The hot start for the Phoenix Suns this season has really been largely credited to Kevin Durant’s impressive game so far. In their first nine games, most of those have been in the clutch, and it cannot be denied that having Durant out for a few weeks may even be more tough than one can imagine.

According to the Suns management, Durant is slated to sit out the next two weeks of action as he recovers from a left calf strain. The star forward was hurt in that 114-113 clutch win against the Dallas Mavericks and will be re-evaluated after that rest period provided for him. Fans hope that Durant will come back to action right away and deliver the best of his games again.

The 14-time All-Star was already bothered by the same injury during the Paris Olympics, but he did manage to come up with extensive and elite performances during that time, helping Team USA secure the gold medal finish. However, it seems that the Suns are keen to have him healed up so he can be available in the long run.

A Hot Start Troubled

Phoenix, who are up 8-1 in the Western Conference standings, will now have to rely on star guards Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to take over the scoring load until Durant returns. It is also expected that the likes of Royce O’Neal and Ryan Dunn will get more playing minutes in the coming games, which says a lot about how the Suns will navigate their next games without Durant.

Durant averaged 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 42.9% from 3-point range. These are the best numbers he’s enjoyed since the 2020-21 season, and the Suns are clearly enjoying the best of their run this season after a dismal campaign in the last two years.

At the age of 36, Durant’s performances helped Phoenix go 8-1 in their first nine games. Despite surviving heated and closely contested games, Durant’s killer instinct clicked well to help the Suns set a new franchise-best record of 8-1 to start the season. That says a lot about the way they have improved in his lead, and what should fans expect with him out as well.

A Flurry of Injuries in the Season

Among many other injured stars and key players aside from Durant, this season has indeed seen a flurry of injuries in the first months of the season. Zion Williamson was already declared out indefinitely with a hamstring injury, while Ja Morant is now set for a week-to-week status to manage his right hip injury.

On the latest, Chet Holmgren just suffered a right iliac hip fracture, marking him out for at least eight to 10 weeks, leaving Oklahoma City without a center as Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams are still recovering from their respective injuries as well. Oklahoma City would go on to lose its game against the Golden State Warriors yesterday after Holmgren had to be helped out of the court.

For the Suns, Durant’s injury has already been felt. They just lost to the Sacramento Kings in a 127-118 overtime thriller, yet another clutch game for the team, but this time without Durant’s help. That just shows how KD’s presence in the squad has been missed hard and will likely dampen the odds of winning for Phoenix in their games moving forward.