Decisions, decisions: D’Antoni ponders lineup

Three days between games is a rarity in the NBA, so when an extended break presents itself, coaches generally take advantage by doing something they don’t otherwise have much time to do, teach.

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The lesson plan Mike D’Antoni came up with after Thursday’s loss to San Antonio has been brief.

“Usually it’s defense (we turn our attention to) so we can’t do that,” D’Antoni said with a smile, referring to his team’s improvement in that area of late, “and we’re always pretty good offensively. I think we’re just trying to reinforce things that we’re doing.”

One area that D’Antoni is taking extra time on is deciding whether the Suns are better with Grant Hill or Boris Diaw in the starting lineup.

“It’s up in the air,” D’Antoni said when asked who will start tonight against Charlotte. “It might be a game-to-game thing. I’m just trying to keep everybody involved, everybody focused.”

When Hill was out due to an appendectomy last month, Diaw played his best basketball of the season and has continued to play at that level in the two games he’s started since Hill returned. Hill meanwhile has provided the same energy and production whether he’s a starter or a sub.

“Maybe that’s your answer,” said guard Steve Nash, who added it doesn’t matter to him who starts. “Whatever makes our team the best.”

However, D’Antoni is not yet convinced one lineup is better than the other yet, so he will continue to experiment.

“We’ve still got a couple of months to decide,” he said.

“I’m always going to bounce it around. You just try to figure out the best five at the end of the game and the best five at the start of the game and the best five for rotations. When Steve comes out, what’s the best five to have on the floor?

“There’s a process you kind of go through. You don’t get it right all the time, but it’s something we always think about.”

Both Hill and Diaw have said it doesn’t matter what role they fill, and D’Antoni said that’s key to this team continuing its success.

“These guys are good, good guys,” he said. “At the end of the day, they’re going to do what’s best for their teammates or the Phoenix Suns. That’s nice to know. You can’t coach at a championship level if you don’t have that.”

BONUS SHOTS: Charlotte, which has never beaten the Suns and is 12 games under .500, would seem to be the best follow-up for Phoenix after its subpar performance against the Spurs. However, with the Suns having already lost three times to the two worst teams in the league (Miami, Minnesota twice), guard Raja Bell said he isn’t expecting an easy game.

“Every team in this league is dangerous,” he said. “We’ve been beat by teams that record-wise people would have said weren’t up to San Antonio’s caliber, but they probably played us better than San Antonio did. We’re not discounting anyone.”

Rookie Alando Tucker has missed the last two practices due to illness.

Bobcats at Suns

When: 7 p.m. today

Where: US Airways Center

TV: FSN Arizona

Radio: KTAR (620 AM)