The Phoenix Suns may have overlooked the San Antonio Spurs.
They blew a 20-point lead and had one of the most infamous late-game collapses that come to mind in recent NBA history, allowing back-to-back buckets in the final four seconds to lose a game.
It’s worth noting that the Suns were severely undermanned, though, as Devin Booker and Bradley Beal missed yet another game with an injured ankle and back, respectively.
That’s why Stephen A. Smith took some time on “First Take” to express his concerns about Beal.
"I'm a big Bradley Beal fan, but since 2019 he's missed about 105 of the last 312 games. … I'm starting to get really, really concerned. I need to see this guy on the court."
—@stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/n1fh1WMN18
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 1, 2023
He stated that he’s a big fan of the former Washington Wizards star, adding that he’s starting to get really worried about him and his health.
Smith pointed out the fact that Beal has only played in one-third of his games since 2019, adding that he’s played 92 combined games in the past two seasons.
The pundit also stated that despite all the talk about how the new-look Suns could look this season, this might as well be who they are if Kevin Durant doesn’t have his All-Star teammates by his side.
The Suns are doing the right thing by playing the waiting game with those injuries.
They need to make sure that both Booker and Beal are healthy for when it counts the most.
Then again, we’ve seen multiple superteams crumble under pressure because they don’t have enough time together and fail to develop chemistry.
Health is the only thing that could stand in this team’s way, and these early returns are far from encouraging.
NEXT: Frank Vogel Sounds Off On Referees Over Missed Call
