Bradley Beal couldn’t seem to catch a break.
With Kevin Durant already out of action for multiple weeks due to a calf injury, the last thing the Phoenix Suns need is another injury to a key player. However, during the Suns’ 120-112 win over the Utah Jazz to begin group stage play in the 2024 NBA Cup on Tuesday night, Bradley Beal had to exit the game early after experiencing a calf injury of his own.
Beal had to leave the game with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter after he experienced some tightness in his left calf, per Amanda Fflugrad, sideline reporter for the Suns. He went to the locker room after he was replaced by Mason Plumlee, and he did not return for the final minutes of the game. It’s not quite clear if Beal will have to miss time in the imminent future, as the team will still “see how he feels when he wakes up and will consult with the medical staff”.
There have been a ton of injuries across the league to start the season, and the injury bug seems to be catching on to the Suns now. In addition to Durant and Beal’s calf injuries, Jusuf Nurkic also wasn’t present on the active roster on Tuesday night as he is currently nursing an ankle injury that he aggravated during Phoenix’s overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
As for Beal, it figures that the Suns will be very cautious in handling any injury to the veteran shooting guard’s lower body. He has missed a considerable amount of time due to injuries throughout the course of his career, including over the past few seasons. The Suns guard was absent for 29 games last season, and over the past three campaigns, he has missed an average of 31 games per season.
Now 31 years of age, it’s unlikely for Beal to suddenly become a paragon of health. And with another game against the Kings awaiting them on Wednesday night (on the second night of a back-to-back), the Suns could very well be even more shorthanded — placing even more offensive responsibility on the shoulders of Devin Booker.
Bradley Beal’s solid game for the Suns ends in familiar injury outcome
Bradley Beal’s iron man tendencies are a thing of the past; he may have two 82-game seasons in his record, but the past few years have been tough for him to navigate on the injury front. His injury history since 2019 is very concerning, as he has had to navigate a few knee, hamstring, back, foot, and ankle injuries, which has then forced him to play in just 63.8 percent of games heading into the season.
But to begin the 2024-25 campaign, Beal has been mostly healthy, although he’s had to miss a few games already this year due to an elbow issue. And over the past two games, Beal has been great as the Suns look to weather Kevin Durant’s absence. He followed up his 28-point night vs. the Kings with a 24-point game versus the Jazz. But now, injuries are once again threatening to stop him from getting into a consistent rhythm.