Suns Roll Out Desperate New Starting Lineup to Fix League-Worst Defense

The Phoenix Suns are rolling out a new starting five on Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, and it looks like a 2K MyLeague simulation that accidentally auto-generated the rotation. Devin Booker, Josh Green, Dillon Brooks, Mikal Bridges, and Khaman Maluach are getting the nod.

Underdog NBA dropped the lineup alert, confirming Phoenix is trying to find a spark. And by spark, I mean literally any combination of humans capable of playing defense.

"Underdog NBA dropped the lineup alert, confirming Phoenix is trying to find a spark."

The Suns are currently sitting at a miserable 1-4 with a defensive rating of 124.5, which ranks dead last in the league. You do not need to be a basketball savant to know that giving up 127 points to the Denver Nuggets and 116 to the Golden State Warriors is a recipe for a lottery trip.

Booker is doing his part with 23 points and five assists a night, but he can only carry so much of the load before his notoriously fragile lower body decides to unionize. He needs help, and he needs it from guys who actually want to guard the perimeter.

Throwing Brooks and Bridges on the wings is a desperate plea for stops. Brooks is back in the mix after breaking his hand earlier this year, bringing his usual brand of chaotic energy to a team that desperately needs an edge. Bridges is pulling down seven boards a game, but asking this group to suddenly lock down the paint with Maluach in the middle is a massive gamble.

For anyone firing up daily fantasy lineups or looking at player props, this rotation shift makes the wing minutes a complete guessing game. The only safe assumption in Phoenix right now is that the opposing offense is going to get whatever look they want.

We will see if this defensive Hail Mary actually works against Portland on Wednesday night. If it does not, the Suns might need to start pulling fans from the lower bowl to see if anyone has a decent wingspan.