A win against the Minnesota Timberwolves would have felt good at any point this year for the Phoenix Suns. A win against the Wolves, on the road, without Devin Booker and Jalen Green, feels cathartic.
After it was announced that Booker would miss at least a week with a groin injury, it seemed like the great vibes of the 2025-26 season would be put on hold until Book returned. After Monday's win in Minnesota, though, it's starting to feel like the vibe train won't be derailed no matter how many key players
Sure, the Suns were crushed by the Rockets three days prior, but if the team goes .500 and splits blowout losses with thrilling wins the whole time Booker is sidelined, that's still a big win! In the modern NBA, adjusting when players are sidelined is an essential trait for teams to possess, and last night's win makes me think the Suns have it.
Suns are embodying the next man up mentality
This tenet has become cliche in sports nomenclature, but when a team consists of one superstar and 11 role players, "next man up" is a requirement. Jordan Ott deserves praise for a lot of things — his ability to keep everyone on the team ready for their moment is a huge one.
Last night, it wasn't one player who stepped up in Book's absence. Instead, it was the entire team. Nine players got minutes, and every one of them scored, grabbed at least one rebound, and recorded at least one assist. I don't remember the last time that happened in the NBA, but I can't recall ever seeing it happen. That's the best possible way to approach playing without your superstar, too.
Instead of asking one specific player to tag in as the No. 1 option, ask the entire team to contribute 5 percent more than they usually do. They did that, and it resulted in maybe the most impressive win of the early season. A team effort to the extreme.
That win felt like an important inflection point for this Suns team. It showed that "other" guys on the roster aren't just succeeding this season because opposing teams are hyper-focused on Devin Booker, and that they can make things happen even when the team's star isn't in the mix. Hopefully they don't have to do that much longer (and it sounds like they won't, as Book's return nears). But it's nice to know they can if called upon.
Life without Devin Booker is typically not very fun. But this Suns team has subverted expectations all year, so should we really be shocked that they stepped up to another challenge?