Game Day: Suns (39-27) @ Raptors (36-29), Fri 3/13/26

[specialsauce]

No.

CG
Book
Green
Rasheer
Williams/oso/man

This is the way

[ShelC]

When everyone's back I'd go Colin, Book, Green, Brooks, Williams with Goody, Allen, Royce/Dunn/Highsmith/Sheer, Oso off the bench. The backup 3/4 can be matchup dependent or whoever is playing well or has the hot hand. I think at some point Ott will have to pare things down a bit with the rotation, which is why he's trying to get a look at Highsmith now.

For now, we should probably stick with what we've been doing but be smarter about subs and lineups at certain points.

[Split T]

I think I’d just break up the Gillespie/Book/Green trio…but I guess you can do that by subbing early

[BKinSJC]

I think I’d just break up the Gillespie/Book/Green trio…but I guess you can do that by subbing early

It feels, right now, like Gillespie has become the decoy/spacer that nobody ever passes to. If he could get a larger role off the bench, it might be to everybody's benefit.

[Wally_West]

I fear if we put Colin back on the bench we might lose him this summer.

Why? It doesn’t matter if we promise him a starting position or not, at the end of the day, we can only offer him so much money and there multiple teams who can pay him a bag. He’s a minimum salary player, he wants to get paid.

Unfortunately, he will most likely go to any team offering more money than us, regardless if he starts for us or doesn’t. He's not going to stay or leave to a place, that will pay him less money just because he starts. We are kind at the mercy of teams with fat cap space.

[Wally_West]

No.

CG
Book
Green
Rasheer
Williams/oso/man

This is the way

And when Brooks comes back?

[Wally_West]

I think you need to move either Green or Collin to the bench. I’d start Rasheer, Highsmith, or Goodwin.

This but we need to be honest, there’s no universe where we bench Green. This nothing like the Beal situation. In the short term, Royce needs to go back to the bench imo. In the long term when everyone is healthy, then Colin should probably go back to the bench imo.

[ShelC]

I fear if we put Colin back on the bench we might lose him this summer.

Why? It doesn’t matter if we promise him a starting position or not, at the end of the day, we can only offer him so much money and there multiple teams who can pay him a bag. He’s a minimum salary player, he wants to get paid.

Unfortunately, he will most likely go to any team offering more money than us, regardless if he starts for us or doesn’t. He's not going to stay or leave to a place, that will pay him less money just because he starts. We are kind at the mercy of teams with fat cap space.

IINM we can over the cap to re-sign him so it may not matter. But the teams with the most capspace right now are Brooklyn and Chicago. The Nets have a bunch of guards, Chicago may throw money at him but why? The Lakers can clear space so they might be a threat but have Luka and Reaves on the ball (assuming LBJ leaves and isn't a factor there). The Hawks could clear space and might be a threat unless they extend McCollum.

[Split T]

No team will offer more money than we can offer Gillespie. We can pay like 4/60 or something close to it. I really am not worried at all that we lose him.

[specialsauce]

No.

CG
Book
Green
Rasheer
Williams/oso/man

This is the way

And when Brooks comes back?

What should we do? Bring Brooks or Green off the bench so the ball moves better.

What will we do? Bench CG and go Book Green Brooks

[Superbone]

No.

CG
Book
Green
Rasheer
Williams/oso/man

This is the way

And when Brooks comes back?

What should we do? Bring Brooks or Green off the bench so the ball moves better.

What will we do? Bench CG and go Book Green Brooks

Maybe. But who will be the 4th player. Probably not Rasheer. I just don't see Ott starting him this season but who knows.

I could see:

CG
Book
Green
Brooks
Williams

If we bench CG, then what?

Book
Green
O'Neale/Allen
Brooks
Williams

?

[Split T]

We basically have 6 guys who’ve been starting every game they are healthy for:

Gillespie, Booker, Green, Royce, Brooks, and Williams.

