When the Phoenix Suns parted ways it with two of its three biggest stars in the 2025 off-season, some voiced concerns over the franchise entering an immediate rebuild, one that would be long and painful for the Valley, which has craved success for far too long. Call it overachieving, but they’ve proved those concerns wrong and have been fairly solid so far.
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In the dogfight that is the Western Conference of the NBA, the Suns are seventh, with a 9-6 record. Leading the team, as expected, from the front, is Devin Booker, who’s averaged 29 points and 7 assists per game. Kevin Garnett heaped praise on him for being the backbone of the Suns, who let go of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, two pure scorers.
Yes, neither Durant, nor Beal were quite at their best in Phoenix. Still, their departure left massive holes. Garnett, on his podcast, talked about how they were playing, and shed light on Booker’s ever-evolving maturity.
“The Suns are better than what most people are giving them credit for,” Garnett said. “They a young, scrappy team, Dev’s got some young guns with him.”
In exchange for Durant, the Suns got Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix. They also have Mark Williams, Ryan Dunn, Grayson Allen. But of course, the one without whom it all falls apart is Devin Booker.
Talking about what he’s liked most about Booker this year, Garnett said, “I think it’s been his team for a minute, but I could say this, he’s a bit mature this year. I haven’t heard any of the rumblings or any of the….anything.”
“In the past, I would watch him go the bench and kind of pout,” Garnett continued. “Now, I see him in huddles, I see him giving direction… So yeah, it’s about time. Players don’t stay in the same state the whole time, so at some point, you gotta anticipate him, you know, stepping up and being the face, not just for the franchise, but the voice in the locker room.”
The Suns, at the very least, want to make it to the playoffs, something they failed to do in 2025 with their “big three” of Durant, Beal, and Booker. It was a trio that never worked. Beal is now in Los Angeles with the Clippers and Durant is chasing a title with the Rockets.
Booker remains as the lone star pillar, and is hoping to inspire a promising post-season run for the Suns, which could put them on the right path of repeating their success from 2021, when they made it all the way to the Finals.
