Suns Preaching Patience as Injuries, Losses Stack

PHOENIX -- As the year begins to draw to a conclusion, the Phoenix Suns too hope their recent form and health troubles will follow 2023 out the door as well.

After dropping Friday night's contest to the Sacramento Kings, the Suns have now lost their last four-of-five and have yet to field their star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the court at the same time.

Phoenix has managed well (all things considered) without the full collection of their "Big 3", though the injury bug has made its way throughout the rest of the roster.

“It is part of it. I mean, you have to deal with it. It is part of the NBA season," Suns guard Devin Booker said. "We are not going to be the only team to deal with injuries throughout. The good teams find a way to win when they are down players."

Only three players have played in all 22 games thus far: Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Okogie and Jordan Goodwin.

Nurkic, along with emerging role player Nassir Little, missed action in last night's loss vs Sacramento due to injury.

"We lost two guys after having a bunch of guys out. We lost two guys for stretches of the game: Nassir (Little) for the whole game and (Jusuf) Nurkic for that critical stretch in the third, but we’ll see where he’s at tomorrow," Suns coach Frank Vogel said.

Phoenix is a mere quarter of the way through the season, and guard Eric Gordon says the team isn't going to be discouraged.

"We are going to get there; it could be a little discouraging, but this isn’t game 50, so nothing to be discouraged. We are going to be fine; just have to continue to grind through. Of course, a lot of injuries and a lot of things happening. We will be fine; our effort was there" he said after Friday.

"We were in the game, or majority of the game until somewhere in the second half. We are just trying to find ways to win. We will get that rhythm back going where we are getting back on win streaks and all that.”

In a tough western conference, the Suns are currently the No. 7 seed but are just 5.5 games back from first. They're also 1.5 games from being out of the play-in picture.

With Beal potentially re-joining the team as soon as Tuesday, Phoenix is confident the ship can be steered in the right direction.

“You guys know that one piece can always change a team drastically. That is not an ordinary piece that we are adding either, that is Bradly Beal. Me and KD (Kevin Durant) have played together, sure," Booker said.

"But we have not had Brad out there. One person can change everything, the whole landscape and the spacing. Obviously, I can keep saying that I cannot wait until he comes back, but making sure that he is healthy and ready to go before he does.”

Frustrated is the word that likely best describes planet orange at the moment, and those feelings are fair. It felt like the only thing that could stop this team heading into this season would be health.

Thus far, it has.

Booker says now - maybe more than ever - it's the best time to build confidence.

“I have been through it before. Just understanding. I obviously would rather be at full strength, but remembering what we are playing for. Trying to learn from wins and losses. Teams are probably going to try to take out three of us. Other guys are going to have to find spacing and be in the right spots. Here is a good time to step up in those opportunities and build some confidence.”

Phoenix is back in action when the Golden State Warriors visit on Tuesday evening.