The Phoenix Suns continued their post-All-Star pace in the Western Conference, going 2-2 since returning to action. This allowed them to stay in fifth place, and they did it without the help of Bradley Beal.
The guard has been out the last five games with a hamstring issue that limited him to five minutes in a win over the Sacramento Kings in mid-February. Head coach Frank Vogel always remained coy when talking to the media about when Beal would return, but there never seemed to be much concern either.
This will be the third time in four matches that the two teams have met, with the two teams having faced each other in the last eight days. Beal’s potential return comes at just the right time to give his team a boost, with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker also in good form at mid-season. With Bol Bol continues to build momentumNow it seemed time for Beal to try the hamstring.
Bradley Beal (hamstring) participates in a pre-match shooting. Nothing too intense, but much more than simple one-timers with dribble pull-ups, curls, corner jumpers, etc. pic.twitter.com/5pljQu1YnS
– Gérald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) February 25, 2024
As coach Vogel said Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic during a press briefing recently;
“You need to test as much game speed as possible. These pickup games aren’t exactly NBA intensity, but they’re the closest thing to it. Being able to get through them without pain is a sign really positive.”
– Frank Vogel
So we know that Beal is currently participating in pick-up games without pain, and that’s the next logical step. it’s returning to the field. After the game against the Rockets, the Suns will be on national television against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, two huge tests that will tell this franchise a lot about how close they really are to the competition.
Following. 3 reasons why the Suns were wrong to trade for Bradley Beal. 3 reasons why the Suns were wrong to trade for Bradley Beal. dark
Having Beal back in the rotation for these tests is great – because as we reviewed recently – there has been a lot to like since he joined the organization last summer. Unfortunately for the Suns, Beal only played in 30 games all season. As great as it would be to see him back, the smart money would be on him missing some more time, ahead of what is hoped to be an extended postseason run.
