as well.
Phoenix is currently the No. 7 seed out West. The Suns are also one of the most talented rosters in basketball. Phoenix is also now closer to the nine seed than to possessing home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason.
The talent will unfortunately not work itself out in the grand scheme of things. The Suns need the whole team together for as much of the stretch run as possible - both for team-building and as a litmus test for what this team can possibly accomplish even in a less-than optimal finish in the standings.
