Former NBA Player Suggests Suns Need To Bench One Player

Lou Williams has one idea for improving the Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix — The Phoenix Suns are down 2-0 in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves as Friday’s Game 3 approaches, and the team is looking for any elixir that will save their season.

Former NBA player Lou Williams has a solution: Bench Bradley Beal.

“Is it a time now for the Phoenix Suns, where they explore the idea of maybe Bradley Beal coming off the bench?” he said on the radio show Run It Back.

“Listen, get Brad off the bench and line him up with I.T. [Isaiah Thomas]. “Pair them up.”

 

"Is it a time now for the Phoenix Suns, where they explore the idea of maybe Bradley Beal coming off the bench?"@TeamLou23 suggests Bradley Beal come off the bench with Isaiah Thomas 👀 #NBAPlayoffs #PhoenixSuns

📺: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/FfxrYhEBdk

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 24, 2024

 

This season, the Suns have battled with their offensive identity due to the lack of a real point guard. Phoenix had anticipated that either Beal or Devin Booker could handle point guard duties, with potentially a switch-off between the two, but that has proven to be mainly unproductive over a nearly one-season sample size.

 

 

The Suns did sign Thomas near the end of the season, but would Phoenix risk inserting him into the lineup with little time on the roster?

As for Beal coming off the bench, it’s difficult to envision any lineup combination that would work in his place.

Booker has a history of turnovers as a key ball-handler (as does Kevin Durant), and if Grayson Allen misses Game 3 due to an ankle sprain, Phoenix’s already tight postseason rotation would be hampered.

Regardless, Suns coach Frank Vogel understands he needs to do something different as his club faces elimination.

“We need to handle their pressure better. I felt we discovered some stuff in the first half that worked pretty well in terms of movement and passing-cut offense. We didn’t sustain it when they went on a run, we didn’t stick to that plan, and we lost too many possessions as a result,” Vogel said following the Game 2 loss.

Game 3 is scheduled for Friday, April 26.