The Phoenix Suns fell to 12-10 on Friday night in what has been an up-and-down 2023-24 season, losing 114-106 to the Sacramento Kings. A loss that seemed like a foregone conclusion to most, with the Suns losing some of their best talent to the game.Not only were Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant out for the game, but the team was also missing reliable starter Grayson Allen.
Coach Frank Vogel clearly felt the tension of the match, as he played twelve players while Bol Bol also managed to see the pitch, even if only for a minute.After the game, Devin Booker was asked if he was concerned about the direction the Suns season is taking at this point. The organization has played more than a quarter of its games and is in seventh place in the Western Conference. There are still plenty of games left to play, but sitting in the tournament spots, one spot ahead of the Houston Rockets, was not what the franchise envisioned for this season.Although the tournament served as a distraction during the season and another trophy to win, it was painful for the organization to be eliminated in the quarterfinals under difficult circumstances and not make it to Las Vegas.They’ve aimed for the stands by adding first Durant and then Beal, but at the moment they’re well behind the Denver Nuggets and even the Minnesota Timberwolves in the West. The Los Angeles Lakers also managed to beat the Suns three times this season, further proof that the team would be in trouble if the two met in the playoffs next spring. Then leave it to Booker to bring some calm at a time when some fans are panicking by citing the following reason for the Suns’ struggles thus far.AttentionDevin Booker isn’t panicking about the Phoenix Suns’ recordThe Phoenix Suns fell to 12-10 this season, but Devin Booker explained why he’s not worried.By Luke Duffy | 5:40 a.m. MSTSacramento Kings vs. Phoenix Suns / Kelsey Grant/GettyImagesThe Phoenix Suns fell to 12-10 during an eventful 2023-24 season with a 114-106 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday night. A loss that seemed like a foregone conclusion to most as the Suns were missing some of their top talent for the game.Not only were Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant out for the contest, but the team was also missing reliable starter Grayson Allen. Head coach Frank Vogel clearly felt that the match was going to be difficult as he fielded no less than twelve players and even Bol Bol managed to see the pitch, if only for a minute.After the game, Devin Booker was asked if he was worried about the direction of the Suns’ current season.The organization has played more than a quarter of its games and is in seventh place in the Western Conference. There are still plenty of games left to play, but sitting in the tournament spots, one spot ahead of the Houston Rockets, was not what the franchise envisioned for this season.Although the tournament served as a distraction during the season and another trophy to win, it was painful for the organization to be eliminated in the quarterfinals under difficult circumstances and not make it to Las Vegas. “I thought Book ran into me. And it’s late in the game and I don’t know if they were trying to foul or what, but there was no call. And obviously Bron made a high IQ play, like probably the he’s done it a million times in his career and I asked for a timeout.’ Austin Reaves talks about the play. #Suns #Lakers pic.twitter.com/gow8lLx9Hc— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 6, 2023They went big by adding first Durant and then Beal, but now they’re looking hard behind the Denver Nuggets and even the Minnesota Timberwolves out west. The Los Angeles Lakers also managed to beat the Suns three times this season, further proof that the team would be in trouble if the two met in the playoffs next spring.Then leave it to Booker to bring some calm at a time when some fans are panicking by citing the following reason for the Suns’ struggles thus far.Why is Devin Booker NOT too worried about another Suns loss?“Look at the bench and see Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant sitting there, ready to come out.” pic.twitter.com/Fe1MsjNSFe– Gérald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 9, 2023Booker is obviously here. We haven’t seen Booker, Durant and Beal play a single minute together in the regular season, although the latest update on Beal is promising. He’ll be back soon, but the three games he’s played so far haven’t been what the franchise had in mind when they shipped out Chris Paul in their favor.Durant is the organization’s best player so far this season — and it’s not even close — and the ankle issue that forced him to sit out the loss to the Kings doesn’t appear to be a cause for concern. But his absence raises bigger questions about being so dependent on a 35-year-old so early in the season, not that Booker seems concerned.At this point, Jusuf Nurkic has played more games than any other of the “Big 3”, a statistic that no one expected before the season began. The smart bet would be that he will also miss some time between now and the postseason, at which point the team will truly be on the edge.That might seem like an overly negative way to look at this list, but it’s based in the reality of Nurkic’s injury history. Once the Suns get all three of their stars back and playing, plus Nurkic, we’ll have a much better idea of how good they can be. But considering how inconsistent the season has been so far due to injuries, perhaps Booker should be more worried than he appeared to the media.
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