Valley of the Suns
Fansided

A look back at the year of terrible Phoenix Suns PG play

By Adam Maynes

PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 13: Eric Bledsoe #2 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against Travis Trice #0 of the Brisbane Bullets during the first half of the NBA preseason game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 13, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 13: Eric Bledsoe #2 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against Travis Trice #0 of the Brisbane Bullets during the first half of the NBA preseason game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 13, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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PHOENIX, AZ – MARCH 2: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 2, 2018 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ – MARCH 2: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 2, 2018 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Devin Booker – 5 starts

After Ulis was benched again near the end of January, Jay Triano tried a different and unique approach, starting Devin Booker at point guard, a system similar to what Houston and Golden State run with James Harden and Stephen Curry.

Unfortunately, as much as I would have preferred to have seen Booker run point for the duration of the season, he really only got five games to make his impact before injuries began to take a toll.

Although he had a 31 point and 10 assist night against the Houston Rockets on January 28, his scoring average took a serious hit as the starting point guard, averaging only 18.8 over those five games (and 15.75 if you consider that Houston game an outlier and remove it from the average), although with a good 6.4 assists per game average.

But when he was shut down for the final four games prior to the All-Star Break, Ryan McDonough was forced to make some sort of a move to help bring some experience and a modicum of depth to the position. McDonough traded for Elfrid Payton, ending the short-lived Devin Booker at point guard experiment.

Starting Stats: 18.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 3.4 turnovers, 40.2% FG%, 41.9% 3pt%, 100.0% FT%

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