Monty Williams Has Little Time to Tighten Suns' Playoff Rotation
Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams enters what very possibly is the biggest stretch of his career in the Valley.
The impact he's made in shifting the culture from a perpetual losing franchise into a perennial contender is undeniable. However, some of his decisions have come under scrutiny in the last year, particularly when it comes to rotational decisions. Coming into the closing stretch of the season (less than 10 games remain,) coupled with the expected return of Kevin Durant on Wednesday makes it more crucial than ever that Williams gets the playoff rotation hammered down for good.
The starting lineup is essentially set in stone. Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton feels like the lineup when the whole team is together. Okogie has brought hustle on both ends that has been sorely missed since Mikal Bridges' departure last month. He is certainly the best point-of-attack defender on the squad and brings more offensively than Torrey Craig at this stage.
The bench is where things get interesting. We should be under the impression that the starters will play around 40 minutes a night during the playoff run, but there are still crucial minutes to be had in what's presumed to be an eight or nine man rotation.
Every player on the bench has a valid claim to get valuable playoff minutes.
Cameron Payne is a good facilitator even when his shot isn't falling. Terrence Ross is an electric scorer and brings much needed floor spacing. T.J. Warren is a perfect fit in the Suns' offensive scheme. Craig is a good point of attack defender. Landry Shamet can serve as a tertiary ball handler and shot creator at times. Damion Lee has been a consistent cog in the rotation this season, even during the lows.
Ish Wainwright brings a type of physicality to the table that Jae Crowder brought the previous two seasons. Bismack Biyombo and Jock Landale are both high-energy big men who can give Ayton much needed rest in spurts.
The main cause for concern with the bench rotation is that most of the players in that mix are one-way players. While all of them bring something different to the table, it's certainly a valid wish to start fine-tuning the rotation for arguably the biggest stretch run in franchise history.
If it were my guess, the four players who will get the bulk of minutes are Payne, Ross, Craig, and Biyombo (with Landale interchangeable depending on matchup.) Here's to hoping Durant's return will settle down a rotation that has been stretched to the max for much of the last three months.
