The Phoenix Suns are 1-2 in the young NBA season, with only a ridiculously efficient Devin Booker performance against the Golden State Warriors saving them from being winless. Booker is going to have his up-and-down nights throughout the campaign, but as Sam Vecenie of "The Game Theory Podcast" has excellently broken down, the Suns are doing nothing to make their best player's life any easier.
"My real issue with everything Phoenix is doing here with this group is that none of it is in service of accentuating Devin Booker or the scheme Jordan Ott found success with last season."
Suns have moved away from what made Booker, team successful
There hasn't been much to like about how this team has played so far, though there is plenty of time to right the ship. Still, the truth can hurt.
The obvious solution here is to give Booker an actual point guard in the backcourt to play with, and Collin Gillespie is sitting right there on the bench, just begging to be given more run. The answer is unfortunately not that simple; for all his efforts defensively, he can still be picked on because of his lack of size, but at this point it is worth trying.
Jordan Goodwin might be the better choice, at least in the short term, to create for Booker and others while still giving the Suns the spark defensively that made them such a tough out last season. The identity they worked so hard to build on that end of the court has been nowhere to be seen so far, and until Coach Ott is brave enough to make a change to his starting lineup, these problems will persist.
Booker is about to turn 30 years old and is a midrange master. The Suns are at their best when they surround his elite scoring talents with willing defenders who can also spread the court. The Miles Bridges trade is rightly being called a disaster because the front office gave up an unprotected first-round pick in 2033, but right now, they miss Grayson Allen the most. He is the perfect player, either starting or coming off the bench, to have alongside Booker.
Suns squandering Booker's prime by changing successful formula
Media and fans alike are going to pile on the Suns' decision to trade for Bridges until he can produce on both ends of the court. Forcing him into the starting lineup has shone a spotlight on their roster construction issues, but it is not his fault alone. This team has moved away from what worked last season, with Dillon Brooks having also cooled off after the best stretch of his career.
Owner Mat Ishbia has repeatedly stated he will never trade Booker. But if the alternative is this watered-down version of perhaps the best player in history, all he is doing is chipping away at the legacy of The Valley's favorite son. Big changes are needed to save this season and Booker's prime, and they need to happen ASAP.
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