Phoenix Suns: Mikal Bridges needs to be a permanent starter

There are plenty of question marks around the Phoenix Suns, but one thing is clear: Mikal Bridges should be the team’s permanent starter.

Mikal Bridges, the 10th overall pick, has found himself in and out of the Phoenix Suns starting lineup a few times this season. Recently, head coach Igor Kokoskov has decided to roll out a starting lineup with Kelly Oubre Jr and Josh Jackson occupying the forward spots.

This decision is not only schematically ineffective but also a poor decision to win games, which based on their play of late is something they’ve begun to accept.

There are benefits to starting Jackson and Oubre, including understanding Oubre’s value better for this summer as well as evaluating Jackson’s progression as he enters the later part of his sophomore season (which is when his improvement really took off last season).

They are both hard working, passionate players that help establish a team’s culture and bring the energy that the team’s cornerstones, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, seem to be lacking.

In a sense, their offensive games match each other, each with a strong willingness to shoot and occasionally forcing shots due to their high energy. This is not a problem, as their aggressiveness can keep games close when nobody else seems to be bringing their hustle.

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Regardless, having these two paired together is repetitive. It’s hard to tell if the Phoenix Suns offense or defense is worse right now, but Booker and Ayton are offensive weapons and the lineup should be adjusted accordingly.

Bridges, the team’s best defender who has shown growth in every part of his game this season coming off the bench is foolish.

Typically, teams want a few high energy offensive weapons to carry the load when starters sit. With Jackson and Oubre starting, that offensive initiator off the bench becomes Jamal Crawford. This is purely out of lack of another viable option.

No matter how high or low your opinion of Bridges is, the Villanova rookie is by no means an offensive initiator. He’s better suited spacing the floor and complementing Booker and Ayton.

In fact, Bridges complements just about everyone. Using the statistics available on the official NBA website, it listed the top 3-man lineups since Oubre was acquired, with a minimum of 150 minutes played together. Six of the seven best 3-man lineups include Bridges, including seven of the eight best defensive trios.

For a rebuilding team that is the ultimate dream, watching the progression of a young player as he still contributes to winning basketball. So why was he “rewarded” by losing his starting job?

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The best choice is bringing Jackson off the bench, letting Oubre bring that energy to the starting lienup and allowing Bridges to space the floor and defend the opposing team’s best wing while disrupting their offense with his and Oubre’s wingspan. Mikal Bridges makes too much sense in the starting lineup to not be in it. The Phoenix Suns need to start him and keep him a starter.

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