The optimal 2018-19 Phoenix Suns starting lineup

Presuming health, there is one specific starting lineup that would be optimal for the Phoenix Suns to actually win some games this season. This is that starting lineup and primary reserve rotation.

Phoenix Suns head coaches have struggled for several years to set a consistent starting lineup, specifically one that provided both similar strengths on offense and defense.

Not only have injuries taken a serious toll on the team the past few seasons, but the talent has been so sub par that the challenge for coaches to come up with the best interchangeable rotations has been nothing short of impossible.

This season, though, while the team is likely destined to miss the playoffs for the ninth straight year, for the first time in a long time there is a set of players who should – and in my opinion will –  be the starters, come rain or shine, hell or high water, a group who actually not only help lead to competitive basketball games, but will also maximize the depth on the roster.

This in turn will allow certain others to move to or remain on the bench allowing for greater depth than the team has experienced since the Jeff Hornacek years.

Not only that, but the reserve depth itself will be made stronger than it has been for several years, allowing for the bench unit to actually play to win a game, rather than just stave off an impending blow out.

With this optimal starting lineup, there will be better reserve scoring from top to bottom than we are used to, which means more competitive basketball, hopefully more wins, and presumably the beginning of the new era of a winning franchise.

Let’s look at this position-by-position.