Phoenix Suns defender Devin Booker will watch from the bench in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, January 27, 2021, in Phoenix. (Photo AP / Matt York)
The Phoenix Suns will still be short Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks.
Devin Booker (left hamstring strain) and Cam Payne (right leg sprain) are out, while Dario Saric and Damian Jones are working their way back to 100% after coming off the protocol list health and safety.
Booker has now lost three straight games after injuring his hammer in a loss to the Denver Nuggets on January 22nd.
The prospect for Booker’s final return was not optimistic for the coming days when head coach Monty Williams analyzed the status of his 2-guard before Thursday’s Golden State Warriors win.
“Not moving around dynamically yet,” Williams said. “I think that’s something we’ll see in the next few days to see how it responds.”
Prior to the Suns ’last two home games, Booker had been involved in the individual pregame routine, although he was a bit twisted to avoid those moves that Williams talked about.
Booker leads the team in scoring at 22.9 points per game. Williams has replaced Jae Crowder in Booker’s place, going with three wings in the starting lineup.
As for Payne, Williams provided more context on his status Thursday.
“It’s not just the way we wanted to cure it,” he said. “He has tried to play through some pain. We just feel like taking more time off is the best thing to get over this crotch. It certainly hurts us but I think it will give me a chance to look at a couple of things I wanted to watch. ”
Payne played in four games after missing two due to a right ankle sprain. That two-game absence was before the Suns ’three games were postponed, so it kept him out for a while, and Payne was skeptical about the injury report for two of the four games in which he played.
In those four games, Payne was not the only one. After playing through, Payne was a late scrum for Wednesday ‘s loss to Oklahoma City and was out Thursday as well, with the injury list now the right foot sprain.
The 26-year-old posts 6.6 points per game and has an awesome 3.19 assist-to-turn ratio.
One of the things Williams looked for in those two games was the former E’Twaun Moore guard as the backup point guard. Moore was a reputable buyer due to his ability to create the dribble and be reliable in trapping and dragging situations. But because of Payne and Jevon Carter as keepers from last season keeping the guard guards minutes, Moore was unable to find playtime.
While firing 2-of-11 in those two games, Moore gave the second unit a refreshing skill set.
“He got stuff for us tonight,” Williams said after Thursday’s victory. “I thought there was a level of experience and IQ out there that was a little different. ”
Williams opted to sit Carter Thursday and roll with Moore and Langston Galloway, emphasizing a defense offense. Carter has also struggled with offense, however, shooting just 30% from a three-point range and attempting just one shot at the edge outside of rush time, per Glass Cleaning.
Saric and Jones were both removed from the list of protocols Wednesday, allowing them to be back around the team and participate. But they both have clear conditions to recover after being away for more than a week.
Saric’s absence, along with Jones, has led to Frank Kaminsky playing the backup 5. Kaminsky has clear defensive limits but has been offensively offensively and is coming off the game. his best in time, coming to 12 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists Thursday. In 11 games and 12.7 minutes per game, Kaminsky’s net rating sits at 4.8, meaning Suns outfield teams with an average of 4.8 points per 100 possessions when Kaminsky plays.
That has been a pleasant surprise, as Saric is a much-needed and valuable piece in the Suns ’early-season success. In seven games, Saric averages 10.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. He and Payne led a second unit that helped Phoenix get off to a strong start this season.