Sebastian Telfair, Suns adjusting to lineup adjustments
Jan 4, 2013, 8:08 PM | Updated: 8:09 pm
The Phoenix Suns are looking to make it two wins in a row when they host the Utah Jazz Friday night at US Airways Center. And once again, P.J. Tucker is getting the start instead of Shannon Brown.
Switching up the starting lineup has been a common theme this season for head coach Alvin Gentry as he continues to try and find the right combination to get wins. That’s something guard Sebastian Telfair isn’t accustomed to.
“It’s just different, ya know,” he said after practice Friday. “I’m not really used to the starting five switching up so often. I don’t know, maybe just for how this team is.”
Gentry has said he will continue to move pieces around until he finds a good fit, which means going with what’s working that night. Most teams have a solid starting five and it’s the players coming off the bench that may rotate from time to time.
“I’m not exactly sure. I don’t know if helps us or not but sometimes when you’re not winning games, it seems that you gotta to switch it up and coach has been doing that,” said Telfair. “He did that within the last couple of games and we got a win last game, so hopefully it works.”
Tucker made starts the last two games against the Thunder and 76ers in place of Shannon Brown. Phoenix lost to Oklahoma City but beat Philadelphia.
Telfair noted usually at this point in the season you have a set rotation, though the Suns are playing game number 34 Friday night.
“For normal, we crossed that point, but we have a lot of young guys on this team and it’s a new team for the most part with guys playing with each other,” the guard said. “Coach probably still trying to figure out what’s the best five guys to be on the court that’s gonna help us.”
The Suns have won eight of the last tem matchups in the series with the Jazz and they’ve won four straight home games against Utah. Tip-off Friday night is at 7:00 p.m. with coverage on Arizona Sports 620AM.
