kevin-durant-bradley-beal-and-devin-booker© Provided by BasketballNetwork.net
When the Phoenix Suns traded for Bradley Beal, some people were quick to anoint the team as one of the league’s leading championship contenders. Who would have thought they would be in danger of falling outside a top-six seed near the end of the 2023-24 regular season?
Bill Simmons recently offered a harsh observation about Beal and the squad this campaign, saying he doesn’t consider the Suns a dark horse for the title.
“We have a lot of evidence now with the three guys playing together,” Simmons said of the trio of Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker. “I just don’t think Beal has been that good. The [phrase] ‘Big 3’ has been thrown around more liberally…the last 12 years. That is not a Big 3. Beal does not deserve Big 3 status the way he’s played this year.”
Beal hasn’t lived up to the hype
Going all-in on the former Washington Wizards star still hasn’t paid off for Phoenix. Given that the organization emptied whatever was left of its cupboard of draft assets in the Beal deal last offseason, one would think that he would at least serve as a complementary piece to Durant and Booker.
Instead, the three-time All-Star has spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines.
When he is healthy, he hasn’t looked like a star for the most part, averaging 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. To be fair, those stats appear solid. However, considering the Suns have virtually almost no depth, Beal might have to do better and be more consistent.
The Suns have a steep hill to climb
Still, it’s tough to write Phoenix off when it has two-time champion KD and possible All-NBA First-Team selection DBook.
Simmons didn’t go as far as to say that the Suns would assuredly be first-round fodder in the playoffs – assuming they indeed reach that stage, whether through securing a top-six placement or triumphing in the play-in tournament. If they can avoid the Denver Nuggets in the first round, they could probably have enough firepower to pull off an upset. NBA legend Tracy McGrady even thinks Beal and company should be the title favorite.
If the trio manages to remain healthy in the postseason, Phoenix can likely make some noise and give detractors a reason to apologize. The team’s outlook in that scenario doesn’t seem as bleak, especially because, prior to the Suns’ loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, they had a record of 23-13 when Durant, Booker, and Beal suit up.
For now, though, they must focus on booking a trip to the playoffs, and their four final regular-season games will be against Western Conference squads set to participate in the postseason.
