Phoenix Suns: The pros and cons of starting Devin Booker at point guard

Pro: In a lost season, might as well experiment

Playing Booker at the 1 would be a drastic lineup change, loudly broadcasting to the world that A) Ulis has been an unmitigated disaster and B) It’s time to get freaky.

Phoenix looked too good to tank for a few weeks in December, but that was during the easiest stretch of the schedule. Now the Suns have one of the most difficult remaining schedules in the association, they’re eight games out of a playoff spot and no one is mistaking this group as being “too good to tank” anymore.

Bearing all that in mind, isn’t it time to start experimenting with the future in mind?

No one’s saying Devin Booker is the next James Harden, but fine-tuning his playmaking, teaching him how to handle the double-teams he’ll see throughout his career and trying to cut down on turnovers in the fact of constant defensive pressure are all useful lessons that will benefit him in the long run.

Sure it’ll be a trial by fire for the 21-year-old, but seeing as how the rest of the roster is undergoing those same growing pains, why not prepare him for the future and add another dimension to his game that’s already starting to blossom?

"“I think he’s a great scorer in this league and we don’t want him to be just that,” Triano said in regards to his defense and playmaking. “I don’t think that’s good for him and I don’t think that’s good for us as a team.”"

Typically, one doesn’t see this kind of drastic lineup alteration until the home stretch of the season, or at least until after the All-Star break. But if Ulis continues to struggle and swapping in Canaan doesn’t fix anything, it’ll be time for Phoenix to start experimenting in a lost season.