From ESPN Insider -
http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_ ... orst-teams
How to fix the big flaws on each of the NBA's four worst teams
Phoenix Suns (28)
Big flaw: Lineup musical chairs
The Suns have played five lottery picks age 23 or younger this season, a number matched only by the Minnesota Timberwolves and 76ers. While they may lack an obvious future superstar, they offer no shortage of intriguing, high-ceiling prospects, including Devin Booker, TJ Warren, Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender and Alex Len. There is more raw clay in the Phoenix desert than any potter would know what to do with.
Throw in the presence of Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, P.J. Tucker, Jared Dudley, Leandro Barbosa and Tyson Chandler -- all of whom have the game to command regular minutes -- and it becomes readily apparent that head coach Earl Watson almost has too many options.
The average NBA team has six different five-man lineups that have appeared in at least 10 games together. The Suns have one, tied with the Nets for the fewest in the NBA. The combination of Bledsoe, Booker, Tucker, Chriss and Chandler have appeared together in 16 of Phoenix's 31 games. The Suns have 32 different combinations of 3-man lineups that have played at least 150 minutes. None of them involve three of the 23-or-younger prospects.
If you consider Booker, Bender and Chriss the top three Suns prospects, at some point you'd want to see all three on the floor. So far this season, the three have shared the floor for a grand total of 15 minutes.
Solution: Unload some veterans
Tucker would likely be the easiest to move since he's in the final year of his contract and making just $5.3 million. He could provide a strong defensive presence on the wing for any contender.
Given the salary cap climate and going rate for productive rotation pieces, both Chandler and Dudley are also on relatively friendly deals. Dudley is on the hook for two more seasons after this at a combined cost of $19.5 million. Chandler comes at a steeper price as he's owed $13 million next season and $13.6 million the season after that. Though no longer the shot blocker he once was, Chandler is still an elite rebounder (his rebound rate of 23 percent ranks fifth in the NBA behind only Andre Drummond, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan and Hassan Whiteside).
The Suns don't need to dump all of their vets, and it's not like they're short on young talent. They just don't need so much lineup clutter. Even if Tucker turned into an eventual draft-and-stash pick, it would be a useful step in not only creating space in the rotation short-term but also providing potential long-term stability.
It seems like the elderly gods are already favoring us but they are quite senile.
