That was always going to be a dangerous week, but losing yet again at Beal-Roulette was no fun for anyone. Now the Suns continue to try to mix and match the next few weeks.
But the real problem for this team is defense. On-ball defense. Help defense. Switching defense. You name it, it’s a problem.
While Durant and Booker are good defenders, they’re really only playing defense in spurts to hang onto their energy through the fourth quarter. That’s two of the starting lineup. Jusuf Nurkic is trying his butt off, but teams know how to neutralize him — get him on the perimeter and force him to defend while chasig someone to the hoop.