The Phoenix Suns made a plethora of headlines over the summer after acquiring Bradley Beal via a blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards.
The Suns were viewed by many as the outright favorite to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship following the trade.
After all, they created the Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.
Unfortunately, the three superstars have yet to play even a single regular season game together.
Keeping that in mind, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal shared his doubts about the Phoenix Suns ahead of their NBA In-Season Tournament clash against the Los Angeles Lakers via Duane Rankin.
“I’m not really impressed with the Suns yet. They have a lot of talent. I know Beal has been in and out but the Lakers are playing well,” O’Neal said.
"I'm not really impressed with the Suns yet. They have a lot of talent. I know (Bradley) Beal has been in and out but the Lakers are playing well."
Shaquille O'Neal picks #Lakers over #Suns in Tuesday #NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals in LA.
"I'm not sold on Phoenix yet." pic.twitter.com/JgBIgniX7U
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 5, 2023
As Shaquille O’Neal pointed out, Bradley Beal has been in and out of the lineup throughout the 2023-24 NBA season.
In fact, Beal has played just three games this season where he has averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game for the Suns.
Due to Beal’s struggles to stay healthy this regular season, the Suns are currently the fourth seed in the Western Conference with a 12-8 record.
While it’s certainly not a bad record, if Beal had been present the Suns could have been much better.
As for the Suns’ quarter-final clash in the NBA In-Season Tournament against the Lakers, the team will have Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on the roster.
NEXT: Suns HC Offers An Update On Bradley Beal's Health
