The Phoenix Suns are in a bit of hot water. After losing six of their last ten games, the Suns have dipped to the 7th seed in the West with a 20-17 record. A big part of their recent form could be the absence of their 3x All-Star, Devin Booker.
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So far this season, Booker has missed eight games. His last appearance on the court was on Christmas Day against the Nuggets, where he played for just four minutes before heading out and returning to the locker room.
The team felt Booker was ready for his Christmas return, but clearly not. He seemed to have reaggravated his groin injury and is expected to be sidelined for the next four weeks.
Devin Booker will be sidelined for at least four weeks with a groin strain, the team announced Wednesday.
He left the Suns’ Christmas Day game in the first quarter with the injury. https://t.co/WtlGDKs3Md
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 28, 2022
Is Devin Booker playing tonight?
After Booker re-aggravated his Groin injury against the Nuggets, the Suns announced that he would be out for the next four weeks. This means he’s expected to sit out till the last week of January.
His absence, combined with Landry Shamat, Cam Payne, and Cam Johnson, has been affecting the Suns a lot so far.
Suns have upgraded Landry Shamet and Cam Payne to probable for tomorrow’s game against the Knicks. Devin Booker and Cam Johnson remain out
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) January 1, 2023
The team has lost their last two games, and their upcoming schedule shows no mercy to them as well. They’re facing the Knicks, the Heat, and the Cavaliers for their next four games before heading to San Francisco. They need to find a way for Deandre Ayton to lead the team, or else their skid might cost them a lot heading into the final stretch of the season.
Can Booker find a way to the All-Star team?
Before suffering hamstring and groin injuries, Devin Booker was averaging a career-high 27.1 points per game, along with 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He also already had two 50+ point performances this season.
While Booker was healthy, the Suns were well within the top 2 seed in the West. While his injury would impact his presence in the starting lineup, but there should be no reason why Booker shouldn’t be a reserve on the All-Star team.
