Suns Coach Explains Reasoning Behind Controversial Lineup

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns need to figure out things fast with the postseason now just three games away.

Phoenix (43-36) has gone 4-9 over its last 13 games and is now locked into the play-in after last night's 119-105 loss to the Houston Rockets.

After getting back Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams from long-term injuries last week, the Suns have struggled to find a way to get the rotation to work after being pretty much fully healthy for the first time all season.

Coach Jordan Ott has decided on a nine-man rotation with seven players 6-foot-6 or smaller next to their centers in Williams and Oso Ighodaro, which has led to some glaring problems.

Suns Coach Explains Small Rotation

Apr 7, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and Jalen Green (4) against the Houston Rockets in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Phoenix has had to play multiple different lineups all season long and with the team finally healthy, Ott has rolled with the veterans with the postseason approaching.

"We have 18 really good players. Throughout the season, we've seen glimpses of almost all 18 of them," Ott said after the loss to Houston. "Going into the playoffs, your rotation shrinks. We got to pick the right guys. So, adding a person in is the easy part.

"We want to play 15. We want to play everyone that’s active. The issue is you gotta take someone out. So that’s where we’re at, and we're going to have to find it quick."

The Suns have faced multiple teams much bigger than them where they have just been physically outmatched, and that was very evident against the Rockets, who are one of the tallest teams in the league.

After Phoenix went on a 24-0 run to go up 21 points in the first quarter, Houston slowly got back into it with 24 offensive rebounds on the night, which led to the Rockets winning the second-chance points 37-17 and getting momentum heading into the fourth quarter where they outscored the Suns 38-21.

"They definitely had the physicality advantage," Ott said of the Rockets. "We just got to take a look. The second unit obviously could not keep up with their second unit. We've talked about multiple times how good our second unit has been all season, so we're trying to find that rhythm a little bit again.

"We're never going to be a great defensive rebounding team. We understand that. We got to be better, and then we got to scrap. Win the possession game a different way, and we weren't able to do it tonight and lost by double digits."

Phoenix has options off the bench in Rasheer Fleming, Ryan Dunn and Khaman Maluach if it wants to combat its rebounding and size problems, but the Suns are also in a tough position because they have to build continuity in a very short time before the play-in.

Ott hinted that the Suns will likely rest several players for tonight's matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, which could include Brooks, Williams and Grayson Allen, on the second night of a back-to-back due to the injuries all three have faced as of late.

"We've kind of taken those back-to-backs this part of the season as a way to make sure we get to the finish line into the season," Ott said. "We do reassess them in the morning, and then we'll attack that tomorrow night, after we see those guys how they bounce back. That is a physical game. Some of our minutes are pretty high, so we have to see what it looks like in one."

This could lead to more opportunities to use more size tonight, but it remains to be seen if the Suns will utilize a bigger lineup when they are fully healthy.

However, it has become pretty obvious changes need to be made with the rotation and time is running out to do so.