The Phoenix Suns are starting to heat up, as they have won eight of their last 10 games and recently went on a seven-game winning streak.

Kevin Durant continues to play outstanding basketball despite all the wear and tear he has on his body, and co-star Devin Booker is blazing away in his own right as Phoenix has gotten out to a 12-8 record.

The one notable name missing from their active roster has been Bradley Beal, who has played in just three games this year and is dealing with a back ailment.

According to head coach Frank Vogel, he will not play on Tuesday when Phoenix begins the knockout round of the In-Season Tournament on the road versus the Los Angeles Lakers, via Duane Rankin.

Frank Vogel on Bradley Beal (back):

"He's making progress, but still no timetable. He's out tomorrow."

Beal entering 3rd week of three-week rehab for low back strain.

Ruled out Tuesday's #NBA In-Season Tournament game at Lakers.

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Only played 3 games with #Suns (Avg. 17.3 ppg.) https://t.co/XNjvdSUMou

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 4, 2023

Beal was acquired this past summer in a big trade that gave the Suns arguably the best trio of stars in the entire league.

It led some to pick them to reach the NBA Finals, even over the defending world champion Denver Nuggets, but with Beal ailing, they haven’t reached anything close to their true potential.

Their bench is also a question mark — while guards Eric Gordon and Grayson Allen have been playing well, they lack any quality reserves in their frontcourt.

Beal has historically been a very potent scorer, but it also looks like the Suns, who don’t have a true point guard, want him to masquerade as one once he’s healthy.

He has a career average of 4.3 assists a game, but he peaked at 6.6 dimes a contest as recently as the 2021-22 season.

The post Suns HC Offers An Update On Bradley Beal’s Health appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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After falling short in the NBA playoffs to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors headed into the NBA offseason determined to shake things up, and that they did by trading Jordan Poole for veteran point guard Chris Paul.

Even though the move seemed a bit strange at the time, many believed it might ultimately be something that makes the team better moving forward because Poole seemed to be regressing or simply not caring about his shot selection on the floor, which has carried over to the Washington Wizards.

Despite the absence of veteran forward Draymond Green to start the season, the Warriors looked pretty good to begin the 2023-24 campaign with Paul joining the squad.

Unfortunately, that didn’t last long, as the team has begun to struggle with Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins not looking like the same players and Green letting his frustration out on opponents in the worst way possible.

After starting the season with a 5-1 record, the Warriors have since lost 10 more games and currently sit under .500 at 9-11, with the potent offense of old seemingly being a thing of the past in San Francisco, as ESPN’s Marc Spears points out via NBA on ESPN.

"Offense." @marcspears on the Warriors' biggest issue. pic.twitter.com/LY3jYz3V2Z

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 4, 2023

Fortunately for Golden State, there’s plenty of time to turn things around and get back on track as a legitimate force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference.

However, if the Warriors can’t get things figured out before the NBA trade deadline in February, this dynasty may finally come to an end as the front office has to consider moving Thompson and/or Wiggins.

The post ESPN Analyst Has 1-Word Description For Warriors’ Struggles appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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The In-Season Tournament in the NBA is about to kick into high gear this week, as it will come down to the final stretch, and the four teams that will be playing in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the first-ever NBA Cup will be known soon.

With the In-Season Tournament looking like a success thus far, it’ll be interesting to see how things pan out over the next few days and what players and teams have to say about advancing to the next round when it happens.

One team that is expected to be playing in Las Vegas is the Milwaukee Bucks, as they are a No. 1 seed right now in the tournament, with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo seemingly excited to get to Sin City.

It appears that Antetokounmpo could be ready to do something crazy if the Bucks win the first-ever NBA Cup, as he seems willing to put the $500,000 that he’d win on black at a roulette table in Las Vegas, according to Bally Sports Wisconsin.

Giannis has jokes #Bucks // #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/IpsZDDi0MG

— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) December 4, 2023

With Antetokounmpo already having made a ton of money throughout his NBA career both on and off the court, risking $500,000 at a roulette table isn’t a big deal for him as it would be for players who make the league minimum.

In fact, Antetokounmpo might not be the only NBA player throwing money around in Las Vegas this weekend, as there could be plenty of players looking to double their money or at least have some fun with their earnings from the tournament.

The post Bucks Star Has Big Plans For Potential Trip To Las Vegas appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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