The Phoenix Suns have been decimated by injuries, and are in real danger of slipping into a play-in battle to try and make the postseason.
Only if they look across the court at their next opponents in the Boston Celtics, they will see that losing players to injury does not have to put an end to playoff ambitions.
Celtics never let Jayson Tatum's injury slow them down
The Celtics have missed Jayson Tatum all season with a torn achilles, and although he has flirted with coming back, we likely won't see him until 2026-27.
Yet despite this huge setback, the Celtics have watched Jaylen Brown morph into a fringe MVP candidate, while they sit second in the Eastern Conference.
We're not saying that Dillon Brooks is on the same level as Brown, but he sure was having a similar impact in The Valley before breaking his hand.
"When he first found out, he was probably disappointed. The next morning I think he was in here shooting with one hand."
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 24, 2026
Suns guard Collin Gillespie on Dillon Brooks, who had surgery on his broken left hand Monday.
Re-evaluated in 4 to 6 weeks.
"He's crazy, but that's who he… pic.twitter.com/6z7c7mgmpG
Brooks will be gone 4-6 weeks which is far from ideal, but the Suns don't need to let this define their season. They also have Jalen Green and Devin Booker won't be missing much longer with a hip issue.
Just look at some of the names the Celtics played in a recent nationally televised victory over the Los Angeles Lakers away from home.
Baylor Scheierman, Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta all started and played between 26-29 minutes each as they romped to a 111-89 win.
Hugo Gonzalez played 14 minutes and successfully guarded another former Real Madrid standout in Luka Doncic on a couple of possessions.
35-year-old Nikola Vucevic, creaky defender that he is, logged 24 minutes and produced some solid offensive moments.
Obviously Brown is the engine, while Derrick White has been excellent and Payton Pritchard's shot making verges on the ridiculous.
But the Suns have their own equivalents in Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin (get well soon) and Jamaree Bouyea. Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale have been excellent all season as well.
Yes the Western Conference is more difficult, and the Suns are being hit all over the rotation with setbacks seemingly on a daily basis.
But if the Celtics can act like they are still in the mix before getting Tatum back, then so can the Suns. Let's not forget they also have a Coach of the Year candidate in Jordan Ott.
They've never felt sorry for themselves, and nobody said this was going to be easy. But they should continue on like it is business as usual, and the playoffs may still be within reach.