Suns' Health is Only Solution to Slow Start

The Phoenix Suns needed their Big 3 to assemble now more than ever - they're about to see it finally happen.

PHOENIX -- This wasn't exactly how Phoenix Suns fans pictured their season starting. 

At this point, the Suns were expected to steamroll competition on their way to at least a winning record, if not claiming the top spot in various power rankings throughout the league. 

In reality, Phoenix sits at just 4-6 in the opening stages of the 2023-24 season with few bright spots under new coach Frank Vogel. The Suns have yet to see their star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal play together (more on that happening tomorrow here) while they sit below .500 unexpectedly. 

There's been more questions than answers here in the Valley. The Suns aren't ready to hit the panic button just yet, though it's clear health is the biggest obstacle standing in the way of their success. 

“We’re missing supermax players,” Jusuf Nurkic said last week (h/t Duane Rankin). 

“It’s as simple as it is. When you have that level of players and they’re not available, you’re obviously going to struggle some minutes. Fourth quarter got to be better.”

The Athletic's Doug Haller hit the nail on the head when it came to Phoenix's struggles:

"Health was a legitimate concern for this team entering the season. Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker all have missed time in previous seasons. But to have this hit the first couple of weeks was a bit alarming. Beal’s Phoenix debut was delayed because of a back issue. Booker has missed time with foot, ankle and calf problems. To this point, all seem minor. In another week or so, maybe no one is talking about this. A healthy Suns team should be among the best in the league, but Phoenix struggled without its big three more than it should have." - Haller

Leading into Wednesday's meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Beal and Booker are expected to play. Booker has played just twice in Phoenix's ten-game start to the year, Beal has participated in only the last three and Durant has shouldered the load in both absences. 

Suns Are Awful in Fourth Quarter - But Why?

Durant offered his own reasoning for Phoenix's struggles, especially in crunch time. 

“It just comes down to missed shots," said Durant. 

"We can’t win games that way. No matter what names you got on the roster, how many points they scored in the history of the game, if you don’t make shots that night, you can’t win."

The Suns have blown numerous leads in the fourth quarter thanks to a variety of factors, though it's hard to imagine Phoenix isn't in a much better place with one of the best closers in basketball. 

“Always and in all games, it would be better with Devin Booker out there,” Vogel said on Sunday. 

There's other explanations at play for Phoenix's poor start. The Suns are averaging 16.2 turnovers per night, the third highest rate in the league. Role players expected to step up have been inconsistent on a larger scale, and there's arguments Durant simply shouldn't be expected to carry the team despite his status as one of the best ever. 

Wednesday is fixing to be the first taste of big three basketball we've seen in the regular season. There were certainly growing pains expected in the early portions of the year, though it's clear the Suns were betting on their primary stars being healthy to this point. 

Plenty of basketball remains, but the quick (and best) fix for Phoenix's problems is simply having their best players available on a consistent basis.