The Phoenix Suns have struggled in so many areas this season, it is hard to pinpoint one issue that is considerably worse than the next. Having their top three players not come together in the way that they had hoped sure didn't help, while head coach Mike Budenholzer is most certainly on the hot seat after how he has handled this campaign.
To give credit to Bradley Beal, all he has continued to do - when healthy - is give this group what he can. Whether that is starting or coming off the bench, he's been good for 18 points a night and has only appeared to want to stay in Phoenix. This despite one team apparently willing to trade for him if he does ever decide to waive that no-trade clause.
Beal's recent comments on team's defending nothing new.
The 31-year-old was speaking to the media ahead of the Suns' nationally televised game versus the L.A. Clippers - as part of the hardest remaining schedule in the league - and he was asked about how this team has gotten to this point. At this stage even reaching the play-in tournament looks a stretch, which would make what is a bad situation even worse.
Should that come to pass, the Suns will then have to gift what would be a lottery pick to the Houston Rockets as part of one of the myriad of deals they made to put this roster together. On the flip side however, a return to the playoffs via the play-in - if they could even make it through those one-off games - would surely result in another humbling series defeat.
Bradley Beal on how the Suns got to his point this season: "Honestly, I think it's just our defensive identity. I think it's just our will and our 'want to' on that end. Just being better, we just gotta give more. I think we all just gotta compete a little bit more, give a little… pic.twitter.com/IGbU5YTodu
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) March 3, 2025
As you can see in the video above, Beal cited the lack of defensive identity as one of the key reasons this season has flamed out so badly. He's not wrong, this group recently gave up 151 points in an overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, and they also sit 27th in defensive rating, giving up 116.2 points per game.
Take their last 10 games as a sample size - a period in which they have gone 2-8 - and Phoenix has by far the worst rating in the league, conceding a horrendous 120.4 points. Even the Philadelphia 76ers - who we recently tried to argue are in an even worse spot than the Suns - haven't been as bad during that period (119.9).
Beal is right not of course - but the question will continue to be - what are the Suns going to do about it? The reality is that it's too late now anyway, but this team do actually have some good players who are capable of defending. Kevin Durant continues to be underrated on that end, while Beal is an above average perimeter defender.
Booker does have that dog in him to shut down elite scorers - we've seen it plenty of times in the past - but it has been badly missed this season. Not that he alone can change the problems the Suns have in this area - coach Budenholzer going so far as to tell him to "tone it down" recently - but it could only help. Everybody in Phoenix knows their biggest problem then, but don't look like they'll fix it.