“Someone Has to Protect Him From Himself”: Devin Booker Gets Called Out for Being a “Competitive Maniac” vs the Raptors

The Raptors rained on the Suns‘ parade by breaking their seven-game winning streak on Wednesday. Clenching a 112-105 win at their home court, they shut down the visiting Suns. For the Suns, it is crucial to keep top scorer Devin Booker in good shape. However, on Wednesday, he sustained an ankle injury, which could hamper their performance in the foreseeable future.

In the second quarter, Booker tweaked his ankle, following which he limped to the locker room to get taped up. He then returned to the game and finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. While this may seem like a bump on the road, the end does not justify the means for Booker, who needs to avoid pushing his body beyond the limits when he needs to take a timeout. This is what Gerald Bourguet of the PHNX Suns Podcast asserts.

It could affect at least a few games

Gerald is all for Booker wanting to be there for his teammates and always showing up with a competitive spirit, but he says that “Someone needs to protect him from himself, whether it’s on the coaching staff or teammate.” Gerald is not wrong for worrying that the injury could potentially affect Booker for at least a couple of games, depending on the severity.

While Gerald understands that such injuries are inevitable in the game, it is possible to minimize the damage by taking a timeout when necessary because when the painkillers wear off, “that s**** gonna swell up,” and affect Booker’s performance. The pressing issue at hand is that the Suns will head off to back-to-back games against Denver and Memphis on Friday and Saturday respectively, and Booker not giving his body enough time to recuperate could weigh heavily on the team.

Devin Booker’s injury-laden season

Booker has had a rocky season, having to deal with a series of injuries that made him sit out a number of the regular season games, including the Suns’ preseason finale. Out of the 18 games that the Suns have played so far in the season, Booker has played only 10. His injuries ranged from ankle and calf sprain to toe/foot injuries.

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It is not coincidental that the Suns’ seven-game winning streak started on Booker’s return after missing eight of their previous nine games. So it is clear how much of an impact he has on the team, and hence keeping him healthy should be a top priority for the team, as well as for himself.

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Is Devin Booker that important for the Suns? Or do you think his absence won’t make a difference to their performance? Share your thoughts in the comments below!