The Phoenix Suns are standing at No. 10 in the Western Conference with 13 wins and 12 losses. While the team is riding on a two-game losing streak after the recent loss to the Knicks, it hasn’t been a fruitful season for the Suns. Although there was major speculation that the ‘Big 3’ would take the franchise to new heights, the show hasn’t been impressive yet. Bradley Beal returned in a home game against the Brooklyn Nets on December 13 after being MIA for the last 12 games.
While the player has only played six games this season, his performance against the Nets was not on par. Beal scored 14 points, 1 rebound, and 4 assists in his 34 minutes on the court. In addition to the rhetoric, in the next game against the New York Knicks, the player just played for 5 minutes.
Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal is likely to miss a few weeks with his right ankle injury, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Good news for Beal is testing showed no major ankle damage, but it’s another setback for Beal after the scary landing on a Knicks closeout Friday night. pic.twitter.com/a7Z8MA71Ue
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 17, 2023
The star guard succumbed to yet another injury to his right ankle while aiming for a 3-pointer. 7:28 minutes were remaining in the first quarter when Beal landed on Donte DiVincenzo while aiming for a 3. It was after this fall that the player just remained on the floor while holding his ankle. Although he got back up to attempt a free throw, he was taken to the locker room shortly after.
The narrative was that the guard would be out ‘indefinitely’; however, once the reports of the MRI scan dropped in, it became clearer that the sprain angle was negative. However, Beal will still have to miss a few weeks and recover from the massive pain. While head coach Frank Vogel is disappointed in the injury, Kevin Durant might be feeling ‘Dejavu.’
Can the Phoenix Suns build momentum with Bradley Beal?
Although the ‘Big 3‘ debut didn’t quite satisfy the hype around the topic, it will take time for the three to build chemistry around each other. Since the team has been injury-prone since the start of the regular season, Beal will take time to adapt to the pace of the ‘unbothered-36.’ Even after this, the team will still lack depth, size, and a reliable point guard, along with efficient defense.
It’s an open secret that the three are top-class shooters and scorers, but there is no special quality that Beal has. While he is an elite scorer, the gameplay matches that of the ‘Slim Reaper’ and Devin Booker. While Frank Vogel is experimenting with different strategizing lineups and adjusting to the offense, the results might take their own sweet time to show up.
Giving more minutes to Nassir Little and Jordan Goodwin might lead the franchise to fruition. However, the Big 3 are running at a slow pace for the time being.