The Phoenix Suns had championship expectations and hired a championship coach to get it done.

Twenty-seven games in, the Suns are not a contender and do not look like they will be one.

Phoenix lost to the lowly Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday night, 109-104, and fell to 14-13. The Suns are good for 10th place in the West without Bradley Beal, who will be out another two weeks with a right ankle sprain per the team.

Suns coach Frank Vogel said after the game, in which the Suns blew a 15-point second-half lead, it's a “long season.”

“We're still learning our team,” said Vogel, who won the 2020 NBA championship with the Lakers. “You want to get every win that you can, but we're going to have a great season this year. Just keep our heads up.”

The Suns traded for Beal in the off-season to pair with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, who are two of the top-10 players in the NBA.

But the Suns' offense — which should look elite — has been pedestrian.

The Suns blew a 15-point second-half lead and only scored 48 points, a bad sign for a group that has stressed a multiple ball-handler system but is yet to claim an identity.

Booker, who is 27 and in his prime, has been moved to point guard. While he would rank No. 6 in the NBA in assists (8.2), he is playing out of position.

The Suns have had to balance Booker adjusting to full-time point guard while figuring out an offense to best suit Durant, who Tuesday had 40 points on 16-of-28 shooting.

Phoenix needs to beat the Kings Friday to salvage a road trip that will precede the most important stretch of the year, having seven home games in eight contests.

“They don't like to lose,” Vogel said of how the group has responded to his encouragement.