The Phoenix Suns are 11-2 with Kevin Durant in the lineup this season and 1-9 without him. He sprained his left ankle last Tuesday, and the next day the Suns announced he would be out for at least a week. It now looks like he might not miss any more time than that, as "there is optimism" that he could be in the lineup on Friday when Phoenix visits the Utah Jazz (or when the team hosts the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday), according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Durant is one of the best offensive players who has ever lived, but this Suns team have missed him more on the defensive end. With him on the court, they have allowed 110.7 points per 100 possessions in non-garbage-time minutes, which is roughly equivalent to the eighth-best defense in the NBA, per Cleaning The Glass. With him off the court, they have allowed 119.1 per 100, roughly equivalent to the 28th-best defense in the NBA, per CTG.
It has not helped that, for the last three games, Phoenix has also been without its best perimeter defender, rookie forward Ryan Dunn, due to left ankle soreness. Regardless, when Durant is not on the floor, the Suns have looked small and often overmatched defensively. They rely on him for weakside rim protection and, even at 36 years old, he's one of their most versatile defenders. The 6-foot-6 Royce O'Neale and the 6-4 Josh Okogie are tough competitors, but they lack the size and length to do what Durant does at the 4 spot.
If Durant returns on Friday, it'll be 10 days since the injury and he will have missed only three games. Phoenix's light schedule during this stretch is a product of the NBA Cup.
The Suns could also get center Jusuf Nurkic back soon. Nurkic hasn't played since Nov. 30 because of a right thigh contusion. Last Monday, Phoenix coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters that he would be reevaluated in a week.
