After a decade of playoff drought, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns have successfully turned themselves from a lottery team into an NBA Finalist last season. However, despite their impressive performance in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, some people still have doubts if the Suns are really a legitimate title contender in the Western Conference.
That wasn’t surprising. The Suns may have made it to the biggest stage, but the three opponents that they defeated before they reached the 2020 NBA Finals – Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and the Los Angeles Clippers – were missing some of their key players due to injuries.
Devin Booker Aware Of Suns' Doubters
Booker and the Suns were definitely aware of the noises surrounding their surprising appearance in the NBA Finals last season. In a recent interview with Zach Lowe of ESPN, Booker revealed that the noise became clearer to them when they heard it directly from Suns assistant head coach Jarrett Jack.
In their first meeting in the 2021-22 NBA season, Jack reportedly told the Suns that there were people who don’t think that they deserved to be in the 2020 NBA Finals.
"We heard the noise," Booker said. "But it was almost better hearing it from someone [Jack] who wasn’t in our program last year. He confirmed it."
Devin Booker's Message To Suns' Doubters
As of now, there’s no doubt that Booker and the Suns have successfully proven their doubters wrong. After struggling earlier in the 2021-22 NBA season, the Suns are currently on a four-game winning streak, sitting in the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference with a 25-5 record. However, Booker made it clear that they aren’t playing just to earn the respect of all the people who don’t believe in them.
"We are not out to prove anything to anybody," Booker said. "We are winning, and we do it in a way that is sustainable. It might seem like we went from the bottom to the top quick, but I’m not surprised. A couple of players can change everything. This system and culture — it’s fun to be part of it."
Devin Booker Injury-Free
Booker just recently returned from the hamstring injury that he acquired in late November. However, though he was on the sideline for three weeks, the 25-year-old hasn’t lost his All-Star form. From the time he returned to the court, he immediately made his presence felt and helped the Suns secure victories against the Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers.
In their last two games, Booker averaged 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.0 steal while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Suns Set To Face Warriors On Christmas Day
With their current performance, it’s no longer surprising that the Suns made it to the top of NBC Sports‘s recent NBA power rankings. The Suns could further solidify their status as the best team in the league when they face the Western Conference No. 2 seed Golden State Warriors on Christmas day.
The Suns and the Warriors have already faced each other twice this season. The Suns won their first faceoff, while the Warriors managed to even the score in their second matchup.
]]>The Inquisitr
