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Injuries to two starting players dominated a bad week for the Phoenix Suns, who dropped to 9-6 on the season, about 20% into the campaign.

An ESPN panel that tackled the most important questions regarding some of the best teams in the NBA still views the squad as a possible contender, despite their 1-4 run. Even though it wasn’t stunning, the Suns’ biggest question deserves discussion.

If the star players can’t keep up their impressive start, what will happen to them?
Here is further information regarding this important subject provided by Tim MacMahon:

Given that Kevin Durant is out with a calf strain and Bradley Beal is also out with an injury, it is unrealistic to expect the Suns to continue their impressive start. The Phoenix Suns should focus on getting themselves in the best possible shape to make a long run in the playoffs.

In other words, once Durant gets back, you’ll have to handle his minutes. It is unreasonable to expect a 36-year-old player with a long history of injuries to play an average of 38.8 minutes per game, as Durant did for the Suns during their 8-1 start, which included a perfect record in clutch situations (when the score was within five points with fewer than five minutes left).

With youngster Ryan Dunn on the rise and veterans Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale already on the roster, the Suns have solid depth at forward. Despite losing a game or two here and there, they need to play Durant more conservatively for the remainder of the regular season if they want a shot at starting him in the postseason. In regards to the Suns’ most pressing

It is simply not sustainable to have Durant play roughly 39 minutes every game, according to the most basic reality among the arguments.

With six games missed and seven more to come, Durant’s 75 game performance last season appears to be more of an anomaly than anything else.

On the flip side, when all members of the squad work together, even Josh Okogie, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and Ryan Dunn can make a difference. That should alleviate part of Durant’s workload, and Budenholzer will probably be proactive enough to notice that.

I feel like going all in to catch the Oklahoma City Thunder for the top slot in the West is a bit impractical and excessively ambitious, but the Suns should win enough games to avoid the play-in.

Keeping the three star players in the best possible health is the top priority right now so that they can all contribute at their best in April rather than December.

A postseason appearance is within the realm of possibility for the Suns. The attacking system can be maintained indefinitely. If Oso Ighodaro’s rapid improvement is real and Mason Plumlee keeps up his strong play, the frontcourt questions may have their answers.

The Suns’ chances of winning their first NBA championship are higher than most people realize; the moment has come to watch them do it right.