Phoenix Suns' Checklist for Week Ahead

PHOENIX -- Could the tide finally be shifting in the favor of the Phoenix Suns?

After three years of turmoil at the top of the franchise, disheartening strings of injuries, multiple coaching changes, and a pair of blockbuster trades to boost the front-line of the roster - it seems as if the Suns could be evolving into the title contender that was hoped of all along following the acquisition of Kevin Durant nearly two years ago.

Despite the recent statement victories, the team still has some pointed goals to get pinned down over the next week - with two very attainable victories on the horizon as well.

Three goals on the checklist for the squad to work towards accomplishing:

Get out of the week unscathed, avoid major injuries

Continue to get Tyus Jones, Royce O'Neale involved in offense

Iron out center rotation

The first point of emphasis is one that seems clear at the surface - but it feels easier said than done at this point in the season.

Kevin Durant has already missed more contests this season (10) compared to all of last year (7) - that should be expected due to age and past injury history, but coach Mike Budenholzer can certainly find ways to keep the hall of fame talent fresh with carefully curated rotation choices - and the same can go for Bradley Beal, who could potentially return on Thursday.

The second part of the checklist pertains to a pair of role players that are truly playing at an incredibly high level over the last month.

Durant's return and Beal's expected return inherently will lead to less shooting volume for O'Neale (11 attempts per game in December) and Jones (10.7) - but Budenholzer should still feel the responsibility to keep both as in-rhythm as possible. They have clearly distanced themselves from the likes of Monte Morris, Josh Okogie, and even Grayson Allen as the most vital role players on the squad.

Both have played an undeniably significant role in Phoenix reaching the top five in the league in three-point percentage (38.3%) on top-ten volume (39.6 attempts per game) - while Jones has been instrumental in orchastrating what is turning into an elite offense over the last three weeks, and O'Neale has served as a jack-of-all-trades defender, particularly when Durant has been out.

The pair of superstar role players simply have to be as much of a focal point on a game-to-game basis as the "big three" - from both a health standpoint and how the former impact the game.

Lastly, the center rotation of Jusuf Nurkic, Oso Ighodaro, and Mason Plumlee could be further figured out in these two upcoming contests.

"Everyone will tell me it's a great problem to have and they're not the head coach, the one that has to make the decisions."

Those were the words of Budenholzer - who has alluded to the fact that his choice pertaining to play Ighodaro or Plumlee off of a gut feeling.

All three bigs bring a bit of something different to the table, but all three also have a defined weakness that makes it difficult to warrant a "consistent" stream of high-volume minutes.

This could be a golden opportunity for Ighodaro, who brings high-level athletic ability, connective passing, and an overall high awareness on the court to the table. While his inconsistency as a rebounder can be glaring at times, he does bring the highest upside all-around in a vacuum.

The Suns two games against the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons this week will only go so far as to setting the tone for the rest of the season, but they certainly can continue to adding victories to their overall total while also accomplishing some clear goals along the way.