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.
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 playerswho 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 an extended period, carries considerably more value than looking at the number from a single game. The trend we witnessed last season was concerning.
If double teams are being thrown at Devin Booker, why is he turning the ball over so frequently? Does he not see them coming? You know as well as I do that many of those turnovers come from Booker predictably driving into a crowd of defenders and trying to force the issue rather than relying on the finesse that’s been a hallmark of his career.
Why do I bring this up? Because on Monday night against the Golden State Warriors, that familiar trend once again manifested itself. Booker’s inability to execute in clutch moments ultimately contributed to another Suns loss. Yes, there are multiple variables involved, including other players who failed to perform when it mattered most. But none of those guys are making $57 million a year.
Booker re-entered the game with the Suns leading 106-104 and 4:48 remaining. A minute later, he connected on a nine-foot jumper, accounting for his only two points in clutch time. From there, things unraveled.
With Phoenix trailing 109-108, Booker missed a wide-open 12-foot jumper. On the following possession, he turned the ball over. After Jalen Green committed a turnover on the next trip down the floor, Booker was called for an offensive foul, his sixth and final foul of the game.
His final clutch stat line? In 3.8 minutes, Booker shot 1-of-2 from the field, grabbed one rebound, committed two turnovers, and posted a -7 plus/minus.
It’s not the end of the world, but it does raise concerns that Devin Booker is picking up right where he left off last season, when his ability to impose his will on a game appeared to be a fading trait.
You might look at this as a one-game sample, but I see it as a sample of 11 previous clutch-time games. Perhaps that’s still not enough to definitively identify a trend, especially when you consider the body of work Booker has put together over what is now his 12th NBA season. But it’s the manner in which these struggles recur, time and again, that has become the focal point of frustration for a fan base desperate for success and watching a team that can ill afford to lose.
Booker’s game has become predictable, and his execution in these moments has been subpar. And I know that somewhere, somebody is preparing to show me a collection of all the game winners Booker has made throughout his career. I appreciate every one of those moments and what they’ve meant to us as Suns fans. In the same breath, hitting a game-winner against Oklahoma City last season doesn’t equate to a victory last night against Golden State.
Devin Booker has earned the benefit of the doubt throughout his career, but that doesn’t mean he’s exempt from scrutiny when the results begin telling a different story. The Suns need their best player to be their best player when possessions matter most. That requires better decisions, cleaner execution, and an ability to recognize what opposing defenses are taking away. Booker’s past has established what he’s capable of. His present is beginning to raise legitimate questions about his ability to consistently deliver it.
