Despite a team-high 30 points from Bradley Beal, the Phoenix Suns are now 1-2 since the All-Star break. Considering they have the hardest remaining schedule in the NBA, that metric isn’t a good one. Not to mention, there have been plenty of rumors to go along with their struggles. For instance, one rival executive said he thinks the Suns can’t stand one another.
While the report is simply a rumor, the backend of a back-to-back road set doesn’t help their matters. Either way, it left many with question marks. The 127-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors wasn’t pretty, as they hit 20 of their 35 3s. Although they shot 49% from the field as a whole, the 3-ball was the killer.
Beal explained that to AZCentral’s Duane Rankin following the game.
“That’s the game,” Beal said postgame. “We were down two and crawled our way back. I mean, we just couldn’t guard down the stretch, man. We all got scored on with threes… threes. That’s what hurt, man. Every one last of them was a dagger.”
Bradley Beal was unhappy with the Suns’ performance
On the flip side, the Suns were efficient from the field. They shot 51% as a whole but struggled mightily from 3, only knocking down seven of their 28 attempts. That is the unfortunate reality of taking a barrage of 3s. A team that lives by the three will almost certainly die by it, too.
Even with Phoenix missing typical easy looks, it didn’t phase Beal in the slightest. Interestingly enough, it was quite the opposite.
“That’s the game,” Beal said. “It’s about rhythms, it’s about opportunities. I think we had a lot of good looks that we missed a lot of. We gotta really be rocking with our defense. That’s hard. That’s got to be the focus right now. Guarding the ball, rebounding the ball, 50/50 ball, so that’s all the defense. It’s all effort. It’s all 12.”
The defense has been a main issue for the team all season. They went from a defensively savvy head coach in Frank Vogel to an offensive mastermind in Mike Budenholzer. However, both sides of the ball have struggled this season. While the Suns are 10th in offensive rating, they are 27th in defensive rating.
Last season, the team was also 10th in offensive rating and 13th in defensive rating. Both statistics were better, along with their record. The current Suns have 30 losses. They are three losses away from matching last season’s total, and 25 games are remaining in the season.
Is Bradley Beal concerned about the state of the Suns
Like all players, he sees the news. Beal knows the media and understands the microscope that the Suns are under. After all, he’s endured plenty of rumors himself. Throughout the season, he’s endured plenty of obstacles. For starters, the Suns shockingly benched Beal at the beginning of the New Year.
He reclaimed his starting spot about a month and a half later. Still, it put a stamp on the confusion surrounding the team. Many think that they were trying any means to win games. It worked in spurts but wasn’t sustainable. With the losses pilling up, Beal knows what is at stake with the increased rumors and negative attention drawn toward the team.
“Yeah, it probably heightens it a little bit more and frustrates you a little more,” Beal said. “But at the end of the day, the goal is the goal at the end of the day. You got to go execute. We got to go do that.
“I still believe in our team, and I still believe in our opportunity. I still believe in our camaraderie and my morale, too. We just got to put it together, man. We can’t keep talking about what we need to do together; we just have to do it.”
Doing it will be difficult with 25 games remaining and the toughest remaining schedule in the league. However, a Big 3 of Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker should have the talent to muster together some wins. Still, the odds are stacked against them for the remainder of the season.
These remaining games will be a telling sign and possibly a glimpse into the future of the Suns.
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