“These guys I think stay together. It’s a good group, and they’ve got a good spirit.” The Phoenix Suns’ recent loss to Orlando Magic was a big one. It marked the 4 consecutive loss for Kevin Durant and co,  reducing the franchise’s win record to 9-6. Despite this, head coach Mike Budenholzer assured that the mood in the locker room also contained a tinge of hope. The sights are set on the future, i.e., the upcoming matchup between the Suns and the New York Knicks at the former’s home base. Unfortunately, even though hope might exist, the gap left behind by a few injured players will remain.

According to the Phoenix Suns’ Injury Report highlighted by ESPN, Bradley Beal will continue remaining ‘OUT’ for the Knicks game. This marks the 5 consecutive game the 31-year-old shooting guard/small forward will miss since the Jazz matchup. The team has now shifted Jusuf Nurkic to a ‘Day-To-Day’ status. This means they will only make his final availability known before the matchup. The news only gets worse for fans of the Phoenix franchise, as Kevin Durant’s ‘OUT’ status has still not shifted. The same also goes for Collin Gillespie. If there was ever a time for fans to get some good news, it is not now.

Kevin Durant has been away from the main lineup since the memorable Suns-Mavericks game on November 8. It was the same game in which he sustained a left calf strain. This was the opposite of the calf that Durant had strained before Team USA headed for the Paris Olympics. Therefore, fans might have already started to expect bad news since Durant’s pre-Olympic injury had kept him out of all exhibition games.

The reports released after the Suns-Mavericks game revealed that Durant would be out for two weeks. At that point, the Phoenix Suns were 8-1 and had seven games scheduled to take place in 11 days. It has been almost two weeks since Durant last played, and the effects of his absence have become known.

Even with Durant absent, the duo of Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic would have helped Devin Booker on the offensive front. Beal played in the Sun’s first NBA Cup game this season with a sprained elbow and a slight knee knock but didn’t miss time. Later, however, the player also developed a left calf strain during the game against the Utah Jazz. Mike Budenholzer had hoped that Jusuf Nurkic’s injury would be “short-term.” Despite this, the 30-year-old Center has missed 2 of the last 5 games.

Amid the Phoenix Suns’ precarious position, one would presume that the Knicks hold an advantage. The answer is yes and no since the New York franchise isn’t without injured players. According to their Injury Report, Miles McBride is the latest player to join Precious Achiuwa, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Mitchell Robinson in holding the ‘OUT’ status. After hyperextending his left knee early on, McBride played the next 9 games with a black wrap tied around it. However, the condition is now bad enough to keep him out. Therefore, The Knicks’ situation isn’t as bad as the Suns. However, they will still have to play without their sixth man.

With these injury updates, both teams will need to adjust their starting lineups for the matchup.

What will the starting lineup and depth chart for the Suns-Knicks clash look like?

According to RotoWire, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal continuing to be ‘OUT’ means that Josh Okogie and Ryan Dunn will continue to start. At the same time, Royce O’Neale, Oso Ighodaro, and Monte Morris may also continue playing at an increased minutes rate. Despite being a rookie thrust into an unforeseen situation, Ryan Dunn is doing his part to be efficient. He has made 6.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists throughout 14 games. Josh Okogie has recorded a better stat by making 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists over 7 games. While it isn’t enough to cover for Durant and Beal, their combined efforts allow the Suns to have a fighting chance.

In light of this update, we can expect the starting lineup for the Phoenix Suns to look something like this:

Similarly, the New York Knicks’ updates suggest that the franchise will have a starting lineup that looks like this:

The Phoenix Suns or the New York Knicks? Who will you be rooting for during the upcoming matchup? Let us know in the comments down below.