Suns Injury Update: X-rays negative on Grayson Allen’s ankle

If you ask anyone who watches the Phoenix Suns what their number one fear for the team is entering the postseason, it’s not going to be turnovers. It’s not going to be shooting. It’s not going to be depth. It’s going to be health.

The Suns’ starting lineup is fragile. We know this. The chemistry that somewhat developed throughout the regular season was comprised when any member of their Booker-Beal-Allen-Durant-Nurkic starting five was missing. In games where all five started, the team was 23-12 (.657), which means they were 26-21 (.553) in games in which one of them was missing.

Health is always a concern, for any team. It’s a theme we’re already playing across the NBA as the Play-In and postseason have begun. With the intensity and effort put forth by players, players are hitting the injury report regularly. Zion Williamson. Jimmy Butler. And now for the Suns, Grayson Allen.

Grayson Allen wasn’t having his usual impact in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. During the regular season, playing against the top defensive team in the NBA, Allen feasted on collapsing defenses and open opportunities to shoot. He averaged 19 points in their three meetings during the regular season, shooting 62.5% from three-point range.

In Game 1 he was 0-of-3 from the field, with all of those shots coming from deep. And then, as he drove against Karl-Anthony Towns in the third quarter, Allen rolled his right ankle.

The Suns were down 10 points at the time of the injury. They would lose the game by 25, 120-95.

The potential loss of Grayson Allen is no small issue. He led the league in three-point shooting and has been the ideal player to have out there with the Big Three combo of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Sure, Royce O’Neale can (and has) started in his absence during the season, but his loss comprises a depth for the Suns that is already a factor against the Timberwolves (the Suns’ bench was outscored 41-18 in Game 1).

After the game, Frank Vogel stated, “X-rays negative, it’s an ankle sprain. We’ll see how he responds to treatment the next few days.”

One thing working in the Suns’ favor is the format of the First Round as it pertains to scheduling. Due to the volume of eight postseason series occurring, the NBA spaces out the game schedule. Game 2 will be in Minnesota, but the teams don’t play until Tuesday evening.

The severity of Allen’s ankle sprain is still unknown, as we know that Frank Vogel isn’t going to give us any information more than he needs to. If he misses any time in this series, his presence will be greatly missed as well as the waterfall effect it has on the rest of Vogel’s rotations.