Paul Coro

azcentral sports

Devin Booker is still the Suns' starting shooting guard.

Brandon Knight is now the team's sixth man.

A Suns offseason of curiosity about the loaded backcourt rotation was settled before the preseason even started when coach Earl Watson announced that Monday's preseason starting lineup would be the regular-season starting lineup.

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Watson is starting Booker with Eric Bledsoe, T.J. Warren, Jared Dudley and Tyson Chandler, beginning with the Monday night preseason opener against San Antonio at Monday.

That means Knight, who has started 315 of 328 career games, will come off the bench.

"That's the starting lineup for the season," Watson said. "We're not wasting time. We're not lingering with inner-competition.

"Brandon Knight is not a bench player. He's a starter in this league. He's sacrificed the most for our group. He took it like the pro he is because he understands the opportunity that we have to be special. Do players like coming off the bench? No, and we embrace that. That's the inner-competitive nature that we need."

Knight declined an interview request after Monday's shootaround.

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Booker, 19, started the final 44 games of last season, moving into the first five permanently once Bledsoe suffered a season-ending knee injury. He was named to the All-NBA Rookie first team after being a sixth man for his one season at Kentucky.

"I knew at one point in my career I'd be a starter," Booker said. "I didn't know it'd be this soon but I have put in that work to be one."

The lineup also suggests that Warren might remain the starting small forward when P.J. Tucker returns from back surgery rehabilitation.

"We can't wait for P.J. Tucker to get back so we have another decision to make," Watson said.

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Reach Paul Coro at paul.coro@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-2470. Follow him at twitter.com/paulcoro.