The Phoenix Suns looked to put together a true contender when they acquired Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in 2023 to join Devin Booker. The trio was formed to ideally lead Phoenix to their first franchise championship, but in the second season with all three stars playing together, they have fallen wildly short of expectations heading into the All-Star break.
In their first season together, the Suns made the postseason before they were bounced in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. They went into this season looking to build off that, and appeared on track to do so with a strong start to the beginning of the year. Since that hot start, the wheels have fallen off and the Suns are now 26-28 and 11th in the Western Conference standings.
Durant addressed the Suns' disappointing season during the All-Star break. "We expect a lot out of ourselves individually and it just hasn't materialized the way we want it to," Durant told ESPN. "It's disappointing to see us play this way. Our fans and people watching the game want more from us, but we can't think about that, we've got to think about the day ahead of us, trying to get better, and figure out how we're gonna win the next game."
The Suns have dealt with injuries and a lack of chemistry, factors that have hindered the team from reaching their potential this year. Off the court, ESPN reporter Ramona Shelburne called the team's locker room "toxic" earlier this month, a categorization Durant called "unfair and "lazy."
Durant and the Suns will have the opportunity to bounce back when they return to action on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns are far from out of contention, and are only a couple games out of the 10th seed, which would land them spot in the NBA play-in tournament come April. They will have to play better to have a realistic shot at doing any serious damage in the postseason, but they still have a chance to turn their season around.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kevin Durant Gets Honest on Disappointing Season For Star-Studded Suns.
