Role players failed to step up in Durant and Beal’s absence

John Voita is the Managing Editor of Bright Side of the Sun, co-host of the Suns JAM Session Podcast, and has been a credentialed member of the Phoenix media since 2023.

Hope is on the horizon for the Phoenix Suns. After a dismal seven-game stretch where they posted a 1-6 record and looked like one of the Western Conference’s weakest teams, reinforcements appear to be arriving just in time. Both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are expected to return on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Their return couldn’t come at a better moment.

The Suns have been struggling, and the reasons are plenty. Chief among them is the inconsistency of the team’s depth when thrust into larger roles. Over…