Devin Booker has been the big star of the Phoenix Suns for years; However, this did not prevent the 2023-24 campaign from being really hard for him. Although his numbers did not get worse, his presence and influence on the court beyond them left many people cold. Much more was expected of the trio formed with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal than being swept in the first round of the playoffs (Minnesota Timberwolves executed them) and, of course, the bar for 2024-25 remains very high. They may or may not reach it, but whether one thing or another happens, it won’t be because Booker simply hasn’t tried to make things change.
Already during the celebration of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Steve Kerr highlighted how the player from the Arizona organization had taken a step forward by giving up the shine of the game to go down into the mud; So much so that there was no shortage of praise for such a willingness to get their hands dirty. «Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player. No one has asked about him, but he was our anonymous MVP. “I just wanted to say that.”
Of course, playing with Stephen Curry, LeBron James and company can be extremely motivating, but it seems that Booker does not want this new, more physical and decisive style when defending one’s own rim to remain an anecdote. Along those lines, his Suns teammate, Monte Morris, confirms that great change in the four-time All-Star’s game.
«He has brought that ‘dog’ that we saw with Team USA here, especially when it comes to the defensive section. I think that during this season we are going to see a lot of that new style from him,” comments the guard.
A little more character won’t hurt the Suns. They have plenty of talent, but physicality and defense are another story. If Booker, the number one, gets to work to set a bar of effort and dedication to his teammates, we will likely see a much improved Suns team. Another thing is that they have enough to fight for the goal set: the ring.
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