The Phoenix Suns are gearing up to play the Golden State Warriors in the season’s first game. These two teams respect each other on the court but don’t necessarily like one another. These are two of the teams in the Western Conference, and likely in the entire NBA, that will compete for a championship.
The Warriors are, or were, a dynasty, depending on what your opinion of it is. They were once the greatest team ever assembled. They are still really good, with Stephen Curry, Klay Thomspon, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green on the roster, so the Suns will need all hands on deck.
But they won’t have all hands on deck after some recent news tells us they will be without one of their best players, some news Suns fans don’t want to hear.
Here is what NBA insider Shams Charania tweeted out early Tuesday morning:
"“Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal is unlikely to play tonight in season opener vs. the Golden State Warriors, league sources tell. Suns are taking a cautious approach with Beal’s back ailment to begin the new season.”"
Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal is unlikely to play tonight in season opener vs. the Golden State Warriors, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Suns are taking a cautious approach with Beal’s back ailment to begin the new season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 24, 2023
Bradley Beal was acquired from the Washington Wizards this offseason in a trade that ended up sending Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors, so the trade would have come full circle on Tuesday.
Barring anything crazy happening, the Suns will have Kevin Durant and Devin Booker playing on Tuesday night, which should be enough to get the win against the Warriors on the road. However, not having another guy on the court who can also get 30 points whenever he wants will hurt.
Beal is one of the best scorers in the league. He will be the guy who the other team’s third-best defender often guards. The Suns will be missing that on Tuesday. Hopefully, he will be back soon.