The Phoenix Suns have played themselves into the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference amid Deandre Ayton’s absence, leaving some uncertainty about how Ayton will be reintegrated into the lineup.
Appearing Friday on 98.7 Arizona Sports, Suns head coach Monty Williams said that the team is undecided about starting Ayton upon his return but added that they will “more than likely” do so.
Ayton, the former No. 1 overall pick, started at center to begin the season but drew a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy by taking a diuretic. He will be eligible to return shortly before Christmas.
The Suns have started Aron Baynes and Frank Kaminsky at the 5 to fill the void left by Ayton and are currently 8-9 on the year. While Ayton has been enthusiastic about potentially playing the 4, that would require the Suns to remove one of Dario Saric or Kelly Oubre from the starting lineup, which doesn’t seem feasible with how well both have played this season.