Royce has started more games than anyone. Brooks and Booker have yet to come off the bench. Williams I think only came off the bench when they were limiting his minutes. Green only came off the bench when he was ramping back up…

So I’m almost sure we will see Booker/Green/Royce/Brooks/Williams if we ever get a game with everyone healthy.

[Shabazz]

I think our best playoff lineup is

CG or Grayson
Book
Brooks
Sheer
Oso

Not advocating for that as a starting unit. But I think that’s the best combo of offense and defense we could roll out.

[specialsauce]

Fleming should start and play 25 mpg.

Any decision otherwise is for reasons outside of motivation to win

[Flagrant Fowl]

I have a $50 bet with someone that the Suns will start Collin, Booker and Green together in their first playoff game.

[iLLmatic]

Fleming should start and play 25 mpg.

Any decision otherwise is for reasons outside of motivation to win

They won’t for fear of upsetting the vets but who gives a shit? We’re fighting for a playoff spot. Fleming should’ve ended the 4th in Toronto so he could’ve locked up Ingram who was having his way with Royce. Ott is going to have to start playing the matchups.

[O_Gardino]

Definitely a tough loss, and I was frustrated by the rotations, too. Fleming should have had more burn, period. Beyond that, it's more about availability and roster construction.

We are too small with CG, Book, and Green, but we don't play as smart when it's just Book and Green out there. Oso can help with ball movement, but only if the guys are smart enough to engage with him, and sooner or later teams are going to figure Oso out. etc etc The point is that there aren't a lot of easy answers with this roster. Benching CG comes with its own problems. Playing Oso with the starters comes with its own problems.

Also, I do want to reiterate that the Raptors are not a bad team. Ingram is not a bad scorer. We shouldn't act like it's a huge failing on the Suns part when he scores against us. He does this. 22ppg over the last 9 years on better shooting than Booker. He had a big night against us, and the Suns did not play him physical enough. But some of y'all are talking like we just gave up 36 to Kyshawn George in a loss to the Wizards.

[Superbone]

Like I said before the game, Ingram has always given the Suns fits. He's tall and can shoot over the defense. That's what he did the other night. Like OG said, we needed to play him more physically and maybe double him and length would have helped if we had sicked Fleming on him as many have said.

[ShelC]

We are too small with CG, Book, and Green, but we don't play as smart when it's just Book and Green out there. Oso can help with ball movement, but only if the guys are smart enough to engage with him, and sooner or later teams are going to figure Oso out. etc etc The point is that there aren't a lot of easy answers with this roster. Benching CG comes with its own problems. Playing Oso with the starters comes with its own problems.

This is where I'm at too. I think we can get by with CG, Book and Green starting because of the offensive firepower and Green does play hard on defense but it's not ideal IMO. And while I think Ott probably prefers Oso out there because of his highpost passing/playmaking, the question is can he handle a fulltime starting role and of course, what would we do with Williams (and Kham down the road).

[bajanguy008]

Just a couple thoughts
I'm in awe of Fleming just like everyone else. Say it all the time but his reach is just dumb. The fact he has consistently improved his jumper shows he putting in the work and there are already glimpses of driving to the basket.
With his athletic ability and wingspan he is going to be dunking on fools for fun when "Game slows down in Year 2"
So excited to see him after off season with whichever specific trainers


Collin is still my guy. Yes I can agree that those long defenders can bother him at times but I don't think it's a case of him being all figured out or anything. His natural game as a true pg is to look to set guys up. If folks remember the team was begging him to take more shots and he embraced that role cause of the injuries.
Him and Oso were really a combo to start the year when he would be more aggressive in the 2nd unit. Now the 2nd unit is Jalen, then Grayson running the show in that second quarter. Last three games are 9, then 6 and then 3 Field Goal attempts and I don't see that as defenses just shutting him down. Bigger focus on teams scouting report or not, avging just 6 FGA has to be on his decision making too. I think part of it is again him trying to pick his spots.


Highsmith is very effective whenever his number is called and I like how quick he is to drive when defenders close out as I didn't know that was part of his game