The 2024-2025 Phoenix Suns might go down as one of the most disappointing teams to miss the playoffs in a single season. But wait — this team has Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Three All-Star-caliber players, three elite scorers, three offensive threats who can take over a game at any moment. Yet, one glaring issue has defined their season.
As a team, the Suns can’t play defense.
Tuesday night’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks made that clearer than ever. The Bucks shot 68.9% from the field — the highest field goal percentage by an NBA team in a regular-season game since 1998. And they did it without AJ Green or Damian Lillard, two of their best shooters. Instead, Milwaukee got some of its best single-game performances all season long from role players.
Phoenix’s defensive struggles have been a season-long nightmare for fans. Ranked 27th in defensive rating, their failure to adjust has turned them from contenders to a team barely clinging to play-in hopes. The Suns' strategy of simply outscoring opponents works in bursts, but in the long run, it’s proven unsustainable.
The Suns’ uncertain leadership has only added to their woes. Some look to Durant, a two-time champion and offensive powerhouse, as the natural leader. Others see Booker, the longest-tenured Sun, who helped take the franchise from rock bottom to the NBA Finals. But when you try to connect the dots, all that’s left is a team scrambling to find direction.
Phoenix has now lost four straight games, seemingly trying to make their playoff push both as easy and difficult as possible. They can thank the Sacramento Kings — who hold the 10th seed — for losing three in a row and keeping the door open. With just six games left and the second-hardest remaining schedule, their next battle comes against the league-leading Boston Celtics.
Even if they sneak into the play-in, bigger problems loom. Kevin Durant could be on the move, the team is strapped for cap space, and Booker might soon play under his fourth head coach in four years. At this point, Suns fans shouldn’t just be hoping for the playoffs—they should be praying for a plan.