Suns, Kevin Durant looking forward to practice, recovery during play-in tournament week

The Phoenix Suns are in the same situation as they were past two seasons entering the postseason.

They have to wait a week of practicing against themselves and watching other teams compete in the Western Conference's play-in tournament.

“Everybody wants to have a little break," Kevin Durant said after the Suns beat the Denver Nuggets, 119-115, on Thursday. "I guess except for the play-in teams, but the majority of us in the playoffs want to have a little break I guess to just get some practice days in.”

Next week's three single-elimination preliminary playoff matchups determine which teams that ended the regular season in the West's seventh through 10th spots will become the No. 7 and 8 seeds.

The winner of 7/8 on Tuesday becomes the seventh seed; the 9/10 game will be played on Wednesday; the loser of 7/8 faces the 9/10 winner on April 14 to earn the final eighth seed.

There are two major differences for the Suns compared to the past two postseasons when they were the second and first seeds in 2021 and the following year, respectively.

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The Suns are locked in this year's playoffs at No. 4 waiting for who will be fifth. That could be the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans or Minnesota Timberwolves, which are currently fifth through ninth in a tight race, respectively.

At press time, Minnesota is just two games out from the fifth spot, and each of those teams have two regular season games left. That includes the Lakers hosting the Suns on Friday, and the Suns-Clippers season finale in Phoenix on Sunday.

Devin Booker said that the Suns look forward to their practices during the play-in games for "staying sharp," and are not overanalyzing who might become their first-round opponent.

“It’s too hard to keep up with. We’re focused on what we have in here and we’ll move forward after next game or see what happens," Devin Booker said after the Suns routed San Antonio at home on Tuesday. “That most important basketball of the year is here and realizing that. I know in the past watched the play-in games together. Once we realize who our matchup is, just dive into that and move forward from there. ...

“A little time off, get everybody’s bodies right. It’s a great time of year.”

The second difference is that the Suns have a roster filled with new guys since two months ago compared to the past two seasons in which the majority of their roster had players picked from the draft, few trades, and the same starting five that made them a title contender.

A lot has changed since Durant came to town.

He was traded with reunited Suns wing T.J. Warren from Brooklyn on Feb. 8 for several of the Suns' former starters. That includes Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and former sixth man Cameron Johnson, who replaced Crowder as the Suns' starting power forward before Crowder and the team mutually parted ways during training camp last September.

The Suns' former backup four-man Dario Saric, who was part of their 2021 finals run, was traded to Oklahoma City for Darius Bazley. In addition, they signed wing Terrence Ross who was bought out of his contract from the Orlando Magic on Feb. 15, and signed backup point guard Saben Lee for the rest of this season after his second 10-day contract expired in January.

The Suns are now 8-0 with Durant in their lineup, are entering Friday's game against the Lakers on their season-best seven-game win streak, and are 12-8 with this entirely new roster constructed at the midseason.

That's compounded with the offseason additions such as their starting small forward Josh Okogie, shooting guard Damion Lee, and backup big Jock Landale.

“We have new players," Booker said. "We have Kevin out there. We have T.J. in the lineup, and we’re kind of behind a bit if you’re taking experience-wise together, but a plus in the talent level. Just figuring that out.”

Durant isn't concerned about losing their rhythm as the Suns are playing their best basketball of this season.

“Keeping everything tight and warm and go from there,” Durant said after the Suns beat Denver at home on Thursday. “I don’t think that week off will do much.”

Last year during the play-in games, Suns coach Monty Williams told the media that his players were "probably chomping at the bit" to play a new team instead of themselves after scrimmaging so much against each other and hearing his voice anticipation of playoffs.

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Williams explained to The Republic at their Wednesday practice that no matter who's on the roster with various skill sets, they're still learning compared to his previous playoff contending teams, the advantages of having elite talent and sharpening each other in practice in the playoffs are just theoretical.

It's zero-zero on an even playing field for all teams no matter the team seedings.

“I think there’s advantages and disadvantages. But I don’t think you can overcome those disadvantages any other way than putting the work in," Williams said during their practice on Wednesday. "There’s no easy route to success, and I don’t think we have that expectation.

"I think our guys understand that we have to embrace hard, and I’ve said it since I’ve been here: everything you want is on the other side of hard. We’re just trying to get the mentality of understanding that there’s no easy route. If there was only advantages, it probably wouldn’t be worth it. We understand there’s gonna be obstacles and trials and all of that stuff. You have to embrace it and do your best to move forward.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns looking forward to practice during NBA play-in tournament week