The Phoenix Suns entered the 2025–26 NBA season with high hopes after a promising preseason, where they won three of their four games. Fans believed the team had turned a corner and could return to playoff contention.
But fast-forward to the first five games of the regular season. Things look drastically different as the Suns are now sitting at a disappointing 1–4 record, and amid this rocky start, Devin Booker has finally spoken out about what’s going wrong.
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What Has Devin Booker Said Regarding the Phoenix Suns’ Recent Struggles?
In a recent practice session interview, Booker was asked about the team’s early-season struggles. He didn’t sugarcoat his response.
“A better start than what we’ve been getting. It was a point of emphasis for us but we still got to clean up a lot of things. Transition defense sticks out. Rebounding and just compound mistakes that we made that take us from a good spot in a game to having us fight our way back,” said Booker during the interview.
What’s made the start more frustrating is that Booker is giving Phoenix All-Star-level production. Through the early going, he’s carrying a heavy load as till now he has logged 36.2 minutes and produced 29.2 points, and six assists per night.
His efficiency has been impressive, shooting 47.4% from the field and 37.1% from deep while maintaining an 82.0% success rate from the free-throw line.
The context around him has shifted dramatically. Last season, Phoenix missed the playoffs, but they came out of the gates hot at 8–2 in the first 10 games of the season, and it was made possible by the star trio of Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal.
Now the core has splintered. Durant is in Houston. This has left Booker as the lone pillar from that three-headed scoring monster. The responsibility has landed squarely on his shoulders. On good nights, he’s getting timely support from Grayson Allen’s spacing and shot-making, but the Suns need more consistent auxiliary scoring and point-of-attack resistance.
Injuries have compounded the problem. The Suns have been without impactful newcomers Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, thinning out their two-way options on the wing and stressing the rotation.
Their latest setback against the Grizzlies captured the trend. Phoenix trailed by one after the first quarter and slipped further behind by halftime, down four. Memphis seized the third, pouring in 32 and turning defense into instant offense. By the fourth, the Grizzlies stretched the gap to double digits and defeated the Suns (114-113).
Now, as the Suns prepare to face the Utah Jazz on October 31, all eyes are on how they respond. Booker’s words carry weight, and fans are eager to see whether his call to “clean up a lot” translates into real adjustments on the floor.
Devin Booker was born on October 30, 1996, which makes him 28 years old as of October 31, 2025.