Suns star Devin Booker to be reevaluated in one week

Suns guard Devin Booker is still at least a little ways off from returning to action. The team announced Wednesday that he’s making progress in his recovery from a left groin strain and will be reevaluated in about one week, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays.

When the Suns made their initial announcement on Booker’s injury on December 28, they said he would be reevaluated in four weeks. Today represents the four-week mark, so we got our update, but the club didn’t provide any concrete info on the star guard’s status or potential return timeline — he’ll miss at least one more week, but we don’t know much beyond that.

The Suns were 19-14 entering the Christmas Day game in which Booker returned from a groin injury and almost immediately aggravated it. They lost that game and nine of their next 11 to slip to 21-24 on the season, though they’ve rebounded nicely of late. Since Cameron Johnson made his return from meniscus surgery last Thursday, the team has won four straight contests and is back over .500 (25-24).

Although they’re on a hot streak and got Chris Paul back this week from a hip issue, the Suns remain awfully shorthanded in the backcourt, with Booker, Cameron Payne (foot) and Landry Shamet (foot) all on the shelf. Payne hasn’t played since January 4, while Shamet has missed the team’s last four games.

Six teams are currently within one game of the seventh-seeded Suns in the Western Conference standings (in one direction or the other), so the sooner Booker is able to get back onto the court, the better.