"They hate being on sidelines": Kevin Durant defends Devin Booker, Bradley Beal amid injury struggles as Suns lose 3rd straight
Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns have had a difficult start to the season, with key players Devin Booker and Bradley Beal missing significant time due to injuries. As a result, the team has a 2-4 record.
But rather than feeling frustrated, Kevin Durant said he sympathizes with Booker and Beal as they grapple with their injury-related absences from games.
"I know how much these dudes want to play," Durant said on Saturday. "They hate just being on the sidelines. We don't want them to rush. We don't want them to feel like there's pressure for them to come back because we lost a couple games."
The Suns are now on a three-game losing streak after recently falling to the Philadelphia 76ers and back-to-back losses against the San Antonio Spurs.
Durant said prioritizing the health of Booker and Beal, even if it means the Suns face initial difficulties, is more important than pushing them to play through their injuries.
“We want them to be 100% healthy for the rest of the season so it's more important now that you continue to ramp yourself up," he said.
Kevin Durant has logged the most minutes on the Suns, playing for a total of 216 minutes over six games. Grayson Allen trails him with 184 minutes, Eric Gordon with 182, Josh Okogie with 156, and Jusuf Nurkic with 150.
As the only fully healthy member of the Suns' Big Three, Durant has shouldered a substantial offensive burden. He is currently averaging 28 points per game, significantly higher than the second-highest scorer, Gordon, who is averaging only 14.3 points per game.
Despite being limited to just 72 minutes of play in two games because of an ankle issue, Booker managed to average 31.5 ppg during that span. Beal, meanwhile, is dealing with a back injury and hasn't played a single game.
Kevin Durant speaks on the Suns’ mindset without Booker and Beal
In the absence of his co-stars, Kevin Durant stated that the Suns' approach to games is straightforward: give maximum effort on every possession.
“We just play hard every possession,” Durant said on Saturday after the Suns lost to the 76ers. “And I just leave it at that, to be honest. We play hard, we're gonna put ourselves in a position to win every basketball game, no matter who's on the floor.”
The Suns' roster's primary weakness, according to critics, is its lack of depth. Most players on the Suns roster are earning minimum salaries, while their star trio of Durant, Booker and Beal are all signed to substantial max contracts.
As of now, Durant has expressed his anticipation for the return of a fully healthy team.
“I'm excited for our whole team, look forward to getting (Beal) back, to getting him healthy,” he said.
It remains to be seen when all three All-Stars can suit up for Phoenix and get their season back on track.