Who should be 5th starter with Suns Big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal?

Chimezie Metu became the answer to a trivia question on Dec. 13.

He was the fifth starter when the Phoenix Suns' Big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal made their debut against Brooklyn with 7-footer Jusuf Nurkic starting at center.

Grayson Allen got the start the next game on Dec. 15 versus New York, but Beal went down with a right ankle sprain in the first quarter and didn't return.

With Beal returning Friday against Charlotte after missing five games with the ankle injury, The Republic asks the following question in a poll on X, formerly Twitter: Who should be the fifth starter for the Suns (15-15) with their Big 3 and the big fella?

"We've got to get some minutes together," said Grayson Allen, after Friday's morning shootaround when asked about playing with the Big 3. "Tonight will be a good chance to get some minutes together and I can figure out with that group how I can help them, how I can help our team."

Allen was leading among voters by early Friday afternoon in the X poll and will get the start, Suns coach Frank Vogel said before Friday's game.

"He's just a dynamic role player," Vogel said. "He really can do it all offensively. You can put the ball in his hands and he can make pindowns and pick-and-rolls. He's a knockdown 3-point shooter on the backside. He can attack off the bounce in chain reaction and rotational types of plays and you put him on the other team's primary perimeter threat and he can battle those guys and slow them down. He's a very, very valuable piece to our puzzle."

Why Grayson Allen should start

Allen has started all 25 games he's played in, averaging a career-high in points per game at 13.1 a game, field goal percentage at 49.6% and 3-point shooting percentage at 45.5%.

Coming to Phoenix from Milwaukee in the three-team trade before training camp that sent Damian Lillard to the Bucks and Deandre Ayton to Portland, Allen gives the Suns a three-guard look, another ball handler and someone who can stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting.

He can compete on the defensive end, but struggles at times to keep the guard in front.

Why Chimezie Metu should start

Metu has started two games in his first season with the Suns and is averaging just 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds, but had a career night of 23 points and 19 rebounds in Monday's Christmas loss to Dallas.

With Metu in the lineup, the Suns have more size on the floor as Durant can play the three.

He's not a volume rebounder in averaging only 3.4 for his career, but proved against Dallas the ability to get on the glass. The 6-9 forward can also finish above the rim inside.

Metu is a 31.3% shooter from 3 so he can stretch the floor, too. However, Metu has had issues keeping teams off the offensive boards and scoring on putbacks.

What about Eric Gordon?

Eric Gordon is another option to start as he's coming off a 27-point effort in Wednesday's win at Houston in which the veteran guard went 7-of-11 from 3.

Signing as a free agent in the offseason as did Metu, Gordon is averaging 13.8 points on 46.7% shooting, hitting 40.1% from 3.

Unlimited range from 3, Gordon has started 19 of his 26 games played this season. Gordon can be the scoring punch off the bench and is ideal for a closing lineup in a tight game.

He's very confident, is familiar playing with offensive stars and hardly ever hesitates to shoot, a quality one must have when on the court with three dynamic scorers like Booker, Durant and Beal.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Grayson Allen to start with Suns Big 3 as Bradley Beal returns