The Phoenix Suns are still reeling from a disappointing play-in tournament loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Mark Williams must surely be reconsidering his future.
While he was not playing when it mattered, Jalen Green was taking an eye-watering 29 shots to try and get the Suns over the line, many of them ill-advised.
Devin Booker must take control of offense back from Green
It may seem incredibly harsh to place some of Green’s “I’ve got this” offensive play at the feet of Booker, but watching their scoring grind to a halt against Portland it is a conversation that has to be had.
If you go back to the Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal experience in The Valley, Booker’s personality and demeanour on the court was both one of the best and worst parts about that trio coming together.
His willingness to take a step back and let Durant take the biggest shots and generally be the offensive hub meant all three guys never appeared to have a problem with one another. It was Booker’s selflessness that meant they fit together.
I HATE HATE HATE the way that game ended because we all collectively forgot about this dynamite “playoff” debut from JG4
— Vincent ☀️ (@SunSteelerS_) April 15, 2026
He was absolutely electric, and that mid range game looks smooth as silk. Rooting for a win Friday, need to see more Jalen Green hoops 🤞 https://t.co/Gs6y5OznbL
He was also up for the task of being the point guard in Phoenix, again tweaking his game to accommodate Beal, even if that never truly got off the ground as a result of Beal’s injuries and awkward fit in the offense on a lot of nights.
To have a franchise cornerstone act in this way is rare, and it is part of what makes Booker so special. It was also one of the pillars of the Suns’ undoing with Durant and Beal on the roster.
Durant is clearly still not over it one year later.
There were games and moments when it should have been about him and he didn’t have to be so passive. The Booker of Team USA was rightly beloved for his selflessness, but Phoenix has always needed him to be so much more than that.
Which brings us back to Tuesday night versus Portland. Booker took 12 fewer field goals than Green and was happy to defer to him as he took some difficult shots. Granted he made some of these and that shot-making is part of Green’s appeal, but that style of basketball won’t get them so far.
There is no reason to believe Green is going anywhere this offseason, so it will be on Booker to quietly wrestle back control of the offense next time out. Failure to do so will result in a similar outcome.
This duo can work together, and they may even figure out how to both influence the offense ahead of their do-or-die contest to get into the playoffs. Regardless Booker can’t allow Green to take 29 shots in a massive game ever again.
Dillon Brooks can surely benefit from the ball getting shared that bit more, he is simply a winning player in the same vein as Booker. A trait Green has yet to add to his arsenal.
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