Just like that, against the battle-tested—and battle-bruised—Boston Celtics, the Phoenix Suns’ winning streak came to an end. No Jayson Tatum? No problem for Boston, winner of 12 of its last 13 and looking like a formidable defending champ.
The Suns? Well …
Wednesday’s nationally televised 132–102 pasting was a reminder that despite the progress Phoenix has made in recent weeks, the Suns are not on the Celtics’ level. Boston is a well-oiled machine capable of shrugging off the absence of its All-NBA forward. Phoenix is an expensive engine still trying to figure out its parts.
Still, the Suns have made progress in recent weeks. The loss to Boston was preceded by four straight wins, with victories over the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls (whatever) followed by more impressive ones against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks. The offense was third in the NBA during that stretch, per NBA.com. The defense was 13th, which, when compared to the bottom third level it’s been for most of the season, is downright stingy.
“I think we’ve done a better job of trying to finish possessions off on the defensive side of the ball,” Suns star Kevin Durant said. “Whether there’s a diving out there, a loose ball chasing down the block. I think we just making those extra effort plays that we’ve seen in spurts throughout the year. But I think we are more consistent the last few games. We got to try to build on that.”
There are common threads: Durant, who averaged 40 points against the Cavs and Bucks; Devin Booker, who has thrived in the role of playmaker; Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, a pair of rookies who have taken on larger roles; and Collin Gillespie, a two-way player who has found one.
Also … no Bradley Beal.
Before there is any pig piling, let’s start with the acknowledgment that Beal is a good player. A very good player. He’s a career 21.6 points-per-game scorer who, over the last two seasons, is shooting better than 40% from three. He’s a three-time All-Star who earned a max contract.
There’s no Beal-bashing here. But there’s no denying that the Suns have functioned well in his absence. Phoenix is 13–4 in games played by Durant and Booker without Beal. Cody Martin, acquired from the Charlotte Hornets, has gobbled up some of the Beal minutes. Martin isn’t the scorer Beal is, but he’s a better defender who doesn’t need the ball.
And that’s what Phoenix needs. Durant, months away from his 37th birthday, is still a remarkably efficient (and prolific) scorer. Booker’s assist totals this season (7.1 per game) are a career high. Dunn is an athletic wing. Ighodaro is a rim-running 7-footer. Gillespie, who has supplanted Tyus Jones in the starting lineup, is comfortable as an off-the-ball scorer. In five games as a starter, Gillespie has 16 assists and just two turnovers.
It works. Coach Mike Budenholzer knows this. He won a championship in Milwaukee with a super superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo, a solid co-star in Khris Middleton and a group of capable role players. No one would compare Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez to Gillespie and Ighodaro, just like no one would liken the Bucks to the Suns. But the formula is similar: Find a couple of stars, then find the right pieces to put around them.
Soon, Budenholzer will face a decision. Beal has missed the last five straight games with a hamstring injury. He is, according to Budenholzer, “making good progress” and inching toward a return. Budenholzer will have to figure out Beal’s role when he does. No one is saying Beal should be out of the rotation. But it’s clear he shouldn’t be playing 32 minutes per game anymore, either.
It has been a rough season in Phoenix. The Suns will finish well below the 49 wins from last year, a record that cost Frank Vogel his job. But this recent surge has pushed them back in the play-in mix. They are deadlocked with the Dallas Mavericks for the 10th slot and a half-game back of the Sacramento Kings for No. 9. The schedule is brutal, with a three-game road trip through Milwaukee, Boston and New York upcoming before home dates against the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder.
A play-in slot won’t salvage anything—best-case scenario is a pair of wins, the No. 8 seed and a date with OKC—but it beats the alternative. The Suns can get there. Durant is white hot. Booker, said Durant, “is seeing stuff before it opens up.” There is chemistry on the floor. Beal can be a part of it. His return just can’t screw it up.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Suns’ Progress Hinges on How Bradley Beal Returns to Lineup.
