One Short and Long Term Goal for Suns Coming Down the All-Star Stretch

Phoenix Suns Short Term Goal: Get Healthy

“Staying healthy” represents an important and omnipresent goal which every NBA team hopes to attain. But for title contenders, doing so is far more crucial given their winning potential when fully intact.

At this point, the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets strike as first examples of those falling under this unfortunate and pressurized circumstance. But now the Suns find themselves somewhat slipping to their level, with the injury bug slowly sinking its teeth into the team over the past two weeks.

If the Suns want to ascend to the NBA throne, they need their full squad back. Although their ability to win with rotations put together using duck tape and glue sticks has been impressive, you cannot expect it all to hold up come playoff time.

Phoenix ideally wants everyone back as soon as possible, but Deandre Ayton represents their most important piece to restore. The former first overall pick elevated Phoenix during the postseason arguably to a greater extent than anyone else on the roster.

Beyond Ayton though, role players Jae Crowder, Cameron Payne, Abdel Nader, Frank Kaminsky, and as of last night, Landry Shamet have all landed on the injury report. Both with regard to the team needing to utilize all its talent and wanting to space out minutes properly, Phoenix cannot go on with half its roster wearing street clothes to each game.

It’s such a clear and over encompassing issue that we almost forget about it sometimes, but before they do anything else, the Suns need to get healthy.