#Phoenix suns kevin durant update#

Guard Damion Lee all season has ranked among the NBA’s top 3-point shooters, but Wednesday he didn’t play for the second time in four games. 15, veteran Terrence Ross has averaged 9 points, hitting 20 of 51 from 3 (39.2 percent). On March 5, forward Ish Wainright replaced a struggling Okogie and hit four big shots in Phoenix’s win at Dallas. He had 15 points in the loss to the Lakers. Guard Landry Shamet returned this week after missing two months with a foot injury and has played well. Forward Torrey Craig has proved himself dependable, but from there, it’s uncertain. Jock Landale or Bismack Biyombo back up Ayton depending on the matchup. Okogie this season has shot a career-best 32.5 percent from 3 but in March, he’s just 14 of 50 (28 percent.) With Durant, the Suns’ fourth and fifth options will get open looks, especially from the corners. He’s good in transition and rugged on defense. Hard-nosed forward Josh Okogie has earned the fifth starting spot. Obviously, Phoenix’s remains a work in progress. Teams typically tighten their rotations in the playoffs. In Wednesday’s loss against the Lakers, he played 11 in the first half. With Ayton out, Williams played 12 in Sunday’s loss at Oklahoma City.

He played 10 guys in last Thursday’s home win over Orlando. Phoenix has had so many injuries it’s been difficult for coach Monty Williams to settle on a set rotation. Instead, the Suns could have a little more than a week to do so.įan poll: After tonight’s loss in LA, the Suns have lost five of six and are 38-34. The Suns could have used the rest of this month developing better chemistry and understanding what it could do with Durant on the court. In three games, he averaged 26.7 points and shot 29 of 42 from the field, making 7 of 13 from 3-point range. Earlier this season, Durant missed seven weeks with a knee sprain and upon his return - which coincided with his trade to the Suns - he looked … pretty much like the same Kevin Durant. The question here isn’t so much Durant as it is the fit surrounding him. (How odd is it that Durant joined the Suns 43 days ago and has yet to play his first home game?) Best-case scenario, the 13-time All-Star returns and plays the final five or six games of the regular season.

#Phoenix suns kevin durant update#

The Suns haven’t offered an update since but it seems like Durant is on pace with that timeline. The Suns announced March 9 that Durant would be re-evaluated in three weeks. The Suns are trending in the wrong direction.Ī look at their five biggest concerns: 1. In addition to Kevin Durant, who is recovering from a left ankle sprain, big man Deandre Ayton has missed the last two games with a hip issue. That includes two contests against Western Conference leader Denver and another against Philadelphia, the NBA’s hottest team this month. Nine of its remaining opponents are in playoff contention. With 10 games left in the regular season, Phoenix is in danger of slipping into the play-in tournament. They lead the fifth-place Clippers by a half-game and the Warriors by a game.

At 38-34, their hold on the fourth spot in the Western Conference is slipping. After Wednesday night’s 122-111 road loss against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Suns have dropped five of six. “To beat that team, you have to play almost perfect basketball,” Denver coach Michael Malone said.Ī year later, Phoenix finds itself in a completely different situation.