6 NBA teams facing the most pressure entering the push toward the playoffs

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are another team that has to be facing quite a bit of pressure down the stretch. Over the last year, the Suns have made a handful of all-in moves that have led them to a core of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Jusuf Nurkic. The front office made all these moves over the last year to win a championship, not to make the second round of the playoffs. Heading into the push toward the playoffs, this Suns team needs to find another gear to help them elevate toward contender status in the Western Conference.

Right now, even though they've shown flashes of brilliance, I'm not sure there are many that expect them to emerge as a true contender down the stretch. And if that remains true, that the Suns have burned roughly all their movable assets to assemble a high-profile team that isn't considered a contender, that would be viewed as a huge mistake for the team.

Let's also not forget that Durant is 35 years old and is not getting any younger. If this core is going to win a championship, it almost has to happen in the next 1-2 years.