Suns' Bradley Beal Understands Fans Being Upset With Him Missing Games Due to Injuries

It has been a frustrating season for the Phoenix Suns, and Bradley Beal understands that fans are unhappy after he missed an eighth consecutive game with a left hamstring strain on Tuesday.

"I get it, I get it," he said, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. "They have every reason to be. I am, too."

The guard hasn't played since a March 16 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Suns have lost four in a row. It certainly doesn't help that Kevin Durant was also sidelined for Tuesday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks because of a left ankle sprain and is expected to miss the last two games of the three-game road trip as well.

While Beal said he feels "a lot better" and is participating in five-on-five scrimmages during practice, he sees where the frustration is coming from as the team slips further from the playoff picture.

"It's not ideal, obviously, it's not fun,” Beal said. "You don’t enjoy it. You control what you can control. That's all I can do. I always preach about being available and that's something I'm definitely kicking myself about, but that's sometimes how the cookie crumbles. All I can do is keep my head up and keep getting better. The staff has been great, my body is in a better place and I feel really good right now. Hopefully it continues to stay that way."

Phoenix is an ugly 35-41 on the campaign and is 1.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings in the race for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

Perhaps things would have been different with better health, as it is 19-18 in the 37 games that Durant, Beal and Devin Booker all played together. Instead, it has far too often been just one or two of them asked to shoulder the majority of the offensive load.

From the fans' perspective, there may also be some lingering frustration from the trade deadline situation.

Beal has a no-trade clause, which limited the team's flexibility to make moves and even participate in discussions for players such as Jimmy Butler. It didn't make any significant headline moves and may even end up trading Durant during the upcoming offseason since he will have just one year remaining on his deal.

The Suns have the talent to be a threat in the West if they make the playoffs and are fully healthy, but they are running out of time in both categories with just six regular-season games remaining.