This month, Devin Booker is averaging 23.8 points and 7 assists per game. That would be a career month for most NBA players, but of course, Devin Booker is not most NBA players. Instead, this is a slump for Booker, whose shooting percentages have cratered in November to well below what he's capable of.
At the same time, calling this a slump might be harsh. Every night, teams have the same goal: stop Booker at all costs. Opposing defenses sell out to stop the Suns star, double-teaming him and sometimes triple-teaming, just to get the ball out of his hands. The message is clear — other teams don't think the non-Booker Suns can beat them.
But so far, they have been. Collin Gillespie, Dillon Brooks, Grayson Allen, even Royce O'Neale on occasion, have all taken advantage of the extra attention Booker is getting and turned that into high-level production, which turned into a 10-4 record in November.
Suns' other players have stepped up amid Devin Booker's slump
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Thus, the solution to Booker's shooting struggles might be (somewhat unfortunately for Booker fans) to stay the course. The strategy isn't working for opposing teams. Yes, they may be causing Booker to shoot poorly, but that's not _stopping_ the Suns offense — which ranked No. 11 in November — because the supporting cast is stepping up every night.
Is there a world in which Booker can get back to his efficient self and the rest of the team still puts their own numbers up, too? Of course! That would be the dream scenario for the Suns, of course.
But until teams respect the "other" guys on this team, I don't see a reason to shift strategy too much. Let them sell out for Booker; everyone else will be wide open as a result. The ultimate team-first guy, Booker's thirst for team success far outweighs his desire for individual stats. Of that, I am highly confident.
The biggest question about this Suns team was how Booker's supporting cast would fare when he's on the bench or not having a good game. At first, [I wasn't so](https://valleyofthesuns.com/devin-booker-is-learning-a-harsh-suns-lesson-he-should-have-known-all-along) confident in the prospects. But we're well over a month into the season now, and what we're seeing from these guys is no longer looking like a fluke. If this continues to be the case, then opposing teams will be forced to pay some more attention to everyone else on the court.
In the meantime, let them learn the hard way.