Since making the NBA Finals in 2021, the Phoenix Suns have taken a step back every season, culminating in missing the 2025 postseason and parting ways with Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Devin Booker, the face of the franchise, has now played for seven head coaches in 10 seasons, and Jordan Ott will be his eighth.
The Suns’ organization has long made it clear that they see Booker as the centerpiece of their efforts, but at a certain point, the team’s best player needs to be held accountable for the shortcomings.
With the Suns expected to miss the playoffs again in 2026, Kendrick Perkins demanded more from Booker, as he is currently falling short of two Western Conference rivals.
Getty Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns is seen on the bench while playing the Houston Rockets.
Phoenix Suns Need Booker to Play Like These 2 Stars
The NBA is dominated by combo guards. Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Stephen Curry, and Booker are not quite shooting guards, and not quite point guards, even if most of them have been tasked with running the offense.
Perkins wants Booker to play like two high-level superstars. Both are younger than Booker, but they have both broken out as better players.
“It’s time for Devin Booker to show the world that he belongs,” said the former player on ESPN. “And when I say belong, belong in the company of an Anthony Edwards, belong in the company of an SGA. Can he be a guy that could be that guy, that number one option of this Phoenix Suns franchise? And I’m waiting to see it.”
Edwards is one of the most exciting players in the league, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off a Finals win and MVP season, neither of which Booker can claim.
“I’m looking at Devin Booker right now, and I’m saying he’s on the clock,” Perkins added.
Booker is 28 years old and under contract through the 2029-30 season, so clearly the Suns believe in him. The team will certainly take a step back this year, although time is running out for Booker to prove that he can lead a team.
Phoenix Suns’ Finals Run Doesn’t Count
Perkins is rarely one to give credit to players, and Booker is no exception.
In 2021, he and the Suns marched through the West and made the Finals, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. However, Booker was surrounded by Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Jae Crowder, all of whom were playing high-level basketball.
“You done lost a lot of players,” reminded Perkins. “It’s time for Devin Booker to prove that he belongs in that elite company.”
With Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green on the roster, the Suns have the start of a well-rounded core, although they need a more reliable center. Perhaps rookie Khaman Maluach can fill the void in the coming years.
For now, most fans would agree to be patient with Booker and the Suns, but unless he can lead a team deep into the playoffs as the clear-cut first option, Perkins is absolutely right about Booker being a step behind his peers.
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