The Suns Rotation Adjustment That Could Define Play-In Game vs Blazers

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns enter tonight's play-in matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers in a precarious situation following a rough close to the season after getting their rotation back to full health.

Phoenix really struggled against bigger teams during this stretch, and now the Suns will have to deal with a team that really tries to utilize its size to win basketball games in Portland.

Coach Jordan Ott elected to go to a very small rotation to end the year with seven players 6-foot-6 or shorter next to Phoenix's top-two centers in Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro once Phoenix got its top rotation players all healthy.

This may change tonight with Grayson Allen not expected to play with a left hamstring injury, according to Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro, which could lead to Ryan Dunn or Haywood Highsmith taking some of his minutes.

Ott detailed where the Suns are at heading into the play-in matchup with their rotation after practice yesterday.

"I think at this point as long as we have all hands on deck, and that's where we're at, we're in a good place," Ott said. "These guys ... have been adaptable all season long. Now it's just your habits. Your habits are going out, playing hard. We know how we want to play, so (with) that we're in a good place.

"And if you just look back over the course of the year, we've had many of these instances where we finally get to (full) health. That's where we're at right now, so that we're in a good place. We're super excited to go play in a competitive night. We'll worry less about if these combinations have worked together."

What Could Suns Change With Rotation?

Apr 12, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Phoenix Suns center Khaman Maluach (10) runs down the court during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The silver lining with all of the Suns' injuries this season was players stepping up when their names were called all year long.

With an "all hands on deck" approach tomorrow, the Suns should give looks to rookies Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming, especially if Portland's size becomes too big of a problem.

Phoenix stuck it out with its smaller rotation to end the year even when going against bigger teams, but the Suns cannot afford to lose tomorrow and need to try anything they can to deal with Portland's size.

The Blazers rank first in the NBA with 18.4 second-chance points per game and second with 14.1 offensive rebounds per game.

Fleming has seemed like a more likely addition to Phoenix's rotation, as the Suns do not use any other true power forwards, but this could be a game where Maluach is more of an option than him.

Portland center Donovan Clingan has played really well against the Suns, averaging 15.3 points and 13.3 rebounds (5.0 offensive) in the three matchups against Phoenix this season.

Maluach has already proven to be an elite rim protector and is the biggest body Phoenix has down low, so the Suns have to be ready to throw him in the fire if Clingan is dominating inside or Phoenix cannot stop Portland from getting offensive rebounds.

Fleming could also be a needed piece if the Suns get in foul trouble, as the Blazers are a team that loves to drive, so he will also have to stay ready.

Ott could also elect to split Allen's usual minutes into a shared role between Fleming, Highsmith and Dunn to help cut off some of these drives and attack the glass.

No matter what, if the Blazers' size becomes too much of an issue, the Suns have to be willing to adjust, and Maluach and Fleming are the most viable options they can turn to.

Tonight's game will tip off shortly after 7:00 p.m. MST and be televised on Amazon Prime.

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