An expected desperate change to their lineup proves that the Phoenix Suns are teetering on the edge of disaster.
Since their red-hot 9-2 start to the season, there's little that the Phoenix Suns can feel great about. They're 6-16 in the 22 games since and have fallen all the way to 12th in the Western Conference standings. Forget questioning if the Suns could emerge as a dark horse championship threat this season, this may not be a team good enough to qualify for the postseason with the way things have been trending recently.
For as talented as the Suns are, there's no reason why they should be struggling this much. When the front office compiled the big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal, I can't imagine this is how they believed it would all play out. That has to be the biggest pill to swallow for the team of late. Nevertheless, not all hope has been lost for the team. In an attempt to right the ship, it's being reported that the Suns are expected to make a shift in their starting unit.
According to Chris Haynes, the Suns are expected to move Beal and Jusuf Nurkic to bench roles in favor of versatile rookie Ryan Dunn and veteran big man Mason Plumlee. In the midst of a huge slump, the hope is that this lineup change could help spark the team into the second half of the season.
The Phoenix Suns may be in huge trouble
Aside from the natural frustration that may be taking place in the locker room, Haynes did mention that there's some "tension" in the locker room that is also playing a role in the team's decision to make such a rash move. This is just another indicator that there is plenty more that is going on behind the scenes in Phoenix that we simply don't know about.
But no matter what the case is, it's pretty clear that the Suns could be on the edge of disaster. The decision to make such a big change to their starting unit could be the team offering one last attempt to salvage not only this season but potentially the entire core. Together, the experimental big 3 of Beal, KD, and Booker have left much to be desired. This could be a move that determines whether this core is ever going to work together or not.
The next few weeks could go a long way in determining the future of the Suns. With a big move at the trade deadline being considered unlikely, unless the Miami Heat changes its tune on a possible Beal for Jimmy Butler swap, it does feel as if the Suns may have no other option than to play out this season. And if it does end prematurely or in disaster, it would be almost shocking if this core wasn't completely revamped during the offseason. For now, though, it appears as if Phoenix has no other option than to go down with the ship.