Only Health Can Stop Suns Next Season
The Phoenix Suns - on paper - have a roster very much capable of winning the NBA Finals. Stars such as Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Deandre Ayton anchor the starting lineup while the Suns grabbed an impressive haul of veterans in free agency to fill out a rotation that impressed the entire league when the market opened.
Now that the NBA's Summer League is over, training camp and preseason only separate us from the 2023-24 regular season commencing later in October - and the Suns are indeed one of the favorites to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy at the end of the year.
Phoenix looks great on paper - but championships are won on the hardwood, and that's a story Suns fans know all too well in recent memory.
Health is the biggest question for this squad, at least in the opinion of NBA TV Analyst Sam Mitchell:
"We know how special this group can be when they’re rested and healthy, but the question is you’ve got to get through 82 games healthy to be healthy going into the playoffs and develop some continuity,” Mitchell said (h/t The Arizona Republic).
“My only concern is getting through those 82 games, how much wear and tear is going to be put on (Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal)? … There’s no question if they get to the playoffs healthy, they can win it. The question is can they get there healthy?”
Greg Anthony added, “Devin Booker has shown an ability to make plays and facilitate, but to be asked to do that over the course of an 82-game season is a little bit different."
It's a story every team battles during the gauntlet of the regular season, and it will be interesting to see how NBA teams approach the in-season tournament beginning this year as well.
The Suns will have bigger goals in mind - and to accomplish them, every major piece will need to be ready to go once the postseason rolls around.
