The Phoenix Suns have enjoyed a strong start to the NBA season, though they are still waiting for MVP-caliber star Devin Booker to get going. Their 9-4 record has them fifth in the Western Conference, but they have lost three of the last four as they navigate a stint without Kevin Durant. It was a costly victory against the Dallas Mavericks that altered the course of their young season, as they improved to 8-1 but lost Durant to a calf strain.
Durant’s performances have earned him a top-three appearance in the latest NBA MVP ladder, so his absence is a huge blow for Mike Budenholzer and the Suns. His displays had also masked the inconsistencies of his fellow teammates Booker and Bradley Beal, who have struggled at times offensively.
The Suns Need Devin Booker to Return to MVP Level
Booker’s Early Struggles
With Beal now also on the sidelines, there is much more emphasis on Booker to return to the level accustomed of him. The 28-year-old has averaged over 25 points in each of the last six seasons, but through 13 games is only producing 22.5 per game. In four games without Durant, he is averaging 21 points, and in the last two games without both Durant and Beal, this figure decreases to 15 points.
Perhaps the most concerning performance of the season came in his latest outing at the OKC Thunder. Booker scored just 12 points in the game, all coming in the second half and was a -29. The first half saw the first scoreless half of his career since 2019 against the Denver Nuggets. Eight of his points came from the free-throw line. It is far too early to have major worries about him long-term, as he has shown to start slow in the past, but there may need to be more urgency this time.
Not disputing Devin Booker has had a rough start, but, Book thru 13 games:
2020-21: 22.2 PPG, 4.1 APG, 4.1 TOs, 46.8 FG%, 34.2 3P%, 8-5 record
2021-22: 22.9 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2.8 TOs, 43.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 10-3 record
2024-25: 22.5 PPG, 6.6 APG, 2.0 TOs, 42.3 FG%, 34 3P%, 9-4 record— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) November 16, 2024
It would no doubt be a tough ask for Booker to produce a dominant game against such a good Thunder defense without his two co-stars. Almost all defensive attention was on the guard, and his teammates did not provide much scoring help. The Suns were held to a season-low total in the 99-83 loss. Josh Okogie has been the leading scorer in the last two games, highlighting the struggles they have been facing. Their field goal percentage of 29.4% was the second-lowest in franchise history and lowest of any team in a game this season. However, far more is expected of a player with Booker’s talent.
Time to Take Over
At the Paris Olympics, Booker embraced being a role player to cater to the bigger stars such as LeBron James and Steph Curry. It was a role which allowed him to focus on defense and putting his teammates in the best positions to score. With the Suns, he has a much larger responsibility amongst the leaders on the team. Ahead of a continued stretch against tough opponents, it is time for Booker to take over and be the aggressive scorer fans have been used to seeing.
Explaining his struggles against the Thunder, he said,
“I’m not in the business of trying to go score over double and triple teams.”
It highlights that Booker has a greater focus on making the right play and not trying to force shots, a mindset that may have developed with his increased responsibility as a playmaker in the past two seasons. But as long as his teammates are spurning the open looks he gives them and his issues continue, the Suns need him to take matters into his own hands and assert himself.
"They were trapping me, If we make some shots early. I'm not in the business of trying to go score over double and triple teams."
Devin Booker scoreless 1st half in Suns loss to OKC. 12 pts. minus-29
On getting a bucket to get team going. "I left those in my early years." #Suns pic.twitter.com/ircTfa0vho
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 16, 2024
It has been a relatively healthy season in terms of injuries for Booker. He missed some time in preseason with an ankle injury but has played every game so far. He popped up on the injury report before the Mavericks game over a week ago with an illness, which likely hindered him at times. The Suns will be desperate for this to be behind him as they attempt to navigate this upcoming stretch without two of their big three. Booker has been a peripheral MVP candidate for the last four seasons, and he will need to get back to this level for the Suns to return to winning ways.
