How Suns will fare in next 10 games without Durant
The Phoenix Suns are snuggled in that fourth spot in the West with a blanket and pillow watching Season 2 of Netflix’s Wrong Side of the Tracks.
They’re 2 1⁄2 games behind Sacramento and Memphis and three games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers.
That position could change with the absence of Kevin Durant.
The Suns superstar will be re-evaluated in three weeks for a left ankle sprain he suffered in Wednesday’s pregame workout before Phoenix played Oklahoma City in what would’ve been his home debut.
Based on that timetable, Durant will miss at least 10 games before being reevaluated as the Suns announced his status update Thursday.
So how will they fare without him? Durant may come back sooner, or later. Just sticking to the timeline, here’s a prediction for Phoenix’s next 10 games starting Saturday against the Kings.
Current status
Record: 37-29.
Last 10: 7-3 (Won 4 in a row). Projected starting lineup without Durant: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Josh Okogie, Torrey Craig and Deandre Ayton. This was their lineup before Durant made his debut on March 1 at Charlotte. Next 10 prediction: 6-4.
Where will Phoenix be in the West: As high as third or as low as sixth.
Next 10
Saturday vs. Sacramento (Win). The Suns are 2-0 against the Kings, who lead the league in scoring and offensive rating. A high-scoring affair, but Phoenix
will get enough stops.
Monday at Golden State (Loss). The Suns are 3-0 versus the Warriors, but Golden State is 27-7 at home. When Phoenix won there on Jan. 10, Stephen Curry was just returning from injury.
Tuesday vs. Milwaukee (Loss). This is a rough back-to-back. The Bucks have the NBA’s best record and won 19 of their last 20 games. Jae Crowder is making his return. Mad drama, but the Bucks should prevail.
Thursday vs. Orlando (Win). Phoenix will handle the Magic with Terrence Ross facing his former team.
March 19 at Oklahoma City (Win). Starting a three-game road trip here. Maybe they’ll face Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this time. He hasn’t played in three games against the Suns this season due to injuries.
March 22 at Los Angeles Lakers (Win). LeBron James’ foot could be reevaluated around this time, but the Lakers will likely still be battling to make the playoffs. Anthony Davis will be a handful if healthy.
March 24 at Sacramento (Loss). Whether they drop this one or Saturday’s matchup, can’t see the Suns taking all four games against the Kings this season. If they do, they’ll have a mental edge in a playoff series.
March 25 vs. Philadelphia (Loss). MVP candidate Joel Embiid and James Harden are one of the NBA’s top tandems, but Tyrese Maxey is the wild card. If he’s on, Phoenix is in trouble.
March 27 at Utah (Win). Having teams come home for one game and go back out on the road is weird, but Phoenix matches up well with the Jazz.
March 29 vs. Minnesota (Win). The Rudy Gobert trade hasn’t been a gamechanger, but Anthony Edwards is having an All-Star year. If Karl-Anthony Towns finally returns from injury by then, that’ll be a fun one.