The Phoenix Suns have failed to live up to expectations this season, and three-time former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas knows exactly why.
The Phoenix Suns managed to put a positive spin on an otherwise disappointing month on Wednesday, winning their final road game of the season against the Houston Rockets. The 129-113 win is a much-needed result, with the Suns looking comfortable and leading by more than 20 points at one point.Kevin Durant was at his best in this game, scoring his 18th career triple-double, while Eric Gordon showed up against his former team. His 27 points are on par with Durant’s, and he put aside any lingering notions that his recent comments about his dissatisfaction with his role would carry into the new year. The win also propelled the Suns into 10th place in the Western Conference, which is definitely not where they expected, with the calendar soon flipping to 2024. But the team is now back in the play places -in and got back to .500 with the win. A timely victory that could be the tonic they need to boost their season.It’s not that former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas sees things that way, and he has weighed in on the Suns’ struggles for years after the game. Arenas spoke with Shannon Sharpe on her Nightcap podcast after the win in Houston and gave the following reason why the Suns have failed to live up to expectations so far this season:It may seem like Arenas is pointing out the obvious here – but if that’s the case – then why has the front office taken the steps it has taken thus far and the ability to flesh out its roster the Did he get in the way? Durant and Booker are a great place to start and it would be even better if Bradley Beal bounced back and joined them. But beyond these three, how many of their players will other teams line up to try and trade for? Grayson Allen is probably the only one with real value, while Gordon, now 35, will likely see his value fluctuate depending on how he plays. Even his outspoken comments recently have done little to improve team chemistry.When Sharpe brought up Durant (41 minutes), Booker (36 minutes) and Gordon (39 minutes) who had to play so much against a playful – but probably not ready to make the playoffs – Rockets group, it really impressed Arenas nailed it the target. head explaining why the Suns are having a hard time. What exactly is the problem here. Since Beal has been limited to just six games so far this season, Allen has had to start all 25 games he has played in, while Gordon has started 19 of the 26 games he has played in. In an ideal world, Beal and Josh Okogie would complete the starting five along with Durant, Booker and Jusuf Nurkic. This would allow both Allen and Gordon to do their things off the bench, and it would be great if Watanabe could help some as well. This in turn would lead to Jordan Goodwin becoming the point guard of the second unit, with the additions of some Chimezie Metu and Nassir Little. Even Saben Lee when the match demanded it. Instead, Allen and Gordon have to start most of the games they play, leading to a completely over-reliance on Durant, Booker, and those two guys for 30 games. This led to the Suns having a poor defensive rating, although their mediocre offensive rating was even worse as this group was expected to survive the regular season. So while Arenas is saying something that seems obvious to many fans, the even bigger problem with his statement is the fact that there’s not much the Suns can do to change their situation. They have no cap space, no first-round picks this decade and very few players that would interest other teams. This makes finding the sixth, seventh and eighth men a nearly impossible task for the Suns.
Leave a Reply