👋 GOOD MORNING

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024 -- The Suns' 8-1 start set the bar pretty darn high right out of the gate.

Then the injury bug bit.

Phoenix has not won since its trip to Salt Lake City on Nov. 12, dropping four straight games by an average margin of 13 points. Yes, they were painfully close to a win in Minnesota before Julius Randle buried a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. But games are won and lost like that in the NBA on the regular, and in the span of an 82-game season, it'll almost assuredly happen again.

I'm known as an eternal optimist, and it will certainly show today, but in that same vein it is truly important to remember:

The Suns are only 15 games into the season
Improved depth doesn't always translate to wins when so many starters are out
What we have seen from the depth roles has been encouraging

The team's health has been a concern since before the regular season kicked off, so the fact that injuries have already taken hold is no doubt concerning. However, as starters continue to get healthy those expectations will once again rise, and there will be a whole lot for the team to prove.

Finally - want to see how D-Backs fans feel about next season? Our very own Jesse Friedman facilitated a fan survey recently - scroll down to the 'Circling Back' section to view the results! If you didn't take the survey feel free to scroll down and take today's poll!

On to the show!

📰 LEADING OFF

Should We Be Panicking About the Suns?

Patrick Brown

PHNX Daily Editor
patrick@gophnx.com

Let's be clear right out of the gate: No, we shouldn't be panicking.

But that doesn't mean it's been fun to watch lately.

The Suns have dropped four straight and gone 1-5 since losing Kevin Durant after the team's win on Nov. 8 over the Dallas Mavericks. That news alone was brutal considering KD had been the team's leading scorer in six of Phoenix's first nine games, but then Bradley Beal was injured. Then Jusuf Nurkić went down.

That loss of personnel almost immediately translated to losses on the court, and Suns nation is not coping well to the team's recent skid.

Take a breath, things will shake out just fine and the Valley will be rallied come spring time.

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Booker's Slump is Under a Microscope

And so it goes when you're missing two of your best three players.

Many (understandably) expected Devin Booker to step up, but his numbers have been underwhelming sans a 44-point output against the Timberwolves on Sunday. He managed just 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting in Monday's loss to the Magic, while chipping in just 12 points on 2-of-10 shooting against Oklahoma City last Friday.

Honestly, that's to be expected.

"We’re asking Book to do a lot," Tyus Jones told PHNX Suns reporter Gerald Bourguet. "It’s a lot of pressure on him, it’s a lot of focus on him. They’re physical with him, they hold and grab him all night, they’re throwing two bodies at him. So it’s a lot on his plate, and we just gotta continue to find ways to get him open the times that we can and also continue to help him out with other guys making shots and making plays.”

Tyus Jones admitted more responsibility rests on Booker's shoulders. Photo credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Opposing teams are keying in on Booker's elite ability, forcing the Suns to regroup on the fly and rely on their bench far more than expected this early in the season. There certainly have been bright spots: Josh Okogie, for example, has been the leading scorer in two of the six games without Durant, and Tyus Jones notched a team-high 17 points on Monday.

Still, it has not been enough to overcome the loss of such critical pieces of the puzzle, especially with how Durant had been performing for Phoenix in the fourth quarter.

When the Suns' heavy hitters return, the same conundrum opposing teams faced early in the season will resurface, and bench players will have earned valuable minutes and experience in the process.

Losses Have Not Come Against Bad Teams

Another thing to look at is who those losses have come against.

Have they all been championship-caliber teams? Of course not. But all five losses over the stretch without Durant have come against teams with winning records who were in the playoffs last season, if Sacramento's play-in games are taken into consideration.

Kevin Durant has certainly been missed. Photo credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

The Kings are hovering at 8-7 this season, while other losses to Orlando (9-6), Minnesota (8-6) and Oklahoma City (11-3) are nothing to overreact about. Their lone win came against a team it should beat (3-10 Utah), though to be fair Bradley Beal was a factor in that one before being sidelined for the next four games -- coinciding with the Suns' current losing streak.

Want some good news? Following tonight's game against the 8-6 Knicks the Suns are off for almost a week, resuming play on Nov. 26 at home against the Lakers.

Neither Budenholzer Nor Players are Panicking

Perhaps the most important factor here is this isn't a team that's flailing on the brink of disaster. To the contrary, head coach Mike Budenholzer has remained as even keel as ever.

"These guys, I think, stay together," he said. "It's a good group, they've got a good spirit, they've got a good way about them - through good times and hard times."

Gerald Bourguet

@GeraldBourguet

I asked Mike Budenholzer about the Suns locker room’s mentality weathering the injuries and tough schedule: “These guys, I think, stay together. It’s a good group, they’ve got a good spirit, they’ve got a good way about ‘em - through good times and the hard times.”

9:57 PM • Nov 18, 2024

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The injury bug has bit hard early in the desert, but the old adage rings true: It's not about how you start, it's about how you finish.

Can the Suns win with these injuries in the playoffs? Almost assuredly not. But injuries in November are a far cry from injuries in April.

Until then, watch this team grow together as it marches toward a (hopefully) healthier winter.

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🎟️ ABOUT LAST NIGHT...

Tuesday, Nov. 19

🤣 There were no local games last night, so enjoy a little laugh instead

Why shouldn't you use a broken pencil?
It's pointless.