The Phoenix Suns look like they are headed for what will be one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. A little over two-years after trading all that they could for Kevin Durant, and they've got next to nothing to show for it. Getting swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves last season was bad, but not making it to the postseason at all would be even worse.
That's a reality that is now staring them in the face, and the San Antonio Spurs could yet make it even worse. Failure to make the playoffs will also mean a high lottery pick heading to the Houston Rockets, an organization who have patiently built a young and now thriving roster since the James Harden era ended.
The Suns could be better if they just fixed this one area.
Make no mistake, there is a lot wrong with this roster and how it all fits together right now. Kevin Durant - as amazing as he continues to be on a lot of nights - just doesn't look like he has the star power to swing entire games in the way that he used to. Devin Booker hasn't been himself, while Bradley Beal appears to be just happy to be there.
Head coach Mike Budenholzer sure looks like he has lost the dressing room, if the antics of Durant in timeouts and the constant laughing and joking on the bench are any indication. He was supposed to bring in an offensive renaissance that would take this team to new heights. That clearly hasn't happened, but the real area of concern has been their defense.
In fact since the beginning of February, the Suns have the worst defensive rating in the entire league (122.0). If you watch them on any given night, it is not hard to see why. There is little to know effort from many of their players, while the reality is the likes of Tyus Jones and even Mason Plumlee have clear deficiencies in that area.
The belief here was that the Suns could outscore opponents - but bar that impressive shooting night from deep in a win over the Sacramento Kings recently - that has not been the case. Rather the franchise had a net rating of minus 7.1 in February, while in March it is a still dreadful minus 2.0. You could make the case if the Suns just scored a few more baskets, things would be different.
Only we know that's not the case, and that defending at a high level has been the issue. It is telling that rookie Ryan Dunn remains one of their best options in this regard, despite making all of the mistakes you would expect out of a guy in his first year. Even more telling, Beal has been one of their more engaged defenders when he has been out there, a fact many fans appear to have forgotten.
Then there was Luka Doncic getting caught while mic'd up in his side's win over the Suns saying he had literally never been as open out there in his life. He wasn't saying that to be mean either, and this was despite the Suns clearly game-planning for Doncic and often throwing three defenders his way as he tried to set up offensive plays.
But it is as simple as saying the Suns should have tried harder earlier in the season? They do have a pattern of upping their intensity only when they've fallen down big, as was the case in that loss to the Lakers. Booker is giving up the most points of his career when he's out on the court this season (117.2), although that is likely as much to do with the players around him than anything else.
Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton are long gone - and while Durant remains an underrated defender who puts off opponents around the rim from time-to-time - at 36-years-old he can't do that for 40 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets on a Wednesday night. Only that's what this group actually needed six weeks ago, and it can't go back in time and play harder either. It is now too late.