During the first three months of the NBA season, the Phoenix Suns have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league.
The message “It’s time to pick it up” was sent out by star guard Devin Booker on Thursday, one day before the Suns were scheduled to play the Sacramento Kings. Booker is aware of the sense of urgency that the situation is causing.
Seven of Phoenix’s last ten games have been losses, and on Tuesday night, the team allowed a 16-point lead to be blown away from them before suffering a 109-104 loss at the hands of Portland. Through their comeback victory, the Trail Blazers were able to end a losing streak that had lasted seven games.
Despite scoring 40 points against Portland, Kevin Durant’s performance was insufficient.
“Do not be apprehensive about holding one another accountable,” Booker recommended on Thursday. Each individual is working towards the identical goal, which is to attain triumphs in basketball competitions. We acknowledge that it will not be easy, given the difficulty of the division, and we have more than enough players with experience circling the block. They possess knowledge of that.
The Suns were considered title contenders entering their inaugural full season with Durant and Booker at the helm. It was anticipated that the acquisition of guard Bradley Beal in the offseason would provide an additional lift, but due to back and ankle injuries, he has only appeared in six games.
Phoenix is situated just above instead.500 is performing significantly below expectations at 14-13.
“Everyone feels it,” stated Booker. “There are more than just one of us. There is literally everyone in here. It is true that everyone has a profession, and this is the pinnacle of basketball. It is not a simple task, and we fully comprehend that. We possess the necessary talent. We have the mental fortitude to perform better than we previously did as basketball players.”
Although Durant made it plain that there is no need for alarm, a change must take place immediately.
A setback occurred during the 10-game span in Phoenix against the Kings. De’Aaron Fox, a standout for Sacramento, scored 23 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter on December 8 to lead the Kings to a 114-106 victory.
That evening, Booker tallied 28 points, whereas Durant was inactive due to an ankle injury.
Fox’s current streak is disastrous, as he has accumulated over 25 points in eleven of his previous twelve appearances. During the stretch, he recorded two performances of 40 points each, including 29 on Wednesday in Sacramento’s 144-119 home loss to the Celtics.
Boston held a 30-6 advantage in fastbreak points and maintained a 30-point lead throughout the resounding victory.
Eight of Sacramento’s previous eleven contests ended in losses, prior to its season-low point total. Despite this, the Kings are 3-1 on a homestand that spans six games and concludes against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday evening.
Brown will be keeping a careful eye on his team’s reaction in the match against Phoenix. Sacramento has prevailed in all three meetings against Phoenix.