Suns' role player quickly taking Bradley Beal's minutes in Phoenix and excelling

The Phoenix Suns have hit an unexpected purple patch late in their season, and are now the winners of four straight games. Despite having the toughest remaining schedule in the league - which is still the case - they have now enjoyed back-to-back wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Milwaukee Bucks.

It is fair to point out that the Suns did catch the Cavaliers at the right time - although they've put that losing streak behind them - but the two point win over the Bucks at home was as impressive as it was needed. Devin Booker stepping up to hit the game winner in cool fashion, with Bradley Beal missing throughout this impressive stretch with a hamstring issue.

He's rapidly losing minutes to a recently added player to the Suns' bench.

That would be Cody Martin - who the Suns finally got rid of center Jusuf Nurkic for - at the trade deadline. The former Charlotte Hornets player heading to The Valley alongside Vasilije Micic, who himself has barely played since landing in Phoenix. Martin arrived with a sports hernia, but in the last couple of weeks has settled into the rotation nicely.

He's been a necessary part of the winning streak the team have put together, and during that time has averaged 16.2 minutes per game. He's certainly not out there for his scoring - currently at 4.2 points per night - while his 3-point shot has been dreadful. That's not what Martin was brought in for though, and he is starting to make a case as a better player to have next to the Suns' stars.

Whereas Beal needs the ball to be at his best - despite being more than willing off it - the same is not true of Martin. When he's out there with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, he defends to the best of his ability and takes any offensive scraps that come his way. It would be lazy to just think of him as the kind of glue guy this group has lacked - Okogie was this at times too - but there is some truth to it.

Martin clearly just wants to help the team win in any way he can, and he's also doing something that Beal most certainly is not, and that is playing for his future. It remains to be seen if Phoenix will keep him beyond this season - it will come down to if it makes sense financially more than anything else - whereas Beal has a no-trade clause and has no problem letting everybody know that fact.

Martin then is playing like his spot in the league depends on it - and while he would surely find another team if it doesn't work out in The Valley - how much he makes is currently on the line as well. That brings with it a kind of hunger that cannot be replicated, and the Suns are benefitting massively from it right now.

Alongside rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, Martin is bringing an intensity and defensive identity to this group when he is on the court. You could make the case he's not even as good an individual defender on the perimeter as Beal is - he's certainly not as quick - but his ability to be more comfortable when switched onto bigger players has helped the Suns each night.

Which is why Beal should be worried about where he fits in here for the rest of the season. It is no coincidence that the vibes are as high as they are and the defensive pressure has ramped up since he's been out with his latest issue. Martin isn't the only player who has benefitted either, with both Dunn and Ighodaro deservedly getting some of Beal's minutes as well.

Throughout this winning streak - the franchise's longest since November - the Suns rank 12th in defensive efficiency (112.0). The same number as the Detroit Pistons, who are one of the hungriest teams in the league. Offensively they sit third, at 126.4 points per night. Showing such improvement on both ends with Martin playing as he has, it's hard to see Beal getting some of those minutes back.