Suns' Struggles Are Blatantly Clear

The Phoenix Suns currently find themselves down 2-0 to the Denver Nuggets as they head back to Phoenix for Games 3 & 4. For most teams, trailing the West's No. 1 seed and one of the perennial favorites to win the NBA Finals would be disappointing, sure - but not at the levels Phoenix currently sit at.

The Suns themselves were right up there in terms of favorites, especially following the acquisition of Kevin Durant. His presence alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker under the guidance of the previous NBA Coach of the Year in Monty Williams was thought to have secured the golden ticket to a franchise-first championship.

That could still happen (whether that's this season or down the line) yet things aren't shaping up to see the Suns make history: They're 0-13 in a seven-game series when trailing 2-0.

What the Suns need to do in order to reverse course is up for debate - Phoenix can only ask Durant and Devin Booker to do so much. At some point, others need to step up.

Chris Paul's injury late in the third quarter of last night's loss helped change some of the momentum for Denver, as the Nuggets were down by eight prior to Paul's exit with a groin injury. The Suns shot 0-9 to begin the fourth quarter, Denver took advantage and here we are.

Perhaps this is a different conversation if Paul is healthy - just maybe the Suns are level 1-1 after stealing Game 2 (and momentum) back with them to Phoenix. Yet hypotheticals don't produce anything meaningful.

When asked about Paul's injury after the game, Josh Okogie offered the following:

“I mean, whenever you lose your floor general, it is definitely a big loss. But this is a next man up league and I feel like we have more than enough to be able to sustain," said Okogie.

That's the problem: They don't have anything close to sustainable.

Lack of depth was a major concern around Phoenix before they began their postseason trek. That proved to be true against a Los Angeles Clippers that didn't feature Paul George or Kawhi Leonard to end the series. Phoenix's bench failed to show up, but the Suns were able to heavily rely on their stars to push through when they needed it most, pulling off four consecutive victories to win the series in five games.

Thus far, Phoenix's bench has been outscored 223-100 in the playoffs - an ugly stat that only gets worse when you evaluate the current depth, especially in the backcourt.

Cam Payne delivered a whopping two points in 17 minutes of play, making just one of seven shot attempts.

Damion Lee, normally a sturdy shooter on the perimeter, went 0-5 on shot attempts.

Landry Shamet's previous performances in the playoffs were disheartening to the point where he didn't even play in Game 2, joining Darius Bazley, T.J. Warren and Terrence Ross.

A total of six players came off the bench for Phoenix, four of which registered ten or more minutes. A total of four points were scored - a simply unacceptable number in such an important game.

Even if Paul is able to recover and make himself available for Game 3, the lack of depth is concerning for Williams and the rest of his coaching staff.

Through his tenure in the desert, Williams has maintained the mantra: "We don't call people out, we call people up."

The Suns should really consider calling people up before their season ends.