The case of the injuries. For nearly 3 months, the NBA season was going swimmingly. Due to the 65-game rule, players were more eager to play and injuries were down across the board. However, that has taken a dramatic U-turn in a few short weeks. However, one team that is finding some roster consistency after spending the beginning portion under the injury bug is the Phoenix Suns. One of their 3-star players has consistently been injured for a good chunk of time throughout the season. And it seems like Bradley Beal hasn’t fully healed yet.

Despite spending a majority of the season dealing with injuries, the Suns haven’t fallen out of the playoff hunt. As a result, a rejuvenated and healthy roster coinciding with their best basketball isn’t a surprise. But, in Kevin Durant‘s return to Brooklyn, the bigger story became Beal, who was seen sporting a mask.

Watch This Story: “S**t Happens”: Kevin Durant Shuns Bad Luck For Suns After Bradley Beal Shocker

Due to a nasal fracture suffered against the Indiana Pacers almost a week back due to a collision with Myles Turner’s elbow, the 3x All-Star has taken to wearing a protective mask around his face. Earlier in the week, a matchup against the Orlando Magic saw the Suns’ guard first break out the mask.

However, with his injury history, both in previous seasons and so far this year, Phoenix is rightfully worried. Alongside KD and Devin Booker, health might be the biggest hurdle for their team to cross. So, any signs of weakness are a huge sign of concern for the team.

Seeing him in shootarounds before they took on the Brooklyn Nets, does shine a dark light on the team’s prospects.

The darkness due to Bradley Beal around the Suns

During the first half of the season, Bradley has been barely available for the Suns. Moreover, this came against the Nets happens to be just their 17th game together for the Big 3. With only 17 appearances in 47 games, he has been the least reliable of the three stars.

Given the way the team is structured, top-heavy with no real depth, all 3 stars need to be firing on all cylinders for the team to have any chance. After barely crossing the .500 mark, the team finally seemed to have found its footing once Beal was back to regularity, notching a 7-game win streak. However, the blow against Indy slowed him and the team down, as they have now lost 3 straight.

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With the team’s title aspirations, anything short of the full force of the trio might not be enough. Due to the offensive inclinations of the three and the lack of depth around them, the team was always going to struggle defensively. But, if one of their key members isn’t available, it could lead to the offense struggling as well.

It is a story Durant is all too familiar with, as his Brooklyn teams found the same issues in their 2 playoff march. Can the Suns turn it around in time?

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