PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns just can’t seem to catch a break in terms of injuries the last few seasons.

Even with Phoenix getting significantly younger, this trend has continued into the 2025-26 season.

The Suns are now going to face their biggest challenge so far this season with star guard Devin Booker sidelined at least a week with a right groin strain.

This likely puts Booker out for a minimum of three games, all on the road, against the Houston Rockets (Friday), Minnesota Timberwolves (Monday) and Oklahoma City Thunder (Wednesday), although the Thunder matchup, which is also an NBA Cup quarterfinals game, is on the same day Booker is scheduled to be re-evaluated.

It could be wise for the Suns to hold Booker’s return until at least Dec. 18 against the Golden State Warriors, as they would only play one extra game before then with the opponent depending on the result of Wednesday’s quarterfinal against OKC unless they upset the Thunder, win the semifinals and advance to the NBA Cup championship.

Nevertheless, Phoenix, who is a surprising 13-9 so far on the season even while being without Jalen Green except for one complete game, will now have to try to overcome Booker’s absence against a very tough stretch of schedule.

Who Needs to Step Up for Suns Without Devin Booker?

As the lone star on the team, Booker, who is averaging 25 points, 6.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds, will be really hard to replace because of the offensive gravity he has, even though he had been struggling for several games before his injury.

Phoenix was able to blow out the Lakers pretty easily Monday even after Booker went down in the first quarter with his injury with Dillon Brooks scoring 33 points and Collin Gillespie adding a career-high 28 on 8-of-14 shooting from 3.

“When I see him go to the back, I’m like, ‘I got more shots in me now,'” Brooks said on NBA on Peacock’s “NBA Showtime” postgame show. “I didn’t even show the whole bag tonight, but I was just getting to my spots, getting to what I work on, exploiting mismatches and getting to my midrange.”

“I got more shots in me now.” 😂

Dillon Brooks on his mindset when he saw Devin Booker head to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/omugiO5WMb

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) December 2, 2025

It certainly sounds like Brooks will be ready for a bigger role now, but it’s also important to note that the Suns will likely have back Grayson Allen, who was out for the Lakers game with an illness one game after returning from a seven-game absence due to a quad strain.

Allen and Brooks have only played in eight games together so far due to injuries, but both have made up for the absences of one another when the other is out, but more notably for Green in large part due to the system coach Jordan Ott has in place that gives them the freedom to create offensively.

Both players are having career years in their new roles with Brooks averaging 22.3 points and Allen at 17.9 points per game.

That’s not even to mention Gillespie, who has been on a tear recently with eight games in a row with at least three 3-pointers made and is thriving when he gets the chance to start.

Led by Brooks, Gillespie and Allen on offense, it will take a full-team effort to replace Booker, who had been the primary initiator on offense in addition to his scoring, and it’s not going to be easy against some very tough opponents, but the Suns have shown a “next man up mentality” all season long and never let their confidence waver no matter who is in or out.

Luckily for Phoenix, the Suns do not currently have any injuries outside of Booker and Green except Isaiah Livers (right hip strain) with Allen, Ryan Dunn and Mark Williams just overcoming injuries, giving them a pretty set rotation even with Booker out.

Gillespie, Allen, Royce O’Neale, Brooks and Williams, who all have plenty of starting experience this season, will likely round out the starting five with Jordan Goodwin, Dunn, Jamaree Bouyea and Oso Ighodaro being the top options off the bench.

One area the Suns will have to hang their hat on even more without Booker, especially with this rotation that is filled with defense, is continuing to force turnovers after averaging a league-best 10.9 steals per game so far and allowing those to create easy fast break opportunities on the other end, just as they did against the Lakers (16 steals, 28 fast break points).

The Rockets, who completely stifled Phoenix’s offense in a 114-92 victory on Nov. 24 without Kevin Durant, will pose a unique challenge right off the bat with their size and will also have plenty of time to game plan how they want to guard the Suns without Booker.

Phoenix is likely going to be big underdogs in all of these upcoming matchups, but still has shown it can’t be counted out no matter the circumstances so far.

Now, the Suns gear up for their biggest test of the season without Booker.

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