Tuesday night’s 108-104 victory over the Golden State Warriors by the Phoenix Suns marked a successful start to the 2023–24 season.
After the Warriors’ defense tightened up in the second half and made the Suns work for their win, the Suns battled their way to the finish line. This year, victories over any opponent in the Western Conference will come with bumps and bruises. It won’t be lovely all the time. Wins, though, are wins.
It was real to feel Bradley Beal’s absence. Since Beal’s signing, the Suns team has been referred to as one of the “Big-3.” They are now a superteam. You can also see that the third member of their trio was missed following their victory over the Warriors.
Even though the season is still very early, my thoughts on Kevin Durant are still the same as they were at the conclusion of the previous season’s postseason run. He no longer resembles the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant from the start of the previous campaign.
Before sustaining an injury, Durant was averaging 29.7 points and shooting 56% from the field for the Nets. Before moving to Phoenix, he averaged 26 points per game while shooting 57% from the field in eight games. There isn’t much of a difference, right? His field goal percentage fell to 48% during the playoffs. That there is a big difference.
He finished the game with 18 points on 7 of 22 shots, demonstrating once more how the physical play affected him. The shots were short, and to be honest it was probably just fatigue. Suns superstar Devin Booker mentioned that he was “tired as hell” after the game.
The pressure that will be put on Durant’s shoulders if the Suns experience any Beal injury issues could be excessive based on what we are currently seeing.
Who gives a damn about the debate over “who will play point guard” when Booker showed on Tuesday night that he may have it down. He will, however, also require his running mate. That guy will have to be Beal.
Although Durant will have his numbers, can he also contribute as a passer and will it hinder the offensive flow? When Beal returns, it will be interesting to see if the trio performs together.
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