The Suns are gearing up for their first back-to-back-to-back. The lockout monster is coming for them, in just the perfect moment to ruin a good run, too. The Suns have won four of their last five games and they’re looking to continue that into the hard part of the schedule. Mind you, the b2b2b (I really hate typing it out. As should everyone.) isn’t the only sign of trouble for the next week  — the Suns will be going away and back home against the Lakers Friday and Sunday, for a double header of a previously epic category.

Now,  how will the Suns play this? The rotation will be very fluid in the coming games. Expect Steve Nash to be used more sparingly in the first half. Or hell, expect him to try and close the game out in the first half. The point is, Steve has to rest, and so does Grant Hill. In fact, the fatigue is so great the only player you don’t have to worry about will be the excellently conditioned Marcin Gortat, who is, incidentally, the main point of advantage against almost all of the teams the Suns will be facing on this coming trip.

Now, the problem with this run of three games in three nights is chemistry. Shannon Brown has been a chemistry killer, for example. And he’ll have to come off the bench, since only a crazy person would expect Michael Redd to be good to go three nights in a row. Ditto for Hakim Warrick and his replacement of rookie Markieff Morris. The only place where the changes shouldn’t hurt is point guard, as both Ronnie Price and Sebastian Telfair have been playing solidly.

Earlier in the season Alvin Gentry hinted the possibility that he’d sit Grant Hill and Steve Nash in the middle game. With the Nuggets being very close to the Suns in the standings, should he take that risk?

As time passes, we will see. Right now, all we can do is wait and see. Whatever the case, you’d hope the plan minimum is going 2-1, though.