The shortcomings of the Phoenix Suns became public knowledge during their latest 93-105 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2. Following two consecutive defeats early into the playoffs, the critics questioned the franchise’s Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker. Skip Bayless turned out to be one of the most prominent voices on the list, raising concerns about the justification of the stars’ paychecks.
Right after the game’s conclusion, the sports analyst directed humiliating remarks toward them on X (formerly Twitter). Additionally, he shared the perspective of the organization’s owner, Matt Ishbia, following the dreadful start of the first-round series. The 72-year-old interestingly also shed light on a potential solution for the future, highlighting the necessity of changes in the roster.
Bayless declared, “The TWolves are making the Suns’ Big 3 look small … and old … and now overrated … maybe making Suns owner Matt Ishbia question what he’s paying all that money for. Yes, they need a true PG, but tonight they just looked lifeless on offense”.
Taking into account the underwhelming displays from the Suns’ Big 3 in both playoff clashes, Bayless’ words sound reasonable. For instance, in Game 2, each of these stars failed to step in and guide the rest of the roster. As per ESPN, they together scored just 52 points on the night, contributing to merely 56% of the team’s total points. Their struggles became apparent from their combined field goal percentage of shockingly low 40% while scoring just 25% from the deep.
This stat line certainly fails to justify their combined salary of about $130 million for the campaign, per Sportac. This contributes to more than 65% of the roster’s total salary, hinting at the expectations around them. After all, the organization made an active effort to assemble this trio to eventually fight for the championship by the end of the campaign. As of right now, they remain far from ever reaching the goal.
With a 0-2 deficit, the Suns now land in Arizona to try their luck in the upcoming two home games. However, considering the mightiness of their opposition, the team may have to carry the tag of underdogs for a bit more. The odds continue to disfavor them at this stage, as the fans hope for a miracle in the next clashes.
