Brooklyn Nets: 3 things to watch against road-weary Suns
By Phil Watson
2. Who takes Booker?
Devin Booker is having another solid season for the Phoenix Suns, averaging 24.8 points per game while adding more playmaking responsibilities to his plate. He started several games at point guard and is averaging a career-high 6.9 assists per game.
While his overall field-goal percentage is at a career-best 44.4, his 31.1 percent mark from 3-point territory is the lowest of his four-year career.
When the Brooklyn Nets throttled the Suns on Nov. 6, their defensive work on Booker was key. Booker finished with 20 points on 6-of-21 shooting and was just 2-for-8 from 3-point range, while committing four turnovers with just two assists.
Here’s the problem for the Nets: That defense primarily came from Caris LeVert, who will be on the bench in street clothes Sunday night as he recovers from the dislocated right foot he sustained six days after the win in Phoenix.
The Nets have options. They could go with Swiss army defender Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who has been drawing many of the toughest defensive assignments of late.
Rookie Rodions Kurucs covered Indiana Pacers All-Star Victor Oladipo for much of the first half Friday night, holding him to just six points in the opening two quarters, and could create problems for Booker with his length, but Kurucs has shown a tendency to get into foul trouble at times.
Otherwise, Joe Harris could take the assignment. Harris is a hard-working defender, but can be susceptible to quickness.
The question of who handles Booker is a big one in the overall equation of how to stop the Suns.