Phoenix Suns’ playoff qualification: Do Kevin Durant and Co. have enough left in the tank to salvage a drowning season?

Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns have struggled mightily in a season where they were expected to be amongst the best teams in the Western Conference. Instead, the Suns sit at 30-35, on the outside of the play-in tournament looking in as they fight for a postseason spot.

Durant and the Suns have endured issues, both on and off the court as they try to come together to end their season strong.

Despite the reports that the Suns are planning to trade Durant away during this offseason, the team is still competing to try to get into the playoff picture in what is a wide-open Western Conference.

However, with just 17 games left in their season, the Phoenix Suns need to start stringing together wins now if they want to catch up to their competition.

Phoenix Suns’ playoff scenario

At 30-35, the Suns currently sit in the 11th spot in the Western Conference, two and a half games behind the 10th seed Dallas Mavericks. However, the Suns are expected to catch the Mavericks for one key reason; health.

Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the rest of the Suns are at virtually full strength, with Bradley Beal's day-to-day calf injury the only concern among their rotational pieces.

The Mavericks, on the other hand, are only fielding a seven-player roster due to a litany of injuries. Dallas has lost seven of its last 10 games, opening the door for the Suns to sneak past and secure the final play-in spot. However, Kevin Durant and Co. would still need to win two games to even make it into the playoffs at that point.

The Western Conference play-in is expected to be brutal for its participants. If the Phoenix Suns were to make it into the 10th spot, their reward, if the standings hold as they are, would be a date in Sacramento against Domantas Sabonis and the Kings.

If the Suns were to win that game, they would take on the loser of the Timberwolves-Clippers game for the chance to play the Thunder in the first round.

Can Phoenix Suns make it? Schedule and more

Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns face an uphill climb in their fight to secure a spot in the postseason. According to Tankathon, the Suns have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, ranking first in strength of schedule for the rest of the year.

Fellow play-in competitor Sacramento has the second toughest remaining schedule, while Minnesota and Dallas are in the bottom 10.

The road before the Phoenix Suns is a tough one, as they face the conference-leading Thunder and Cavaliers, as well as the Boston Celtics twice within the last 20 games of the season.

They will need to steal a game or two away from the top teams in the league and hope that some of the teams in front of them falter so they can reach the play-in tournament.

If the Suns find their way into postseason play, they can't be discounted, despite their lackluster offense and bottom-10 defense.

Durant and Booker have proven that they are two of the league's premier scorers, each a constant threat to drop a massive scoring performance. Durant and Booker both average more than 26 points a game and are the only teammates in the top 10 in the league in scoring.

The Suns' playoff hopes are dim, but they have shown an ability to compete with the top teams in the league on nights where they put everything together.

If they can find and maintain a high level of play from now until the season ends, they will be a tough out in the play-in tournament. If they make it there, nothing is out of the question as they hope to recreate the Miami Heat's 2023 postseason run.