Real reason Phoenix Suns failed Devin Booker so badly this season is obvious

The Phoenix Suns continue to push for a spot in the play-in tournament, although back-to-back losses to superior teams in the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves have shown just how big the gulf in class between contenders and Phoenix actually is. It is the reason why they have no shot at all against certain teams in the playoffs, if they can even make it there.

As the franchise cornerstone, much of the blame will fall on Devin Booker. the 28-year-old has not had a good season by his high standards, and the fact he didn't come close to an All-Star selection - with fans not even being surprised by this - gives you an idea of the kind of rough campaign it has been in The Valley.

This isn't all on Booker however as the Suns failed him this season.

If you go back to the NBA Finals run of 2021 - which sadly feels a long time ago at this point - aside from the vibes being at an all-time high in Phoenix, the roster was built around Booker in three notable ways. When you compare what they were to this season however, you will see that the organization have failed to replicate that in every way.

Instead they brought in Kevin Durand - and although the 36-year-old has been fantastic for stretches of the season - his offensive exploits alone cannot make up for everything that the Suns lost in acquiring him. There could yet be a way out of this situation, although it would involve a new owner in the Eastern Conference having the same thought process that Mat Ishbia once did.

Back to 2021 and the Suns' second most important player during that run to the finals was Chris Paul. On any given night he wasn't the second best - but as one of the best point guards of all-time - he was the perfect foil for Booker. Who run the offense was clear, allowing Booker to be a scorer first and a playmaker second.

Contrast that to this season, with head coach Mike Budenholzer giving that role to Tyus Jones. An excellent pickup at the time, but to compare him to Paul in any way would be laughable. That didn't quite work out - Jones has been pushed back to the bench as the season has worn on - with Bradley Beal and Booker again splitting playmaking duties.

Next up is Deandre Ayton, who in 2021 bought into what the franchise wanted him to do an anchored a defense. So good was Ayton during that stretch, that not selecting Luka Doncic was almost defensible. We all know how that ended - and Ayton had to go - but a combination of Jusuf Nurkic, Mason Plumlee and Oso Ighodaro isn't going to cut it.

Booker is at his best as a two-way force when what he's doing defensively is a bonus, which it felt like it was because of how dominant Ayton was for that stretch. This season however the Suns have needed him practically every night to bring it on that end, and he has failed. On the year they're an awful 26th in defensive rating, allowing 116.9 point per game.

Yet when Booker is out there that number plummets even further to 117.6 points. On a related note he has a net rating this season of minus 2.1, with the Suns scoring the fewest points each night at 115.5 when Booker is out there since the 2019-20 season (114.9). If you remember correctly, that was before the 8-0 run in the bubble that sparked the eventual finals appearance.

Then there is the defensive wing who can play alongside Book, a spot occupied four years ago by Mikal Bridges. To give the organization some credit, this is an area they appear to have addressed to some degree by drafting Ryan Dunn. He's back in the starting lineup these days and although his 3-point shot from early in the campaign is no more, he is an above average defender.

The issue there however is that he's only a rookie, and we are a few years away from seeing him as a fully formed player in this league. Booker doesn't have a few years left to wait - and although this is not Dunn's fault - he's just not as good right now as Bridges was back then. Again that's not Dunn's fault, but Booker has suffered as a result.

All of this has combined to put Booker 52nd in Player Efficiency Rating so far in 2024-25 at 19.2, the lowest mark of his career since 2020-21. Which proves this point perfectly. Back then Booker could post a PER that low and his talent plus the right mix of teammates took them all the way to the finals. In 2025 that help isn't there, and it is showing each and every night he takes to the court.