The Phoenix Suns have entered the final stretch of the regular season, and somehow look like a competent group that could give any opponent in the Western Conference a tough, seven-game series. This despite looking like anything but this for large portions of the season so far.
There is no doubt that the team's "Big 3" of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal have been the reason fortunes have changed in The Valley, although role players like Royce O'Neale have played their part too. If this group wants to avoid the play-in and get out of the first round though, they'll need everybody on this roster to play their part.
That includes head coach Frank Vogel, and it will be fascinating to see what tweaks he makes to confuse oppoents once the playoffs start.
Like every other team who are going to make it to the postseason, coach Vogel will have kept some lineups, plays and strategies to himself during the regular season. That being said, some of the tweaks that are to come, we will have seen small glimpses and sample sizes of already.
There are sure to be even more changes by the coach staff than what is about to appear here - or at least there should be if the Suns want to try and make a run at a championship - but these will be some of the bigger and more noticeable moves for the team in the coming weeks.
3. The jumbo lineup
We have seen variations of this already, and you can be sure coach Vogel will lean more heavily into bigger lineups depending on the matchup. Having center Jusuf Nurkic, Bol Bol and Durant on the court together was something that had a great impact in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in the season.
With Durant on LeBron James and Nurkic battling Anthony Davis down low, Bol was able to use his long frame on the perimeter to annoy Austin Reaves. The same tactic was used against the Nuggets, when Bol annoyed Christian Braun for a number of possessions. Bol is a limited defensive player, but if you put him on an opponent's third or fourth offensive option outside the paint, he can have joy.
Current #Suns lineup: Booker, Allen, Durant, Bol and Nurkic. Thoughts?
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 6, 2024
We've also seen Drew Eubanks used in place of Nurkic, and it would be no surprise if he also took some Bol minutes in a jumbo lineup, again depending on matchup. Having two of Booker, Beal and Grayson Allen out there with the bigger trio gives the starting five nice balance as well.
Really though Bol looks like he could be the key here, an incredible turnaround given coach Vogel didn't trust him to start the season. His handling and ability to knock down a 3-pointer on the offensive end - coupled with hounding wings outside the paint defensively in his long, long frame - is what gives the jumbo lineup the pop it needs to really succeed.