Devin Booker felt he may have given up the ball too much last season. This year, his focus is on scoring for the Phoenix Suns.
Devin Booker is the clear No. 1 option for the Phoenix Suns, and it's been this way for quite some time.
However, without a true point guard alongside him during the 2025-2026 season, Booker was forced to take on more of a playmaking role. This is unlike when he found the most success of his career playing next to future Hall of Famer Chris Paul when the Suns reached the biggest stage.
Booker is determined to view the 2026-2027 campaign differently than last. He spoke with 'Wolf & Luke on Arizona Sports' about how he hopes to approach this season, saying, "Sometimes I fall into passing too much, and this year, hopefully, I fall into shooting too much."
This is the mentality Phoenix needs Booker to have. It should not be his responsibility to act as the point guard for the franchise he's poured so much into. If anything, newer addition Jalen Green should be forced to adjust his style of play to more of a pass-first guard.
Booker averaged 26.1 points on 45.6% shooting in 64 games last season. If that was him falling into passing too much, imagine what his numbers are capable of looking like if he falls into shooting too much. His efficiency is not of much concern, so forcing shots at times should not derail the Suns' offense.
Booker's remark ultimately leads back to a question that only time will answer, which is, can the Booker and Green backcourt work? The five-time All-Star and franchise cornerstone is a score-first player at heart, but the issue is so is Green.
Booker, when Paul was his backcourt partner, finished No. 4 in MVP voting. No one is saying Green is capable of playmaking at the level of Paul, but if he's unable to replicate a similar volume of passing, Phoenix should look elsewhere to support Booker.
As previously mentioned, Suns coach Jordan Ott needs to encourage Green to shift his play style while allowing Booker to play his natural way. The problem is the former's career-high in assists is 3.7 per game during the 2022-2023 season.
Suns fans were happy to hear Booker's comment because ultimately games will be more exciting to watch if the No. 1 option is focused on scoring. The fanbase also understands what Phoenix's ceiling is if Booker is at his best.
Can this roster reach the NBA Finals just because Booker decides to shoot more? Probably not, but the odds of them landing a guaranteed playoff spot certainly rise.
