Following Friday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets, the Phoenix Suns are back in the win column. They’re currently seventh in the West, meaning they’d take part in the play-in tournament if the standings remain as they are by April. That’s exactly what Suns superstar Devin Booker wants no part of, based on his recent interview.
Speaking to the media, the four-time All-Star talked about the team’s mentality heading into the postseason.
“You don’t want to disrespect no team in the NBA,” Booker said, per ClutchPoints. “We want to win every game that you can, especially with the way the seeding is set up and us being in play-in territory. You want to avoid that. Rather just building good habits and playing the right way before that time comes (is) important.”
What’s going on with the Phoenix Suns?
The Suns have had an up-and-down span in their last 10 games, going 6-4 through that period. Overall, the team holds a 39-28 (.582) record. While they do boast stars such as Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, the Suns have yet to play at their full potential.
Flashes of what could be come out from time to time, such as the team’s seven-game winning streak during January. Presently, however, the roller-coaster ride continues.
Injuries are a factor in where they stand right now. After all, Bradley Beal has only played 38 games this season. In addition, lessening the turnovers would help a lot. The Suns commit 14.8 turnovers a game, a mere 24th overall in the league.
Their late-game performances haven’t been pretty too. Phoenix is last in the league in fourth-quarter points (24.7) and second-to-the-last in fourth-quarter rebounds per game (7.6)
But as Devin Booker said, building good habits is key, and the Suns could start in those areas. They don’t have to worry about talent, considering how their star trio equates to automatic buckets. It’s just the little things the team has to fix.
And picturing a Phoenix team playing at its peak is a scary thought in itself. Aside from the three stars, Grayson Allen is having himself a year, shooting 47.6% from downtown while Jusuf Nurkic is averaging a double-double (11.6 ppg, 11.1 rpg).
The internal pieces are there. All the Suns have to do is solve the puzzle.
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