Devin Booker is reportedly expected to return for the Phoenix Suns (4-6) tomorrow after missing the last five games due to a right calf strain.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Booker has missed eight of Phoenix’s 10 games with three different injuries. In the two games he’s played in, he has averaged 31.5 points, 10.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds in 36 minutes per game.
The Suns have currently dropped two straight and fans are desperately worried about their struggles, specifically in the fourth quarter.
On the year, the Suns have already blown four leads of six or more heading into the fourth quarter. All of these games have come without Booker.
After blowing leads in the last two games against the Lakers and Thunder, the Suns are now the worst fourth quarter team in the entire NBA.
In the fourth quarter, Phoenix ranks dead last in the league in points (21.8), assists (4.3), turnovers (4.8), FG% (36.5%) and point differential (-6.1). They are also second-to-last in three-point percentage at 24.4%. Only tomorrow night’s opponent, the Minnesota Timberwolves (7-2), rank worse than them in this category (21.2%).
This can all be attributed to the Suns having to rely solely on Kevin Durant in the fourth. Beal has clearly struggled late in games since his return from injury to try to take the load off Durant, as he works on his conditioning.
In total, the Suns are a +29 with Durant, who is averaging 30 points per game, on the court in 367 minutes compared to a -32 when he’s not on the court.
Perhaps their worst final period came on Sunday against the Thunder, when they shot only 2-for-21 from the field and were outscored 31-13.
Durant has always gone back to the same saying when trying to make reasoning for the fourth quarter collapses: “It’s a make or miss league.”
Suns’ center Jusuf Nurkić had a more obvious answer when asked about the reason for blowing fourth quarter leads.
“We’re missing super-max players,” Nurkić said Saturday, the day after the loss to the Lakers. “It’s as simple as it is. When you have that level of players, and they’re not available, you’re gonna obviously struggle in some minutes.”
This same day, I asked coach Frank Vogel if he saw any consistent themes in the late-game blown leads to which he said, “We’re building our cohesiveness, so it’s going to come.”
After the 111-99 loss to the Thunder, Vogel made a statement that now proves to be the case.
“We’re gonna get right,” Vogel said. “We believe in that. We got a hell of a player (Devin Booker) coming back soon, hopefully.”
What Does Devin Booker Bring to the Suns in the Fourth Quarter
The most obvious thing about Booker coming back is that Durant will have so much pressure taken off of him, especially late in games.
In the two games Booker has played in this year, the Suns have excelled in the fourth.
In the season-opening victory against the Warriors, the Suns outscored Golden State 28-18 in the fourth quarter.
Booker singlehandedly sealed this game in the final minute of action, totaling three assists to wide-open teammates. He also finished with seven points in a quarter where the Suns shot 12-of-23 (52.2%) from the floor. Durant even struggled in this period, shooting only 2-of-6, but Booker proved that this is his team in this quarter with his effort.
devin booker had 3 straight assists to close out the win tonight, including these beautiful passes to josh okogie and jusuf nurkic. his playmaking deserves more love pic.twitter.com/m5rAiTyiOS
— jeff (@DedicationHoops) October 25, 2023
This is a perfect example of why Vogel, Durant, Beal and the rest of the Suns can’t wait for his return.
“Without him, we can’t go where we want to go.”
Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal reflected on how the team dynamic will change once Devin Booker (missed last four games with right calf strain) returns.
KD full presser: https://t.co/ZkPMsQm1MK
Beal presser: https://t.co/aHojxmXINo pic.twitter.com/Erz67x8EwR
— Brendan Mau (@brendan_mau) November 11, 2023
In Booker’s second game back, on Nov. 2 against the Spurs, the Suns fell 132-121, despite Booker’s late-game heroics, which almost helped the Suns overcome a once 27-point deficit.
Booker had team highs in points (10), assists (4) and rebounds (3) in the fourth quarter, which Phoenix outscored San Antonio 32-29. It is very apparent that Booker is the team’s primary closer in the games he plays, while Durant gets his shine when needed.
The big question when Booker returns is if he’ll be fully conditioned to handle this load in the fourth quarter. In both of these games, Booker got a different injury in these quarters presumably from a lack of conditioning from the prior injury.
We will see if that makes a difference, as it has been apparent for Beal that he is very winded in these final stretches of games.
Whatever the case will be, the Suns need someone to take the load off Durant, and Booker is the most obvious choice for this role.
Another Problem: Turnovers
The fourth quarter issues are the most glaring problem with the Suns, but there is another area where they are struggling that Booker might not be able to fix right away: turnovers.
The Suns average 16.8 turnovers per game, which is the third-worst mark in the league. Backup center Drew Eubanks pointed this out after Sunday’s loss, when Phoenix had 17 turnovers.
Durant also described what is going wrong for the Suns in terms of turnovers.
Booker coming back will definitely open up the spacing and, most importantly, will give the team its primary ball handler back.
However, even though he has garnered 21 assists in the two games he played, Booker is also averaging 5.5 turnovers. This number might not see much improvement until the team learns how to play together with more time under their belt.
Until then, everyone who has stepped up in Booker’s absence will try to adjust to a new role, but keep up their level of production. Booker has to adapt to playing with what has really been eight new players in the rotation from last season, as well as a new system under Vogel.
Just because of the caliber of player that Booker is, his overall impact will be instant, but it remains to be seen if these two areas will be fixed with his play.
BREAKING: Suns’ Big 3 Set to Make Regular Season Debut Tomorrow
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
