Would trading for Towns take Suns to next level?

Phoenix Suns are eight games under .500, but they were just a game out of the eighth spot going into Monday’s NBA action.

Had a major hiccup Sunday against Memphis in the second of a five-game homestand that left Monty Williams so upset his team didn’t follow the game plan that he didn’t take any questions after the defeat.

A day later, Williams had found perspective on what has been an inconsistent stretch he believes began Game 11 against the Atlanta Hawks, a game the Suns actually won by 16 points at home.

“The more I thought about it,” Williams said, “the more I came back to the process of doing what we’re trying to do here. Put in a system here that is sustainable. Improve habits. Getting our guys to play consistently while changing up a lineup. That’s a huge shift for us. It’s frustrating to everybody to lose games you feel like you should have won.”

Phoenix has gone 8-18 since winning six of its first 10 games.

“The first 10 (games), we were team that everybody was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Williams said. “The last 26, it’s like ... “

Williams proceeded to move his arms to depict something that looked like rungs on a ladder, illustrating how the Suns have performed at levels both high and low.

“We’ve had that kind of (up and down),” he said.

Saric odd man out

Williams’ “huge shift” was starting two centers in Aron Baynes and Deandre Ayton along with Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Devin Booker. The Suns are 1-1 with this unit, but the move sent Dario Saric to the bench.

Acquired in a draft-day trade that involved Phoenix moving down in the draft to take rookie Cam Johnson, Saric had started Phoenix’s first 34 games before Williams chose to start Ayton at power forward and keep Baynes in the starting lineup at center.

“Of course it’s kind of hard to handle everything, but I am a professional,” Saric said Monday. “I respect Coach’s decisions.”

Williams called Saric “a connector” in the sense that he helps ball movement, but he isn’t looking to change the lineup after just two games. He likes Mikal Bridges at a “flexible” four to handle teams that bring say a stretch power forward off the bench.

Saric is considered at a disadvantage at that position, but Williams is almost starting over in trying to figure out who should play where because Ayton is back from injury and the roster is near full strength.

Frank Kaminsky III is out indefinitely with a right patella stress fracture, but Williams said it’d be hard to play four bigs.

The Suns are in a tough spot. They’re having to bring Ayton along in January. The suspension really set the Suns back in terms of overall development. They won early without him, established a style of play, but there was always that unknown of what will the Suns be like when Ayton returns.

Now they’re starting to find out and it isn’t just as simple as putting him on the court and that’s it. He has to adjust to the team. The team has to adjust to him and now this lineup switch is forcing guys to take on new roles.

Williams said the Suns needed 10 games with Ayton before the suspension ended. They reset that clock after he sprained his right ankle in his return game Dec. 17 from the suspension.

Going by those calculations, Tuesday makes five games. See where the Suns are in Game 11 when returning from a three-game road trip to play San Antonio on Jan. 20.

Will Williams still stick with the new lineup? Will Ayton be more aggressive on offense.

Will Kaminsky be back from injury. Will the Suns find a level of consistency that satisfies Williams?

Oh, there are more questions, but we’ll address those in two weeks.

Booker finally an all-star?

The All-Star fan voting has Williams all flustered when it comes to Booker.

“It’s kind of goofy,” Williams said. “You have all these guys ahead of Devin and I’m just like, this is goofy, but I think the coaches and the people that are watching understand that he is a complete offensive player.”

Booker is ninth in the “first returns” voting released Thursday behind the following in the Western Conference backcourt.

Luka Doncic (DAL) 1,073,957 James Harden (HOU) 749,080 Damian Lillard (POR) 202,498 Stephen Curry (GSW) 191,149 Russell Westbrook (HOU) 189,005 D’Angelo Russell (GSW) 122,499 Donovan Mitchell (UTAH) 108,349 Alex Caruso (LAL) 92,233 Devin Booker (PHX) 91,817

Ja Morant (MEM) 77,081

Those first three are a given. How Curry is in the voting when he’s out with an injury is questionable, but he only alarming player ahead Booker is Caruso.

Don’t know whose fans are worse here.

Lakers fans for voting for a reserve guard or Suns fans for not voting enough for Booker.

Still, Booker wasn’t going to start. Coaches will determine his all-star fate. It’s going to be tough.

Russell won’t likely make it because the Warriors are having a bad year, but Westbrook and Mitchell are part of playoff teams. It’d be a bad look for Harden to be the only Rocket when Houston is a NBA title contender and Mitchell, like Booker, is due to make it.

So what would help Booker’s cause? Winning.

The Suns are eight games under .500. They’d need to win 14 of their next 19 games to be 27-26 at the all-star break. Is it possible?

Guess anything is possible, but 11 of the next 19 games are against teams with losing records.

Sacramento (13-23)

Orlando (16-20)

Charlotte (15-24)

Atlanta (8-28)

New York (10-26)

San Antonio (twice) (14-20) Memphis (15-22)

Brooklyn (16-18)

Detroit (13-24)

Golden State (9-28)

Can’t see a 14-5 stretch, but if the Suns could win say eight of those against teams with losing records and pull out home upsets over Indiana, Oklahoma City, that would be 10 wins.

Very optimistic thinking, but that’d certainly help Booker’s all-star chances.

Playoff position.

The Suns probably won’t go 12-6 in their next 18 to reach .500, but Booker will get some points to lead Phoenix into one of those top eight playoff spots.

They can still be under .500 and be in that eight spot, but the higher they could climb, the better for Booker’s allstar chances.

Numbers.

Booker is on a recent tear of scoring at least 30 points in six straight games to set a franchise record for most consecutive 30-point games. He dropped 40 Sunday on Memphis.

He’ll cool off a bit, but Booker needs numbers to lead to wins as well. Verbal support.

LeBron James gave Booker high praise before facing Phoenix the first time this season, saying, “Book could be an all-star every year.”

That’s an All-Star endorsement right there, but Booker needs more of those from guys like James to make the coaches really understand how good he is.

Williams will continue to let everyone know how good he thinks Booker is, use comparisons to validate his commentary, but Booker could use some of the game’s elite to speak highly of him, too.

Upcoming games

Tuesday vs. Sacramento Kings – Last meeting between the two Pacific Division teams as Phoenix leads the season series, 2-1. The Suns pummeled the Kings by 29 points the first time they played at Talking Stick Resort Arena in the season opener. Sacramento may have a little extra incentive for this one.

Friday vs. Orlando Magic – Phoenix lost in Orlando last month as Aaron Gordon went for 32 points, making all five of his 3-point attempts.

Considering he’s a shooting 28.5% from 3, that was an out-of-body experience Dec. 4. Another winnable game for the Suns.

Sunday vs. Charlotte Hornets – The Suns conclude their five-game homestand against a team beat Dallas in overtime Saturday, but lost six in a row before that. Phoenix stunned the Hornets last month in Charlotte in erasing a seven-point deficit in the final minute.

Like Sacramento, Charlotte should want payback.