Phoenix Suns Injury Report (Dec 2): Latest update on Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal's availability
The Phoenix Suns (11-8) are scheduled to face the Memphis Grizzlies (5-13) on Saturday, Dec. 2. At the time of writing, the team is yet to release their injury report. However, judging by previous information provided by the team, it's fair to assume Bradley Beal will not be participating Saturday,
Beal is currently dealing with a lower back strain. He will likely be re-evaluated in the coming weeks. Devin Booker has been listed as day-to-day, so will likely be questionable heading into Sunday's game and will become a game-time decision for the coaching staff.
Damion Lee continues to recover from surgery and will not be present within the team's rotation. Both teams come into Saturday's game after playing Friday. The Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 108-94, while the Suns fell to the Denver Nuggets 119-111.
With both teams likely to have tired legs, any missing stars will be an additional burden on the available rotation. Kevin Durant has been shouldering a heavy workload to begin the new season. With both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal missing time, Durant has been the one ever-present, despite being the player Frank Vogel would likely want to rest.
Phoenix came into the season with championship hopes. However, we've yet to see a full-strength roster for a prolonged stretch, making it difficult to assess the legitimacy of a potential championship run.
The Suns need to help Kevin Durant keep his minutes down
Kevin Durant is 35 years old. He's had major injuries in his career. At some point in the season, the Phoenix Suns will need to find ways of limiting Durant's playing time if they want him at his best during the postseason when the games really count.
However, Durant's high workload isn't the fault of Frank Vogel or the coaching staff. Instead, it is a byproduct of the injury issues Phoenix has been dealing with to begin the season. The team's roster is designed around a top-heavy trio of stars. If Bradley Beal or Devin Booker is unavailable, Durant would logically need to play more.
Beal has seldom seen the court for the Suns to begin the season, which has led to consistently high workloads for Durant. He's currently averaging 36.8 minutes per game, which is his highest minutes total since the 2013-14 season when he was with the OKC Thunder.
Durant is an essential contributor for the Suns, especially when the playoffs begin. They need to find a way of keeping him fresh and healthy. Otherwise, Phoenix's season could quickly hit the rocks.