NBA rumors: Draymond praises rookie defense, Beal nearing debut, Lakers interested in Caruso
By Kyle Delaney
NBA rumors: Bradley Beal nearing his Phoenix Suns debut
According to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Bradley Beal could make his Phoenix Suns regular-season debut Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. Beal has missed Phoenix’s first seven regular season games due to back issues. Beal practiced in full on Tuesday. Frank Vogel spoke with Rankin after practice and said Beal looked good and will be listed as questionable for Wednesday's game.
"It's great to see him doing his thing in the Suns uniform and soon enough fans will get a chance to see that as well." Vogel said.
"Looks good, just got to make sure and see how he feels from the work today."
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 7, 2023
Frank Vogel on Bradley Beal (back).
Listed questionable. On track to play Wed. at Bulls.
Devin Booker (calf) out.
"He wants to be in there but he can tell when something is not quite right." #Suns pic.twitter.com/EgdKifIbPt
As Vogel explains in the video, it's a marathon, not a sprint. "He's not going to do something that compromises a bigger chunk of games, you know, to just play in one," said Vogel. We don't know when the three-time All-Star will play. Though, you can't help but think Bradley Beal's return would help since Devin Booker is out and Kevin Durant has been carrying the offensive load lately.
Without Beal and Booker, the Suns' offense relies solely on KD. The thing is Kevin Durant is 35 years old and plays almost 36 minutes a night. That's not the worst thing. After all, it's Kevin Durant, a prolific scorer. However, these minutes could come back to haunt Phoenix if the Suns demand too much from the slim reaper. If I'm the Suns, I want a fresh Kevin Durant come the playoffs, which means I'd hope to avoid burning him out early in the season. Clearly, the Suns need to find a way to get their other stars on the court. Hopefully, Beal returns soon.