Suns struggling to even get into play-in contention

The Phoenix Suns may not even have a chance to play postseason basketball this year. 

The Suns, led by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, are currently one spot out of play-in contention, as they are the 11th seed in the Western Conference. It is fair to say that the Suns have been a disappointment, and that's saying the least. 

Sure, they have two of the top scorers in the league in Durant and Booker. Durant, 36, is averaging 26.8 points on 52.7% shooting from the field in his 17th season. On the other hand, Booker is averaging 25.3 points per game on 45.3% shooting from the field. In fact, Durant and Booker both rank in the top 10 in scoring average. 

However, the Suns currently hold a 35-39 overall record and are trailing two teams that lost franchise players during the season in the Dallas Mavericks and the Sacramento Kings. 

Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most shocking trades in NBA history. Moreover, Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending injury, and Anthony Davis — acquired in the Doncic trade — has missed ample games since the trade to Dallas. 

As for Sacramento, it traded its cornerstone piece in De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and even fired head coach Mike Brown early in the season. 

Despite the adversity Dallas and Sacramento have endured, both franchises are still in playoff contention ahead of a Suns team that had high expectations.

Prior to the season, the Suns hired 2021 NBA champion head coach Mike Budenholzer. However, Budenholzer's championship pedigree hasn't done much good in Phoenix to this point. 

First of all, the Suns struggle immensely on defense, as they rank 22nd in the NBA in points allowed (116 per game). Moreover, the Suns lack size, and it is evident in their rebounding ability — they rank 24th in rebounding.

The Suns also lack a true playmaker who can effectively run the offense consistently. Booker leads the team in assists with 7.1 per game, but he is a scorer first and foremost. When the Suns went to the NBA Finals in 2021 and won 64 games the following season, Chris Paul was the primary facilitator and Booker had arguably the best two seasons of his career. 

If Phoenix had a point guard who could consistently facilitate the offense and be a solid scoring threat, perhaps the Suns would be in a better position than they are now. 

However, not only does the Suns roster lack talent overall, but the team tends to capitulate in games. Case in point: The Suns were defeated handily at home against a Boston Celtics team without Jayson Tatum, 132-102, on March 26. Boston's perimeter shooting and ball movement overwhelmed a Phoenix team that had seemed to find its groove. Prior to that loss, Phoenix had won four consecutive games and a glimpse of optimism had manifested.

The Suns have now lost two consecutive games and are one game behind the Kings and 2.5 games back from Mavericks, the ninth seed. 

At this point, the Suns' flaws as a unit can't be improved with eight games remaining in the season. Durant will likely be moved this summer, but if Phoenix fails to make the play-in, the Suns could make drastic changes that could possibly include Booker.