Suns' play-in loss highlights worrying Devin Booker trend

The Phoenix Suns dropped their play-in game to the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday night in part because Portland made almost twice as many three-point shots. The 114-110 loss forced the Suns into an elimination game on Friday and exposed an issue with the team's biggest star.

Devin Booker scored 22 points in the loss but went 0-of-2 from behind the three-point arc. It's part of a downward trend in Booker's three-point shooting that's made one of the NBA's most celebrated scorers a non-factor behind the arc.

Devin Booker isn't a three-point threat

While Booker is one of the NBA's most impressive shot-makers, his outside shooting is below average. He made 33 percent of his three-point attempts this season and only 33.2 percent last season. Booker averaged 26.1 points and 1.9 three-pointers this year and put up his lowest effective field goal percentage, 50.7 percent, since 2017-18, when he was 21 years old.

The biggest reason for this is that Booker struggles to shoot off the dribble. When he takes a catch-and-shoot three — receiving a pass and immediately going up with the shot — Booker shoots 38.5 percent. When Booker dribbles three to six times before taking a three, he shoots 29.2 percent.

Portland made it tough for Booker on Tuesday, with All-Defensive forward Toumani Camara playing tough defense and working to deny Booker the ball in the fourth quarter. Camara was able to play aggressively against Booker's drives because he didn't have to fear his three-point shot.

Phoenix Suns still need a point guard

When the Suns traded for Chris Paul in 2020, they went to the NBA Finals. The next season, they won 64 games, with Booker making the All-NBA first team, averaging 26.8 points and shooting 38.3 percent from distance. He finished fourth in the MVP vote, then averaged a career-best 27.8 points in his third season with CP3.

In 2023, new owner Mat Ishbia decided to build a superteam, trading for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. What he didn't add was a point guard, and those duties fell to Booker. He filled in competently, and his assist numbers climbed, but the Suns offense peaked at ninth in the NBA even with three elite scorers.

This year's Suns have great three-point shooting around Booker, but an offense that relies on a lot of one-on-one play, from Booker, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. Point guard Collin Gillespie is a great shooter who averages only 4.6 assists, and the Suns have the fourth-lowest assist total in the NBA.

Having a quality point guard to arrange the offense and give Booker more chances to catch-and-shoot would help the Suns greatly. As things stand now, a defender like Camara can take Booker out of the game too easily. Especially when he's not afraid of Booker's outside shot.