PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns are down 2-0 in their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves as Friday’s Game 3 approaches, and the organization is in search of any elixir possible to save their season.
Former NBA player Lou Williams has a potential 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 asked on Run It Back.
“Listen – bring Brad off the bench and pair him up with I.T. [Isaiah Thomas]. Pair them up.”
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The Suns have struggled with their offensive identity at times this season with no true point guard running the show. Phoenix had hoped either Beal or Devin Booker could handle point duties with perhaps even a switch-off between the two, though that’s proven to be largely ineffective through a near one-season sample size.
The Suns did bring on Thomas towards the end of the year, but would Phoenix risk plugging Thomas into the lineup with little time on the roster?
As for Beal coming off the bench, it’s tough to imagine another lineup combination that could work in his place. Booker’s shown to be turnover prone as a primary ball-handler (so too has Kevin Durant) and if Grayson Allen misses Game 3 with his ankle sprain, that will cut into Phoenix’s already short playoff rotation.
Regardless, Suns coach Frank Vogel knows he has to do something different as his team stares elimination right in its face.
“We gotta handle their pressure better. I thought we found some things in the first half that worked really well in terms of our movement and passing-cut offense. We didn’t sustain it when they went on a run, we didn’t stay locked into that plan, had too many lost possessions because of it,” said Vogel after the Game 2 loss.
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