Suns Face a Thin, Tired Warriors Team After a 41-Point Loss

Rest favors Phoenix. The Suns have had two days off since Portland. The Warriors are 0-2 with a streak of L 2, have played twice in the past seven days, and come in on zero rest. Phoenix does not play again until Monday, so there is no reason to save anything.

Golden State's injury list. Jimmy Butler III, Kristaps Porzingis, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody are all listed out. Stephen Curry is day-to-day for rest, and Charles Bassey is day-to-day with a knee issue. Curry averaged 26.6 points in 43 games last season.

Two Suns near return. Ighodaro and Kennard are both day-to-day with estimated returns of today. Arizona Sports reported that the Suns feared a more serious back injury for Ighodaro before he was called day-to-day. Mark Williams remains out, with an estimated return of Feb. 3, 2027.

Portland still stings. Phoenix lost 83-124 in Portland, with Devin Booker scoring 23 and Dillon Brooks 10. The Suns now sit 11th in the West at 0-1. Power rankings dropped them from 15th to 29th in a week. Bright Side of the Sun noted Booker attempted zero threes.

Minutes are shifting. With teammates out, Brooks has played 39 minutes and scored 28.7 points a game over his last three outings. Jalen Green's minutes are up 13 a night and Ighodaro's up 12. The sample is short, and a healthy rotation could undo all of it.

The number is 41. That was the margin in Portland, and it is the one figure this group has to answer. The open question is simple: does a rested Phoenix team look like the 45-37 club from last season, or the one that trailed all night on opening night?