3 reasons the Phoenix Suns are losing games right now
By Luke Duffy
1. Fix their offensive struggles
If there is one area the Suns were not supposed to struggle this season, it was offensively. Even with Beal missing, the belief was that Durant and Booker being surrounded by snipers like Allen, Watanabe and Gordon was going to lead to a free-flowing scoring machine.
Replacing Nurkic with Ayton was also supposed to help, as Nurkic is the more well-rounded offensive player who is a capable passer out of the post, and underrated screener. He is also capable of stepping into a shot of his own, with the 12.4 points he is putting up per game, often as the fourth or fifth option offensively, a nice boost for the team to have.
Next. Should the Phoenix Suns take a look at signing Austin Rivers?. Should the Phoenix Suns take a look at signing Austin Rivers?. dark
But in the last four games - that win over the Wizards and three losses to the Trail Blazers and both New York teams - the Suns have ranked a terrible 22nd in offensive rating (113.4). To watch them play that number would not surprise you, because offensively it has been rigid and the over-reliance on their two star players has been obvious.
Having Beal available would help, but really it is on coach Vogel to get the best out of this group, no matter who is playing. He recently alluded to some players not stepping into the roles given to them so far this season - but right now - this is the most pressing concern for the team. Defensively they'll never be elite, but they can be much better at piling up points on opponents, especially weaker ones.