Are The Suns Cursed? Book it!

[newBluePlanet]

last week i posted Booker's clutch shooting stats, NBA.com
(this season + prior 2, last 2 minutes in games with 5 pt diff or less)
FG% 3P%
12.5 0.0
47.1 11.1
32.3 23.1
----------------
31% 11% averaged

now with last night's 0 for 2 in the final 2, this season he's
FG% 3P%
10.0 0.0

another night, another loss that reminds me of the team under Igor, and in the last 2 minutes Booker missed another 3 and made 1 of 3 overall for a new crunch FG % of 8.3. but enough of the stats. The point has been made...uh missed, by him and too many fans. So i'll drop it. Like a Booker Ball drive down the middle.

our pg, Jones, did have the ball for one of those possessions but the rest of the team basically took their 3 pt positions like they do when Book has the ball and the clock expired on him.

 

[newBluePlanet]

alright, so maybe i over-reacted. Die-hard fans have to take out their frustration on someone. A couple of bad ends to a couple of seasons could funkify any player, as well as playing in the shadow of an all-time-great on the court. Booker is still young and learning. He just needs a good coach who's not afraid to take charge and steer him straight. Perhaps a change of scenery. A critical fan-base like they have in NY would help, instead of fans who let him slide because of his homegrown, good looks.

people do love to watch him play and wear his merchandise. He's great with the fans and community. And super nice.

dropped 70 once. and he'll do it again.

 

[Hoop Head]

alright, so maybe i over-reacted. Die-hard fans have to take out their frustration on someone. A couple of bad ends to a couple of seasons could funkify any player, as well as playing in the shadow of an all-time-great on the court. Booker is still young and learning. He just needs a good coach who's not afraid to take charge and steer him straight. Perhaps a change of scenery. A critical fan-base like they have in NY would help, instead of fans who let him slide because of his homegrown, good looks.

people do love to watch him play and wear his merchandise. He's great with the fans and community. And super nice.

dropped 70 once. and he'll do it again.

Credit where it's due, good on you for admitting to overreacting. We don't need to agree on how we view him to find a middle ground that is he's a top 5 SG easily right now and he's also in his prime. Being in his prime, I hope the best for him and equally his team. I'd like him to remain a Sun and I know we differ there. That's why I laid it out as I did.

 

[Superbone]

alright, so maybe i over-reacted. Die-hard fans have to take out their frustration on someone. A couple of bad ends to a couple of seasons could funkify any player, as well as playing in the shadow of an all-time-great on the court. Booker is still young and learning. He just needs a good coach who's not afraid to take charge and steer him straight. Perhaps a change of scenery. A critical fan-base like they have in NY would help, instead of fans who let him slide because of his homegrown, good looks.

people do love to watch him play and wear his merchandise. He's great with the fans and community. And super nice.

dropped 70 once. and he'll do it again.

Who hacked your account?!

 

[newBluePlanet]

this was the original thread, with the most appropriate title, before i was kicked out of the "Booker Is The Greatest Sun" thread because it was an "appreciation" thread.

but you could go back to 8 years ago here, when i was also posting about the curse

i said before the 2021 playoffs, lead by CP3, that Booker will cost us key games in the final minutes, despite his scoring prowess. What i remember most was the Booker Ball bust when could have gone up 3-0 against the Bucks. Bickley recalls game 5:

It was a painful ending for Booker, who blamed himself for missing five free throws. And the lurking presence of Holiday on that final possession was a painful flashback for many basketball fans in the Valley.

Just five years ago, the Suns were at the mountaintop. Booker had a chance to deliver an NBA Finals game-winning shot, one that would’ve given the Suns a 3-2 series lead. But he penetrated too far and was robbed from behind by Holiday.

Bickley: Suns were at their worst when it mattered most vs. Trail Blazers - Arizona Sports

The Suns were at their worst in crunch time, in the minutes that mattered the most in Tuesday's play-in loss to the Trail Blazers, Dan Bickley writes.

arizonasports.com

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[newBluePlanet]

there's talk about the Suns as a landing spot for Zion. it's an enormous risk for any team. but i'd take that long-shot swing for the fence with the Suns

iF we're stuck with Booker, the only way we're competing for a championship is by adding a top 5 or 10 player -- without losing our most useful pieces (like Allen, Gillespi, Goodwin). Zion is discounted enough that we might be able to pull something off with Green.

Zion would have to be healthy and perform much closer to his original potential. a tall order indeed. otherwise, via a more conservative approach, the Suns ship is anchored to the ocean floor by Booker's flaws and salary for 5 years, with no picks for a lifeline.

 

[newBluePlanet]

The Athletic’s 2025 tier ranking series, Booker was a 2A player. This year, "The Suns’ franchise staple specifically was placed in Tier 2D."

"Booker has won just four playoff games without Chris Paul on the floor with him, and all five of Phoenix’s series wins with Booker have been against a team missing a star for all or part of the series (Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray, Kawhi Leonard, Zion Williamson, Paul George)."

 

[newBluePlanet]

ESPN proposing trade to pair Morant and Booker in the backcourt. No way. neither plays D and it would be a double salary nightmare. I'd do Booker for Morant to get out of Booker's salary and not lose other key players.