As Suns' lengthy slump continues, Eric Gordon complains about a lack of shot attempts

Gordon was 0-of-2 from the field in the Suns' loss to the Kings on Friday

Phoenix Suns shooting guard Eric Gordon is fed up with his lack of shot attempts in recent games and plans to discuss the issue with head coach Frank Vogel. After getting just two shots in the Suns' loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday, Gordon aired out his frustration to Chris Haynes. 

"Early on in the season, it was better. And lately, there just hasn't been an emphasis [to get me more looks]," Gordon said. "So, it's definitely different. Lately, I haven't been getting hardly any touches really.

"No question. Everybody knows the type of player I am and what I'm about. I came here to win, but what I do is score. And I think when I score, it really opens up the door for a lot of people because I can score in big games and in big ways. That's just what it is."

Gordon signed with the Suns in free agency this summer and got off to an encouraging start in his first campaign in the desert. He was particularly instrumental during their seven-game winning streak in November and provided some much-needed scoring while Devin Booker and Bradley Beal were out of the lineup. 

He has seen his playing time and opportunities diminish in recent weeks, however, in part due to some minor injuries. The last time he reached double digits in shot attempts was Dec. 12, and over his last three games, he's averaging six points, three rebounds and 2.3 assists on 6-of-18 from the field. 

His dissatisfaction with his role is being compounded by the Suns' lengthy slump. The loss to the Kings, during which they trailed by as much as 29, was their fourth in their last five games and eighth in their last 11 dating back to Nov. 29. From a high point of 11-6, they are now 14-14 on the season and clinging to 10th place in the Western Conference. 

"We have a lot of good players. To be in this kind of situation, it is a little different because you would never go through lapses like this," Gordon said. "So, it's definitely a lot different than what I kind of expected."

The Suns were expected to challenge at the top of the West this season, but nothing has gone to plan for them. They have been riddled with injuries, and the new big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal have only played 24 minutes together over two games. 

As expected their defense has been near the bottom-third of the league, and their offense has not been able to make up the difference consistently. That's in part due to the injuries, but they also play extremely slow and turn the ball over like crazy, which is not a good combination; no other team in the league is in the bottom six in both pace (98.12) and turnover percentage (15.0). 

The good news for the Suns is there's a clear gap at the bottom of the West, and as of right now, only 11 teams look capable of challenging for the 10 playoff and Play-In Tournament spots. It appears, though, that securing their place is going to be more difficult than anyone expected.