Suns analyst Tim Kempton: ‘I’m a little confused on what’s going on with the Phoenix Suns’

If there’s one thing the Phoenix Suns have been consistent with during the 2012-13 season, it’s been their level of inconsistency.

For example, take the team’s last 11 games.

The Suns are 2-9 in that stretch, but their lone wins have come against playoff contenders (Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers). However, in that same span, Lindsey Hunter’s squad has looked collectively listless in losses to the likes of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards (twice).

Hunter has insisted that regardless of the final outcome, he intends to give minutes to the players that come out on the floor with energy and focus. But during some of Phoenix’s recent losses, including Sunday night’s 102-100 defeat to the Brookyln Nets, that mindset has meant a decline in playing time for younger guys like Kendall Marshall, Markieff Morris and Michael Beasley.

Suns radio analyst Tim Kempton said he’s perplexed by Hunter’s lineup rotations, or lack there of.

“I’m a little confused on what’s going on with the Phoenix Suns right now,” Kempton told Arizona Sports 620’s Doug & Wolf Monday. “Are you trying to develop talent? Are you trying to win games? Or are you trying to let these guys feel how it is like to win? I just don’t know what’s going on.”

After Monday night’s action, the Suns (23-48) have the worst record in the Western Conference and the fourth-worst record in the NBA. With 11 games to go, Kempton isn’t sure benching guys for poor play is effective if the ultimate goal is to build a deeper team moving forward.

“Okay right now it’s not a perfection situation, we all know that, ” said Kempton. “We know where we are kind of at. So you know pulling guys and not playing them the rest of the night, I don’t know what that accomplishes.

“You’re not giving minutes to develop, and in the same regard you’re not teaching them anything. If you put them in there for four or five minutes and then you’re not going to play them, well they’re going to tune you out in the same right.”