The Phoenix Suns have hit a bump in the road before the season even begins with news that Mark Williams will miss significant time following shoulder surgery. The big man's absence could lead the franchise to embrace playing smaller lineups.
Suns have perfect roster to experiment with small ball five
The coaching staff can't expect Oso Ighodaro or Khaman Maluach (whose value in Phoenix just went through the roof) to play starter's minutes every night, but they have a combination of forwards who can play together in potentially a very effective way as part of five-man small ball units.
Dillon Brooks doesn't need to be asked twice to guard giants; you would expect him to play that position down low willingly if required. Like any forward the Suns have on their roster, he is going to give up size, but he has a thick frame. Perhaps his training in the Chinese mountains this offseason will help him hold his own in the paint.
New addition Miles Bridges has never been known as a defender, but this might be his moment to prove he has one final level to get to in his career. If he could sit at the four and at least try to jostle with similarly sized players (which is what Brooks would have done before the Williams injury), it could unlock creative lineups for Coach Jordan Ott on both ends of the court.
Then there is rookie Koa Peat, who may get a bigger role than expected out of the gate. Maybe this could be the lifeline Ryan Dunn's career in The Valley needed. Rasheer Fleming can also expect to see a bump in his minutes. All three have the length and size to play across a frontcourt also featuring Brooks and Bridges.
Longer guards can be true X-factor in these lineups
Point guard Jordan Goodwin was a sensation with the Suns last season, featuring heavily in the best two-man groups the team boasted. His length at that spot is a luxury because he can guard multiple positions in a way many other point guards cannot. This is also true of Jamaree Bouyea, and the pair were electric together defensively when given the opportunity.
Haywood Highsmith is most certainly a forward, but as the 15th man on this roster, he is down the pecking order. Nevertheless, he has the right mentality to make it difficult for bigger opponents every night; that skill matters to this group.
Giving up size on the court is never ideal, but if the Suns can become a top 3-point shooting team while having a league-average defensive rating with these different lineup variations, they can weather Williams' absence better than expected.
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