Jordan Ott downgrades Devin Booker as ‘unbelievable’ after 27 points in injury comeback

PHOENIX – Three games without playing Phoenix Suns basketball felt like forever Devin Booker. After two weeks, Booker is back for the Suns against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Coincidentally, he injured his groin against Los Angeles the last time the two teams faced off. Even if the injury wasn’t too bad, it was best to play with caution.

During those two weeks, head coach Jordan Ott said there was progress on Booker’s injury. Fast forward to December 14th, and the All-Star quarterback was ready.

While Otto wasn’t overly surprised by Booker, he was impressed with the way he handled the process and how quickly he found a rhythm.

“Being out for just a few days helps; he was able to find it pretty quickly,” Ott said. “It’s about who he is as a professional and what he does day in and day out throughout the year to keep his body and mind in shape.

“To go out for a few days and then come right back and do the same thing, the same great basketball player that he is.”

After seven minutes of play and sign-off, Booker was nowhere to be found. However, he was on the team’s bike for the first half of the second quarter.

After that moment, Booker was ready. He felt like Sunday was just another game for him.

Devin Booker thought well of his return to the Suns

Losing a star isn’t easy, but it’s an adjustment the Suns have made pretty seamlessly. They picked up the pace, played with more defensive urgency and shot a lot more threes and layups.

Still, every team needs that scorer, and Booker is that guy. He has unreal shooting ability, which Phoenix has needed all season.

The statistics obviously paint one picture, but the gravitation it creates towards him is another. This is something that Ott clearly sees when Booker is on the floor, but how it ends up helping everyone around him.

When he’s on the floor, he adds nearly four points to the Suns’ offensive rating. While that’s a microcosm of the impact, it shows how the offense is targeting Booker and how everyone else is a user because of him.

He touched more on the recovery period and how he knew he was physically fit to return to the hardwood.

“Just being able to have the confidence to try him out, just let him heal up completely, get some reps in our conditioning group for the stay,” Booker said in the locker room after the game. “Getting up and down and playing through contact.

His 27-point efficiency performance was impressive, given the Lakers’ aggressive defense. He will have a chance to rest before Thursday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.