Devin Booker drops one 'wish' that could've avoided Suns getting swept by Thunder
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Devin Booker drops one 'wish' that could've avoided Suns getting swept by Thunder originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Phoenix Suns were not expected to make it this far in the NBA Playoffs. They struggled towards the end of the season and saw a lot of their players go down due to injuries. Devin Booker posits that having more playing time alongside a complete squad with Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks could have prevented the Oklahoma City Thunder from sweeping them.
Booker knows healthier Suns stood a better chance vs. Thunder in NBA Playoffs
Getting swept in the NBA Playoffs is a rough experience, especially after having to battle through 82 games and the NBA Play-In Tournament. But, that is the reality that dawned on the Suns after ending their season with a 131 to 122 loss against the Thunder. There was not a lot that they could change so that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would not trample their hopes, at least when it comes to factors that the Suns could control.
If given the chance, Devin Booker did drop one wish which he thinks gives the Suns a better shot in the NBA Playoffs. It was a healthier Suns squad that got to play more on the court together, via Doug Haller of The Athletic.
"We exceeded everybody else’s expectation, but not ours... I just wish we could get 50 games healthy together before coming into this to learn in the fire and learn from mistakes. But we kind of had to learn on the fly," the Suns superstar said.
Notably, the Suns could only field the lineup that consisted of Green, Booker, and Brooks for 123 minutes prior to the NBA Playoffs. Green suffered a hamstring injury which made him miss 50 games in the Suns' 82-game campaign. Booker also could not play in 18 games because of an ankle and groin sprain. Not to mention, he also played through an ankle injury against the Thunder when he was tripped by Lu Dort. Brooks, on the other hand, missed 26 games because of a fractured left hand in the lead-up to the NBA Playoffs.
There was so much that the Suns could have thrown against the Thunder if not for these injuries. Will they be a better team come the 2027 NBA Playoffs?
