The Suns’ Strategic Plan: Three Key Changes to Save the Season and Restore Hope in Phoenix
Could the season be slipping away from the Phoenix Suns before our very eyes?
It certainly is possible – as the same injury problems that plagued this roster over the last two-plus years are still as prevalent as ever, while the lack of physical edge and pointed lapses of focus have also contributed to an underwhelming 12-11 start.
While there is likely no simple fixes to the issues, there are some tweaks that can be made that could potentially raise the overall ceiling of this squad – here they are.
Make Oso Ighodaro Starting Center
This is likely the riskiest endeavor that coach Mike Budenholzer could make – a healthy Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee would still provide a more secure floor at this point while still bringing more brute force to the table.
Ighodaro has yet to develop a consistent jump shot, but possesses many supreme athletic traits and brings a high-IQ approach to the game.
The rookie out of Marquette is a nimble passer, deceptive off-ball mover, is an explosive vertical threat, and simply plays the game well ahead of where he should be.
His lack of consistent rebounding and lagging behind Nurkic/Plumlee from a physicality perspective make it an especially risky move – but he provides much of what the former cannot.
Ighodaro is clearly in play to be the center of the future for the Suns – so why not take a chance on him and see how the fit is with the star-studded core/how the talented second-round pick develops over the rest of the season?
Lean More Into Bench
Much of the emphasis around Phoenix over the last roughly 60 games of the season will be to preserve Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal for a potential playoff run.
The Suns have to find a way to blur the lines between playing the best players on the team while also trying to preserve them for April/May.
Bol Bol, Monte Morris, and Josh Okogie come to mind when discussing who should factor into the rotation more moving forward.
Okogie has largely provided an awesome spark ever since he returned from a hamstring injury suffered in preseason play.
One could argue that the third-year Sun is redundant relative to Ryan Dunn and perhaps Royce O’Neale in the lineup – but Okogie brings a physical edge to the table that the former two do not despite not being as versatile. The three-point shooting could be interesting to monitor moving forward as well.
Morris is a steadying hand in a lineup that still very much needs it. He hasn’t necessarily shot the ball well as of late, but could prove to be a stabilizer moving ahead.
