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Suns' GM defends two PG lineup: 'The system is good so long as there's buy-in from the players'

Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports

After stumbling upon success in 2013-14, the Phoenix Suns doubled down on dual point guard lineups by adding Isaiah Thomas to a core of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe last summer.

It didn't quite pan out. Phoenix suffered through a miserable 2014-15 season that featured six buzzer-beating loses and two trades that sent away Thomas and Dragic. It looked as if the team's grand experiment had failed.

But that's not how Suns general manager Ryan McDonough saw the situation. In an interview with Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated, McDonough defended his roster construction.

"The system is good so long as there’s buy-in from the players," McDonough said of dual point guard lineups.

"I think the issue last year was we had three pretty high-level players who all wanted the ball in their hands," McDonough added. "But again, 48 games into the year we were 28-20 despite losing a few games at the buzzer. So it’s not like (playing two point guards) didn’t work or was a disaster, as some people believe."

McDonough makes an excellent point. Although the lineups led to a shortage of touches, all three combinations of Dragic, Thomas, and Bledsoe posted above-average plus-minus marks. The Dragic-Bledsoe pairing was the Suns' second-most effective two-man combo last season.

As McDonough points out, playing multiple ball-handlers at once allowed his team to capitalize on early offense. The Suns ranked third in fast-break possessions and owned the seventh-best offense last season before they traded Thomas and Dragic.

That's why McDonaugh strengthened his belief in dual point guard lineups by signing Brandon Knight to a 5-year, $70-million deal this summer. Knight will pair with Bledsoe in the backcourt, completing yet another dual-guard combo.

The Suns also signed Tyson Chandler, who should fit in seamlessly with their scheme. Chandler is an elite roll man and an outstanding screen-setter who should create loads of space for Bledsoe and Knight to operate.

Altogether, despite last season's failures, the Suns are doubling down on their strategy. They'll have to avoid personality clashes and poor luck, but if they do, the Suns could make their first playoff appearance since the Steve Nash-era.

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