Why the Devin Booker 'problem' is a massive overreaction

Devin Booker stats since return from injury on March 3rd:

• 20 games played
• 29.o points
• 5.8 assists
• 3.8 rebounds
• 45.9% shooting, 36.9% from 3 on 6.5 attempts

March onward is usually when the 29-year-old is playing his best ball and it’s the same this season. Booker is scoring 2.9 more points than his season average and shooting better from the field and beyond the arc. The success expands farther than this six week stretch, as his past three-year playoff performances has been an outlier compared to the rest of the league.

Booker in a playoff atmosphere is averaging more points on better efficiency. This includes playoff runs from 2024, 2023 and 2022, not even taking into account the franchise’s Finals run. A mediocre performance against the Trail Blazers, who has had the best defensive rating in the NBA for the past 15 games, is nothing to be ashamed of or looked down upon.

On Friday, the Suns will face off against the Golden State Warriors, who is 21st in defensive rating since March 16th. Golden State won’t have the bodies to throw at Booker to slow him down that Portland had. If Booker has a repeat performance of Tuesday on Friday, then a serious evaluation of him and the roster this offseason is due.

However, the likely outcome is what Booker has been doing for the past 20 games: scoring. He has the third highest points per game average in the NBA since his return on March 3rd with the most games played of anyone in the top 10. The concern for Booker is a minute point compared to an bigger offensive problem the team has experienced since getting healthy.