Analyst Reveals Why Suns Disaster Happened

The Phoenix Suns tried to get Kevin Durant his third ring by building a team centered around him, but since acquiring him two years ago, it hasn't gone in the right direction.

The Suns continue to move backwards in their path towards a championship, and CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn believes it comes down to the team's overall roster construction.

"Can you build a championship-caliber team with an elite offense and a bad defense? The answer is yes, and the proof, ironically, is one of Durant's own teams. The 2021 Brooklyn Nets very easily could have won a championship with the No. 22-ranked defense in the NBA had they stayed healthy, but there was one key difference between these Suns and those Nets: James Harden. While Durant and Kyrie Irving lean toward the shot-making end of the star spectrum, Harden is among the very best shot-creators in NBA history. He gets to the rim, gets to the line and is an elite passer. The Nets had offensive balance, but the Suns don't have a Harden, and they have an older version of Durant that gets to the rim less. The result is an offensive trio that is as redundant as it is talented," Quinn writes.

"Now, most teams won't ever have the chance to build an offensive trio like the one that the Nets did, but the difference between those two teams is one any aspiring contender needs to take to heart. Balance is as important as talent on offense. It won't matter how good your players are if they all do the same things."

The Suns no longer have the assets necessary to make a trade to build a defensive stalwart needed to win a championship, and that is why the team is struggling. The league collectively improved on the defensive end, leaving the Suns in the dust.

The Suns finished 27th in defensive rating this season, and considering all of the title contenders are in the top 10, it's clear that Phoenix is nowhere close to competing for a championship.

Either the team needs to fix what it can internally, which hasn't been successful, or the team needs to find assets beyond the roster, which it no longer has the ability to do so.