Injury concerns complicate Suns' path forward

Phoenix Suns guard Dillon Brooks suffered a broken left hand in a 113-110 double-overtime win against the Orlando Magic on Saturday night. ESPN insider Shams Charania reported that Brooks is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks of action. 

Additionally, star guard Devin Booker is expected to miss at least a week due to right hip strain, leaving the seventh-seeded Suns shorthanded. How will these absences impact Phoenix's potential playoff push?

Dual setbacks complicate Phoenix Suns' path

Brooks is having his best statistical season thus far in his first season with Phoenix. The 30-year-old guard is averaging 20.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals while shooting 44% from the field. Brooks, known for his brash and bulldog-like mentality, has cemented himself as one of the league's most improved players. In fact, he has increased his scoring average by 6.9 points compared to last season.

Brooks has been an ample part of the Suns' identity and overall makeup thus far. The former Oregon Duck brings toughness and an edge to a team that is brimming with a young core that includes players as Jalen Green, Ryan Dunn, Mark Williams and Collin Gillespie.  

Phoenix (33-25) is also dealing with the absence of Booker, who missed eight of 10 games before the All-Star break and is set to miss even more time with this latest setback. Booker's contribution of averaging 24.7 points, 6.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds strips the Suns of their offensive anchor at a critical point in the season. 

Who are the next men up for a shorthanded Suns squad?

Suns first-year head coach Jordan Ott, who was named the Western Conference Coach of the Month in January, will have to navigate his young team without his two best players. 

Dunn will have to step up in the absence of Brooks and recently injured forward Jordan Goodwin (calf). Dunn has shown improvement compared to last season when it comes to his confidence on both ends of the floor. He averages 5.8 points per game, but his contributions to the unit aren't all tallied on the stat sheet.

The Suns will need big offensive contributions from Gillespie and especially Green. Gillespie is also one of the league's most improved players. As a starter, the 26-year-old averages 14.3 points, 4.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 41.9% from beyond the arc. Green, who averages just 13.3 points and 2.4 assists, has played only 10 games this season. The former Houston Rockets guard will need to become the big-time scorer that franchise hoped he could be when it drafted him second overall in 2021. 

Phoenix is 6-8 without Booker and 3-5 without Brooks this season. The Suns have 24 games remaining and are just two-and-a-half games ahead of the Golden State Warriors (eighth seed) and two games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves (sixth seed). 

The final two months of the regular season will be a defining stretch for Ott and a roster suddenly fighting for stability.