Latest loss officially condemns Phoenix Suns to massive step back as a team

The Phoenix Suns travelled to Boston to face the defending champion Celtics on Friday - and to the surprise of absolutely nobody - they were roundly beaten 123-103. Their second heavy loss to a far superior team in the Celtics in quick succession, having lost at home by 30 points towards the end of March.

Bradley Beal was back for this one, although scoring a single point in 30 minutes won't have done anything to convince the fan base he can change their fortunes around late in the season. Royce O'Neale also returned, and he was a welcome addition to the starting lineup. There continues to be no Kevin Durant however, with a rumor filled offseason surely in store for the 36-year-old.

The Celtics loss condemned the Suns to a losing record this season.

This is something that we have all known was likely to happen for some time now, but actually seeing it become official was another feeling entirely. This Suns organization has grown steadily since that unexpected 8-0 run in the bubble that signalled that they were a team on the rise, and it peaked when they reached the 2021 NBA Finals.

Although that didn't go their way, the Suns won 64 games to clinch the one seed the following season - and even though they were yet to reach the pinnacle again - finishing above .500 and firmly in the playoff seeding was what this franchise did. Adding Durant didn't cement their place at the top of the standings, but this team was still competitive.

Until this season. We now know the team can't finish above .500 even if they do win all of their remaining games - although having dropped five straight - that does not seem very likely. Whether or not they even make the play-in tournament - and they are now two full games back on the Sacramento Kings - this is a dreadful new low in a season that has been full of them.

Success is not linear in the league, but such a drop off after adding both Durant and Beal is further proof that the Suns are going in the wrong direction. It also adds more fuel to the belief that previous head coach Frank Vogel was the right man for the job. He won 49 games last season with essentially the same group, plus lumbering big Jusuf Nurkic. A player who it seems was not really to blame here.

The organization now stand on the brink of a massively important offseason. Durant is as good as gone, while they would likely get rid of Beal if they could. Adding some draft picks and young players in place of Durant sounds great, but that will mean taking their lumps once more as they try and climb up the Western Conference standings again.

Booker surely thought that part of his career was over - there was enough losing throughout his first few years in the league - but a return to the middle of the pack at best is on the horizon for next season. The Celtics confirmed that by beating the Suns while barely getting out of second gear, which should be another reason to worry about Booker's long-term future in The Valley.