The Phoenix Suns are currently a top-four team in the Western Conference and have a 38-33 record. Injuries have held the team back from their true potential all season long and that continued after the blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant. After their game vs the Lakers tonight the Suns only have 10 regular season games. Out for the second-straight game in a row for Phoenix tonight is big man, Deandre Ayton.
He’s played in 61 of the teams’ 71 games this season and is one of three Suns players who’s played in at least 50 games this season. Devin Booker has missed nearly 30 games this season and Kevin Durant has played just three games for Phoenix since being traded right before the deadline.
Phoenix has championship aspirations, but they need their squad to be healthy in the biggest moment of the season. Arizona Sports Betting sites have the Suns at (+600) to win the Finals this season.
Kevin Durant (ankle) and Deandre Ayton (hip) are out for tomorrows game vs the Lakers. Neither player traveled with the team
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 21, 2023
The Phoenix Suns will be without big man, Deandre Ayton tonight
Ayton suffered a right hip contusion in the team’s home win last Thursday vs the Orlando Magic. The injury caused the big man to miss Sunday’s contest vs the Thunder and he’ll be out again tonight when the Suns are on the road to face the Lakers.
It’s been another strong season and he’s been able to fill in voids when the team is dealing with injuries. Large numbers for Phoenix have missed games this season or have been traded and that has increased Ayton’s scoring out load. He’s averaging a career-high (13.6) field-goal attempts per game but is scoring just (18.3) points per game.
That number should be much higher for the number of shots he is taking. However, Ayton hardly takes threes this season and nearly all of his shots are two-pointers. Bismack Biyambo got the start on Sunday when Ayton did not play and head coach Monty Williams could take the same approach tonight.
