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Suns’ Devin Booker drops defiant take about his defense

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Trevor Booth | Last updated 4/3/24

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was asked about his lackluster defense at Wednesday’s shootaround prior to the Suns’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night at Footprint Center.

Statistically, Booker – who is averaging 27.4 points and a career-best 6.9 assists, taking on a bigger role offensively and adjusting to a player at his same position, Bradley Beal, playing next to him – has the second-lowest defensive rating of his career, allowing 117.8 points per 100 possessions, per Statmuse. Bball Index’s LEBRON (luck-adjusted player estimate using a Box prior Regularized ON-off) rating, which tracks impact per 100 possessions, is -0.89 which ranks in the bottom 82-plus percent of all NBA players.

Devin Booker's defense is not good, according to the @The_BBall_Index.

Book is below the 20th percentile of all NBA players in defensive rating and is in the 12th percentile in passing lane defense.

Suns need him to be better. Story coming. pic.twitter.com/uSVd9DCGmh

— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) April 1, 2024

“I’ve always said defense is five guys,” Booker said.

Booker said the Suns’ game plan makes it hard to realize who is playing better defense.

“No one knows the game plan,” said Booker, who is a four-time All-Star and in his ninth NBA season. “Every team has a different game plan, and you never know what that is.”

Booker and the Suns are fighting for a top-6 spot in the NBA playoffs in the West. Phoenix is tied with the Sacramento Kings at 44-31 and is eighth in the West. The Suns trail the New Orleans Pelicans, who they defeated 124-111 on Monday, for the fifth spot by one game. Phoenix plays the Pelicans again at home Sunday.

“We’re in a great spot, man,” said Booker. We’re so up and down. Just trying to avoid the ups and downs at this time of the year. If any team loses, you see it with all the fan bases, it’s the end of the world. You might be in the play-in.”

He added, “We see what happens when we play the right way and when we play the wrong way.”

Even though Phoenix says it has struggled with ball containment, the Suns are No. 13 in defensive efficiency. They have improved especially in their half-court defense in large part due to Kevin Durant.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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