Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal out for several weeks
Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal will miss three weeks while recovering from a back injury.
Beal initially injured his back in training camp and missed the start of the regular season with back spasms. His debut with the Suns was delayed until the eighth game of the season.
In three starts for the Suns, Beal averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Beal last played in a game on Nov. 12 in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Suns said Beal's back injury worsened against the Thunder. Beal underwent an MRI last week, which confirmed a strained lower back.
PHOENIX’S DESTROYED BACKYARD
Beal spent the first eleven seasons of his career with the Washington Wizards. Several teams have tried to acquire Beal via trade in recent seasons, including the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. But no one succeeded.
New Suns owner Matt Ishbia made the Wizards an offer they couldn't refuse.The Suns acquired Beal in exchange for veteran point guard Chris Paul, shooting guard Landry Shamet and several draft picks.
Fans are excited to see the Suns' new big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Beal. However, due to an ongoing back injury, Beal has only played in three games this season, none of them alongside Booker.
Booker only played in two of the Suns' first nine games due to ankle and calf injuries. The Suns have won three straight since Booker returned last week.
Despite playing in only five games so far, Booker is averaging career-highs of 29.8 points, 9.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game this season. He has improved his career shooting percentage across the board, shooting 51% from the field, 43.8% from 3-point range, and 93.8% from the free throw line.
Fans are worried about All-Star forward Kevin Durant's stamina, but he hasn't missed a game this season. In 13 games, Durant averaged 31.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, leading the Suns.
Suns remain a popular choice in the futures market
The revamped Suns parted ways with head coach Monty Williams after back-to-back postseason departures. They hired Frank Vogel to improve their defense and lead them to the franchise's first championship. Vogel won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. But after the Russell Westbrook drama, the Lakers fired him.
The Suns also ended up trading away center Deandre Ayton. They sent the former No. 1 overall pick to the Portland Trail Blazers in a blockbuster three-way trade that netted the Milwaukee Bucks All-Star guard Damian Lillard. The Suns added center Jusuf Nurkic as well as role players such as forward Nassir Little and guard Grayson Allen in the Lillard trade.
During the preseason, the Suns were one of the favorites to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship at +650 odds. They are +400 to win the West Division and are the consensus favorite to win the Pacific Division at +145.
The Suns currently rank eighth in the Western Conference. The Nuggets have odds of +200 to win the Western Conference title in consecutive seasons, and the Suns are close behind at +380.
Despite a slow start, the Suns remain the favorite at +750 to win the title. Only the Boston Celtics (+380), defending champion Denver Nuggets (+400) and Milwaukee Bucks (+450) have better odds than the Suns.
The Sacramento Kings (8-4) are first in the Pacific Division, ahead of the Lakers (8-6), Suns (7-6), Golden State Warriors (6-8) and Los Angeles Clippers (4 wins). -7). The Suns remain the favorite to win the conference at +170, followed by the Kings (+350), Warriors (+350), Lakers (+475) and Clippers (+800).
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Source: www.casino.org