The Phoenix Suns still have a chance to make it to the 2024 NBA Playoffs despite their recent trend of losses. The Suns are seventh in the Western Conference, an improvement, as they were eighth a few days ago.
Still, they're in the Play-In zone, which isn't ideal for any team to contend for the Larry O'Brien trophy. There are more games on top of the 82-game season. Having more games would be physically grueling, especially for the stars.
On top of that, they have one of the most challenging schedules as the season concludes. Their final nine games are all playoff teams who either aim to clinch a higher spot in the standings or aspire to escape the Play-In zone.
Their final games won't be easy and could be daunting for the group to be on the same page.
They recently won against the defending champions, Denver Nuggets. Phoenix failed to capture a win against the San Antonio Spurs, without Victor Wembanyama. They had a wake-up call in their loss against the Spurs, which drove them to win against the Nuggets.
Aside from the stars, many are looking up to the role players to make the team's postseason wishes come true. The Suns have quite an interesting group of role players who have helped the stars throughout the year. One of those players is Jusuf Nurkic, who's been phenomenal, especially on the boards.
Nurkic has appeared in 68 games, averaging 11.3 points and 11 rebounds. His contributions have positively impacted the team's campaign, making him one of the most valuable players for the Suns, that is, outside of their Big 3.
However, even with his decent production on the floor, there are a few things that could be problematic for the team during the playoffs. These problems won't necessarily be the cause of a potential downfall for the Suns, but they could expose him against opposing teams.
Let's look at some things that could help their potential opponents expose the Bosnian center.