The Phoenix Suns entered the 2023-24 season as clear title favorites in the Western Conference given their juggernaut trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Now 30 games into the season, the Suns find themselves with a 15-15 record, struggling to find consistent play from what has turned out to be a very mediocre roster. One of the key reasons why Phoenix has faced so many hardships is because Beal' availability has been awful. Dealing with back injuries and more recently an ankle sprain, Beal has only played in six games for the Suns, missing their last five games. After being upgraded to questionable on the team's injury report Thursday night, many are now asking: Is Bradley Beal playing tonight vs. the Charlotte Hornets?
Bradley Beal injury status vs. Hornets
After being upgraded to questionable on Thursday night, the Suns have announced that Beal has since been upgraded to available for Friday's showdown with the Hornets. Seeing as the All-Star guard has missed the last five games since suffering his right ankle sprain, this is the best news Phoenix and their fans could get.
The Suns were built around their three stars this offseason. Giving up basically all of their draft capital and ability to bring in other impactful players in order to land Beal, the Suns envisioned a star-studded trio that couldn't be trifled with. Just Beal, Booker, and Durant alone are capable of combining for 80-plus points in any game.
With Beal out of the lineup, the Suns have been predictable, and they have been a lot easier for other teams to guard. This is especially true since they know Booker and Durant are going to be the ones with the ball in their hands when it matters most. As a result, the Suns rank just 13th in the league in offensive rating and have averaged 115.0 points per game on offense, which ranks 16th in the NBA.
Ever since Beal suffered his recent ankle injury, the Suns have gone 2-4, including the game in which the star guard left in the first quarter with his injury. In the month of December, the Suns are just 4-8, actively sliding down the Western Conference standings.
Having Beal back on the floor is critical to Phoenix's overall chances of competing for a title this season. Early on, Beal has missed 80 percent of the Suns' games this season, which has a greater impact on the organization as a whole given that their superstar trio has been unable to play together.
With Beal back in the lineup on Friday, the Suns will have a decision to make regarding their starting lineup. Either veteran Eric Gordon or Grayson Allen will be moving to the bench with the All-Star shooting guard returning. Allen has averaged 16.4 points per game while shooting 43.8 percent from three-point range over his last seven games, while Gordon is coming off of a 27-point performance in which he knocked down seven triples, his best performance in a Suns uniform.
So, when it comes to the question of if Bradley Beal is playing tonight vs. the Hornets, the Suns have provided everyone with the answer. Beal will be back out on the floor and will hopefully be able to finish his first full game alongside Booker and Durant.
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