Devin Booker on being surrounded by young players on Suns
Devin Booker, once a young phenom, is now a veteran surrounded by young players: “It’s a lot of jokes.”
Jalen Green’s debut with the Phoenix Suns was well worth the wait.
After missing the team’s first eight games with a right hamstring strain, Green gave what teammate Devin Booker said is “a glimpse” of what he can bring to the Suns in their 115-102 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, Nov. 6, at Mortgage Matchup Center.
A sellout crowd of 17,071 watched Green score a game-high 29 points, hitting six 3s, a record for a player in a Suns debut, in just 23 minutes. The Suns (4-5) lost to the Clippers on Oct. 24 on the road, 129-102.
“Body wise, I felt really good,” Green said after the game. He didn’t miss a game in each of his last two seasons with the Houston Rockets. “Overall, I was just really excited to get out there. I was telling the guys I couldn’t even sleep. Usually I take a pregame nap. I couldn’t even get my nap in. I was so excited.”
“Body wise, I felt really good. Overall, I was just really excited to get out there. I was telling the guys I couldn’t even sleep. Usually I take a pregame nap. I couldn’t even get my nap in. I was so excited.”
Jalen Green 29-point Suns debut in win over Clippers after missing… pic.twitter.com/xlxG6XDYHj
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 7, 2025
James Harden and Kawhi Leonard combined for 57 points for the Clippers in the win earlier this season, but both missed the game against the Suns — Harden for personal reasons and Leonard with a right ankle sprain.
The Suns led by as many as 25 points, with all five Suns starters reaching double figures as Booker scored 24 points.
Ivica Zubac paced the Clippers (3-5) with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Bradley Beal only managed five points on 2-of-14 shooting in his first game in Phoenix since the buyout this past summer.
Phoenix will face the Clippers for a third time already this season on Nov. 8 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Here are several takeaways from the game.
Green’s debut provides answers
Green saw this coming.
A month after being part of the Kevin Durant trade that transported him from Houston to Phoenix, Green was answering questions in a media scrum during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Green said he and Booker will be an outstanding scoring duo for Phoenix.
Then, early in training camp, Booker said Green was already catching scoring heaters. He added that the Suns will work around Green and let him do what he does. Booker, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, is all good with Green having that green light to go for his.
Green and Booker each hoisted 13 shots in the first half. Booker finished with 24 points on 10-of-22 shooting while Green launched 20 shots, with 13 coming from deep, and made 10.
“It was good. We got a little vibe in training camp before the injury. Off the court, it’s a great vibe. On the court, it’s even better. It’s a lot of space out there.”
Jalen Green on playing with Devin Booker.
On if he can recall having that much space: “Next question.” #Suns… pic.twitter.com/EAYu8YDVYi
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 7, 2025
Each found the other for 3s and created gravity that led to open shots for themselves and teammates. Green and Booker also played to their strengths in the following sense.
Booker can score off script, but he’s very effective on script and playing off the ball. He’ll be the primary ball handler, as evident by his team-high seven assists.
Booker working within the offense helps Green flourish in scoring off script. Green can catch-and-shoot. He connected on 40.9% of his catch-and-shoot 3s last season, but he is going to take what some would consider wild or tough shots, such as stepback 3s, which to him are routine.
When they clank, heads will turn. When they cash, Green will be praised. It’s all part of what the Suns must endure with Green knowing at any time, he can catch a heater and cook all night.
Enough shots to go around?
Quick refresh.
Booker hoisted 22 shots. Green launched 20.
Dillon Brooks has averaged 19.7 shots in his three games with the Suns. He missed his sixth straight game with a core muscle strain.
Are there enough shots for those three to maintain those numbers when playing together?
One of those three must take fewer shots or the Suns need to play even faster to increase their number of attempts. They are seventh in the league in field goal attempts at 90.9, six fewer than NBA leader Indiana at 96.
With Brooks out, the Suns started Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and 7-footer Mark Williams with Green and Booker.
Allen and O’Neale help space the floor for Green and Booker with their shooting. The two combined to sniper 9-of-19 3s in the win.
O’Neale is hitting a career-best 42.9% from 3 this season, while Allen is at 39.5%.
Who will Brooks replace in starting lineup?
Brooks has had a slow start from deep as he’s shooting a career-low 29% on 3s. This is after having a career year from 3 last season in Houston at 39.7%. So, Brooks is a better shooter than he’s displayed so far this season.
He’s one of the team’s better defenders. Combine that with his passion and intensity and Brooks is a perfect starter to complement Green and Booker. But Suns coach Jordan Ott has to decide who he’ll sit for him.
Allen has shown the ability to play downhill more than O’Neale, but O’Neale is shooting it better from 3 and has a quicker release. It may come down to who is the better defender.
What Ott did show with the starting lineup is that he’s placing high value on shooting to the point that he replaced Ryan Dunn with Green in the starting lineup. Dunn, who still played 25 minutes, is perhaps the team’s best overall on-ball defender.
Ott said he likes the energy of Dunn playing off the bench with Collin Gillespie and Oso Ighodaro. When Brooks returns and the Suns are fully healthy, there will be another shift.
Ott has preached winning regardless of who is playing.
The Suns are nearly a .500 team with Green only playing one game on a minute restriction, Brooks seeing action in just three games and Williams still on a minute restriction.
Interesting. Very interesting.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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