The Phoenix Suns were expecting to be suitors this season, but, after a defeat of 124-116 against the Pélicans de la Nole-Orleans on Thursday, there are 27-32 and 11th in the West, 3.5 games behind the Kings of Sacramento for the last game spot. The defeat against the Pélicans at home was their seventh in their last eight games and their 10th in their last 12.
Asked how they ended up in this position, Suns Star Devin Booker Tell to journalists“I would simply say to skip the details and take the mentality of Get-‘Em-Nest-Channel. At one point, you must trace a line, and it should have been traced a long time ago.”
Booker deplored that, when they had spoken before the match to force the Zion Williamson of the Pélicans to his right hand and to help very early on his records, they did not execute the match plan. Williamson, who scored 27 points on the shooting of 13 for 17 and recorded the first triple-double in his careeris a “difficult mission,” said Booker, but “you always want to remove what you see him do every night.”
This kind of thing is “the story of the season so far,” said Booker. “It could be corrected with a little more to speak, I would say. Things become difficult, calm us down as a team, and, according to my experience and what I have seen is not the way to go through.”
Booker said there should be a “constant communication” in the Huddles. He said it starts with him, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and coach Mike Budenholzer, but “everyone must be on the same wavelength” and there should be a conversation “throughout the match”.
Essentially, the Booker’s problem is that Phoenix has not created an environment in which it can effectively solve the problems and that the team has not dealt with errors as quickly or directly as it wishes.
“I prefer that two people say they are the bad thing that nobody talks at all and leaves the gray area,” said Booker. “It is therefore like any work or any group project that you do. You have to do it together.”
Asked if it involved this he I should have done something differently to trace the line, Booker said: “Yes, I always look at myself first.” He stopped for a few seconds before adding: “But I also talk a lot.”
Since the chances of the Suns to do even the game become thinner day by day, it is understandable that Booker is frustrated. It was a deeply disappointing season in Phoenix – in 1,091 minutes With Booker and Durant on the fieldHe outlined opponents with only 2.2 points for 100 possessions, compared to 5.7 per 100 last season and 15.9 per 100 (in just 180 minutes) in 2022-23.
But there could be more in this story. Friday, Chris Haynes reported This Budenholzer had “implored” Booker to be less vocal “on the field and during the stories of dead time” so that the coach can speak more. It would have taken place weeks ago and “completely shocked” Booker.
Haynes did not directly point out that Budenholzer was the public planned for Booker’s post-match comments or even Booker was turned upside down or offended after the meeting, only the meeting “provides a context” for the press conference. It’s a funny way to say it, since Booker’s reproach concerned a clear and energetic lack of communication.
