3 tweaks the Phoenix Suns will make for the playoffs

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.

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.

2. Jusuf Nurkic as point guard

This sounds ridiculous - especially given the ability to create of both Booker and Beal - but we are going to see some of this in the playoffs? The smart bet is yes, because the last time Booker missed a few games through injury, Nurkic brought the ball up the court and became an offensive hub for his teammates to work around.

Obviously having Booker, Beal and Durant healthy means this will be used less, but it definitely has the potential to confuse opponents. Imagine having three All-Star level offensive players, and Nurkic is the player calling the plays and handling the ball for a number of possessions.

Think of this as a version of what the Orlando Magic used to run when they had two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic acting as their best player. Great passing out of the post, a shooting touch and the kind of pass-and-screen action that will allow the likes of Allen and O'Neale to shake free for 3-point attempts.

You can be sure that two of the team's top three will be on the court at all times during the playoffs. But if somebody gets into foul trouble - or worse yet if injury strikes again - Nurkic is going to be more comfortable than you think running the show. Coach Vogel is going to make sure this happens some anyway.

1. Four guard lineups

This is going to be huge for the Suns, and it is going to have a twofold positive impact. For all of Nurkic's abilities - and we've just spoken about how important he could be offensively - he is still a limited player who can and will be exposed in the playoffs. Already this season we have seen this, with Nurkic sitting for entire fourth-quarters on multiple occasions.

What this has meant is that Durant has come in as the team's center - and although the Suns won't want him banging away with other bigs game after game - positioning him there gives opponents a tough choice to make. Camp in the paint and watch Durant destroy them from outside, or else follow him into deep waters and leave the paint exposed for other Suns to attack.

Coach Vogel is sure to combine this use of Durant with four guards from time-to-time, and the results could be glorious. Booker and Beal have enough playmaking, shooting and passing to make it difficult for anybody, while both Allen and O'Neale are able to defend bigger players than themselves for stretches of a game.

Allen in particular is an underrated defender, and leads the league in 3-point shooting at 47 percent. O'Neale is currently shooting 39.2 percent from deep - and combined with Booker, Beal and Durant - could blow teams away with their scoring bursts. Eric Gordon could also fill in for O'Neale as well, with these lineups similar to the small-ball groups the Golden State Warriors won championships with.