The Phoenix Suns announced that guard Bradley Beal is expected to return Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets. Beal missed the last five games with an ankle sprain that he sustained in the team's loss to the Knicks on Dec. 15. Beal landed on Donte DiVincenzo's foot after shooting a 3-pointer, and was subbed out after shooting his free throws. DiVincenzo was given a flagrant foul for getting in Beal's landing space, which caused the rolled ankle.
It's the latest injury in what's been a rough year for the three-time All-Star, who previously missed 19 games due to back spasms. Though it's been limited, when Beal is on the floor he's averaging 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and is shooting 44.9% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range. But the Suns have gone just 2-4 in the games he's played. But it's not like the Suns have fared much better without him on the floor, with a 15-15 record starting them in the face.
Having Beal back will obviously be a plus for the Suns, whose lack of depth has reared its ugly head over the last couple weeks. Even with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker both healthy lately, it hasn't proven to be enough to make a significant impact in the playoff standings. In December the Suns haven't won back-to-back games, and are 3-7 in their last 10 games.
Even though Beal, Durant and Booker have only played 24 minutes together over two games, the results suggest that there's reason to hope this trio can be successful. In that short span, the Suns posted a plus-24.7 net rating, a significant improvement compared to the plus-0.4 net rating the team has put up over the season.
Given those stark numbers -- even with the small sample size -- the Suns have to hope that Beal can stay healthy enough for this trio to really build some chemistry as the season carries on.
