Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Suns could get huge boost soon with return of injured star

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 12/28/23

The Phoenix Suns are still waiting to see how their big three can perform together over a sustained period. Bradley Beal's injury issues to start the season have left the team treading water, with the Suns hovering around the .500 mark over their first 30 games.

The Suns could finally get to see their star trio in action, though. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania on a recent episode of FanDuel TV's "Run it Back," Beal could return from injury by the weekend.

"The Suns, they know they need to get healthy," Charania said. "They do need to start winning games. And that starts with Bradley Beal being back in the lineup. He lightens the load for everyone on that team. He creates mismatches. He makes everyone's life easier. They need him back on that floor. We haven't seen that big three for more than one full game, and that's a problem for Phoenix...I'm told he is progressing. He is ahead of schedule. I'm told he could return as soon as this weekend."

"I'm told [Bradley Beal] is progressing, he is ahead of schedule, and I'm told he could return as soon as this weekend."@ShamsCharania updates on Bradley Beal.

: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/n7DYSmHQww
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 28, 2023

Beal's return will finally give the Suns a chance to see how their star trio fits together. They can begin to define roles. They can also figure out rotations and when to stagger minutes. Most importantly, they can begin finding ways to rest Kevin Durant for stretches of games. At 35 years old, Durant has been carrying a heavy workload for Phoenix.

However, the Suns shouldn't expect Beal to fix everything that ails them immediately. Beal's reintroduction in the rotation may lead to some rough stretches as he gets his legs back and the team adjusts to having him back.

There could be a period of acclimation that won't be easy to watch. Still, those are the stretches the Suns will need to navigate if they want to become a championship-caliber team.

Beal's impending return will be a huge boost to Phoenix. The Suns hope it ends the talk of their imbalanced roster construction and flips the narrative to how elite they are. Of course, Beal will need to remain healthy for that to happen.

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