When the game is on the line, where has Devin Booker gone?

There was an unfortunate trend that began to manifest itself during the back half of last season. When the going gets tough, your best players need to get going. And unfortunately for the Phoenix Suns, that trend involved Devin Booker’s struggles to perform in clutch moments.

From February 1 onward, in 11 clutch games in which Booker played, the Suns went 3-8. During those moments, Booker shot 6-of-20 from the field, recorded five assists against eight turnovers, and posted a -34 plus/minus.

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That’s concerning, especially when you consider that over his previous 10 seasons, which included some pretty horrible Suns teams, Booker owned a -2 +/- in 316 clutch situations. He shot 40% from the field during those moments and maintained a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio.

And it wasn’t as if Booker had struggled in the clutch throughout the entirety of last season. Through the first 19 games in which he played, the Suns were 11-8 in clutch situations. Booker shot 51.2% from the field, recorded 10 assists against only three turnovers, and posted a +27 plus/minus. But upon returning from an ankle injury on February 7, the nosedive began.

You can make the argument that it’s supposed to be tough, that your best player is naturally going to be the focal point of opposing defenses, and therefore his performance will be hindered by the schemes designed to stop him. During that same timeframe, from February 1 onward, Booker ranked dead last in plus/minus among players who attempted at least 20 shots in clutch situations. Jalen Brunson, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were at the top of the list, with Brunson posting a +41. And there were plenty of other names ahead of Booker, including Jamal Murray, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Desmond Bane.

That only adds to the concern about who Devin Booker is and what he represents at this point in his career, particularly within the context of this Suns team. Because you can make excuses all day long about how he’s being double-teamed or triple-teamed, but great players make the necessary adjustments that lead to team success. That’s why plus/minus, when evaluated over…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/game-line-where-devin-booker-230000248.html

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Publish date : 2026-11-03 23:00:00

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