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Devin Booker called you “one of the most underrated players in the game.” How does that land with you knowing your matchups in the 2021 Finals and Team USA connection? Jrue Holiday: “He’s always been somebody that I admire and somebody that I love to battle with. In my book, he’s one of the greats as a scorer and as a player. Obviously, he won two gold medals. Honestly, the way that he’s leading his team and stayed with his team, I feel like that kind of goes under the radar now where you can stay with a team both through the good and the bad. But that’s one thing that I respect. Not everybody has the choice to do that. But being underrated? I don’t know. I’ve gotten a lot. I think at this point, it is what it is.”
Still, Devin Booker is under contract in Phoenix through the 2029-30 season, when he’s due $67.9 million, and fans have started to wonder, given the minutes he’s logged, whether his best seasons are behind him. Although he averaged 26.1 points and 6.0 assists, Booker’s game slipped last season. More comfortable in the midrange, his 3-point accuracy dipped to 33 percent, among his career-low marks. Perhaps a bigger problem: As Phoenix’s primary playmaker, Booker often got caught between setting up teammates and probing for shots, when sometimes the right play was forcing his will.
Q. We also talked about just this team’s ability to respond, coming out, turning things around. Coach talks about building habits and creating more of those. What habits do you think that you guys built on tonight? Devin Booker: “Really what we built our identity on last year. To be completely honest, the first game of the season was embarrassing for us, and we wore that. We wore it for a few days, we had to sit with it. I kind of still feel it after this win, so going into OKC, that’s going to be our next challenge and we take off tomorrow.”
Duane Rankin: "This is definitely a wakeup call for us. I'm glad it happened early." Devin Booker after Suns 124-83 loss to Blazers as they trailed by 31 at the end of one. "Everything went wrong. We have a lot to learn from the tape offensively and defensively. I think they were killing us with their pace, forcing us into tough shots. Playing the deep drop. We knew it coming, but I think their guards did a good job of being active on the ball handler and forcing us into just being hesitant." Booker 23 points, didn't attempt a 3 (minus-43): "You can always do everything better in a loss like that. Trying to find the flow. We have some work to do and we have some things to learn from." #Suns #RipCity
Devin Booker on Damian Lillard’s leadership with Ja Morant: “I think Dame will be an ultimate leader for Ja, the one that he needed around him. I am sure he is giving him game of the NBA. He is an established vet and Dame has done everything that we want to do in this league.”
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Duane Rankin: Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Miles Bridges, Dillon Brooks, Collin Gillespie and Oso Ighodaro didn't participate in the full morning shootaround and aren't expected to play in tonight's preseason game against San Antonio. Suns have one final preseason game Friday vs. Utah Jazz at home. #Suns
Kellan Olson: No Devin Booker and Miles Bridges tonight for the Suns, per Jordan Ott. The plan was for guys to not play in all 5, so this will be the game off for those two. Booker is just down for rest. Bridges is for the ankle but again the ankle is fine.
Duane Rankin: Q: "Book's idol is Rip Hamilton?" A: "One of them." Suns guard Jalen Green's reaction to @KellanOlson asking about Devin Booker's off-ball movement as Booker grew up watching Detroit Pistons when Hamilton was part of their 2004 NBA championship team. Booker grew up in Michigan before moving to Mississippi to play at his dad's high school alma mater, Moss Point. #Suns
Duane Rankin: "He tries to make it seem like he's an old head, but he's not an old head yet." Jalen Green on Devin Booker, who will turn 30 Oct. 30. On Dillon Brooks being the oldest player on the team at age 30: "He's old as shit." Duop Reath, Luke Kennard, Haywood Highsmith, Pat Spencer, Brooks and Booker were all born in 1996. "They old as hell." Green's DOB: 2-9-2002. #Suns
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Stanley announced Thursday morning that Devin Booker is the brand’s first NBA player partner with the “Hidden in Plain Sight” collection, which includes hydration, bar and pet products inspired by the five-time All-Star. The collection features 24-ounce and 64-ounce insulated leakproof tumblers, a insulated pet bowl, a stainless steel lunchbox and a party set in an orange and tiger-camo pattern, retailing from $40 to $150.
“It’s like a scab,” Gillespie said. “He just keeps picking at it, and then it starts bleeding everywhere. Sometimes he doesn’t do a great job of picking his moments, because it’ll be like, ‘Alright, I’m fed up with hearing this.’ But he means well, and he does it out of the goodness of his heart. He’s trying to really help somebody.” Gillespie admitted it had been just a week prior that simple court chatter led to Gillespie reacting in a way toward Brooks where he said, “I was ready to kill him.” Jalen Green knows it well from his earlier days in Houston with Brooks. He just won’t stop. He will keep at it. And not quietly. “He does it loud,” Devin Booker said. “The whole gym is gonna know, so you have to be willing to match that energy every day. Oso did, so good luck to Koa.”
Kellan Olson: Devin Booker said this is the best his body has ever felt going into a training camp. Credited learning over the years the new ways to train and take care of his body. (This is saying something because Booker always comes into the season in fantastic shape)
