All-Star guard Bradley Beal will debut for the Phoenix Suns tonight as they face the Chicago Bulls to end their road trip. Beal missed the first seven games due to a back injury.
The Suns confirmed that Beal will play tonight, joining Kevin Durant in the starting lineup. They won their previous game against the Detroit Pistons behind Durant's 41-point performance. Many are anticipating the much-awaited debut of the former Washington Wizards guard this season.
Phoenix will have Beal take over the point guard reins, and Eric Gordon will be the team's starting shooting guard tonight. Grayson Allen will be coming off the bench for the Suns, and Josh Okogie gets to keep his spot in the starting lineup as the team's small forward.
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KD and Jusuf Nurkic complete the team's frontcourt starters as the power forward and center, respectively.
Last season, Beal played 50 games for the Wizards and averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. He has dealt with back injuries in the past and it looks like he hasn't fully recovered from it despite not playing a lot in the past few seasons.
Devin Booker remains out with a calf injury, but the team is hopeful that the All-Star guard could return to the lineup soon. There have been speculations that Booker could return to action in their upcoming three-game home stand.
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Bradley Beal and the Suns' All-Stars could play against the Lakers in their in-season tournament
The Suns are scheduled to play the LA Lakers in their upcoming In-Season Tournament game. Bradley Beal and the other two All-Stars are expected to all play against their division rival. This will be their second game against each other this season and their first in-season matchup against each other.
Head coach Frank Vogel is hopeful that Booker will be able to make a comeback soon. He mentioned that he has overcome his recent toe and ankle injuries, which is a positive sign that he will return to the lineup shortly.
"He got an MRI last night and it revealed a calf strain," Vogel said. "So there is an injury there. He’s trying to get back as quickly as possible, but he’s dealt with a toe first, and then an ankle, and now a calf strain."
Beal will give the Suns another option on offense, giving Durant breathing room on that end. He's a capable scorer and will be a threat to opposing teams.
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