Suns @ Nuggets Saturday game thread, October 25th, 2025

[Mainstreet]

Devin Booker is an excellent scorer, but 17 assists and 18 turnovers over three games is not going to cut it as a ball handler.

Grayson Allen had 17 assists and only 4 turnovers over the same stretch.

Maybe Jalen Green will help. I don't know.

 

[Hoop Head]

Devin Booker is an excellent scorer, but 17 assists and 18 turnovers over three games is not going to cut it as a ball handler.

Grayson Allen had 17 assists and only 4 turnovers over the same stretch.

Maybe Jalen Green will help. I don't know.

He has to help if for no other reason it allows Grayson to play off ball more.


The only aggressive offense is coming from Brooks and Book and even then Book isn't being all that aggressive. I think that's more by design for Devin though since Ott wants Green to be the primary PG. You can tell Book wants to fall into Point Book mode but isn't fully committing.

 

[95pro]

Bright side is we made some mini decent runs. If we were at full strength maybe that would help sustain our offense better.

 

[Chaplin]

I’d trade Grayson, oneale, Booker, Brooks, Richard’s for whatever youth or picks you can get. Just gotta reload.

LOL

Guaranteed the organization thinks that is exactly what we are doing right now. Reload and rebuild aren't the same thing.

 

[Raindog]

I’d trade Grayson, oneale, Booker, Brooks, Richard’s for whatever youth or picks you can get. Just gotta reload.

I expect the Suns are currently still fooling themselves that they aren't a hapless bottom feeder. We are pretty much Washington, Charlotte, Portland at this point... but with even less hope due to the forfeit of all the near term drafts.

 

[Raindog]

Hayes-Davis sucks. He is Sonny Weems 2.0.

Yup, this is what I am seeing. I suspected that could be the case from the moment they signed him.

 

[Hoop Head]

Yup, this is what I am seeing. I suspected that could be the case from the moment they signed him.

Yeah I was there also but thought maybe his resume would be more useful to this young squad but he's really not good. I'll give it through game 5 for Ott to decide he's given him enough of a shot.

I'm fine rebuilding value of guys through the deadline to get a lineup for the future. I have faith in Maluach and do like Dunn also but I'm not sold on Dunn being more than a defensive version of Cam J. Tweener forward who is a borderline starter that will help win a couple of a games a year but primarily he's quality depth who won't cost us games.

I'm genuinely curious to know what Brooks might fetch in a trade also if he continues averaging 18 a game on league average from 3. Packaged with Williams would be a nice gamble for someone and they equal about $30 million in salary.

 

[leclerc]

We need more scoring. Get well soon, Jalen Green.

Booker must look to score more. Screw the assists. Please give Fleming some regular minutes. Don't make him just stand in the corner.

 

[Chaplin]

And perhaps I have mis-identified the recent problem: it's not so much that Booker is a lousy point guard as that he just can't be Point Book and Great Scorer Book simultaneously. Who could do that? But if so, the result is the same. Booker is wasted as a point guard. I hate waste.

I mean, really, this is the main problem with Booker at this moment. Booker is not a lousy point guard, and never has been. He's not a great one either, but he's decent at the position. The biggest problem with Point Book isn't that he's not good at the position, it's that it takes him away from what he is stellar at, and that is being a superstar shooting guard. He absolutely needs to be more selfish, especially in first halves.

And we are STARVING for some offensive firepower, which is why we need Jalen Green in this lineup. A lot of people don't like him, but defenses have to react to him because he's so dynamic on offense. We have plenty of defenders, it's time to actually score some points.

 

[BirdGangThing]

book per usual is playing the entire first quarter but in the first 2 games he hasn't really looked for his own offense until after ott makes the first rotation

idk what's going on - later in the game there was 10 seconds left on the shot clock - book wasn't being doubled and dtv had a defender on him - both book and dtv were behind the 3 point line - this is where book takes the 3 or drives and gets his layup or midrange- but instead he passes it to the covered dtv with 5 seconds left on the shot clock- brick city

that hurt my brain - book probably had a 60% chance of scoring - dtv being covered behind the 3 with 5 seconds on the clock had no chance of scoring - i don't know how to process that - not with a healthy devin booker

 

[Carolinacacti]

Well I was in to he camp to trade Book and keep Kevin, this is what we get. You think Green is going to save the season good luck. Why is Dunn guarding guards? First Harden then Murray. I agree play Fleming

 

[Chaplin]

Well I was in to he camp to trade Book and keep Kevin, this is what we get. You think Green is going to save the season good luck. Why is Dunn guarding guards? First Harden then Murray. I agree play Fleming

Geez who said anything about Green saving the season?

 

[Carolinacacti]

That's what I got Geez

 

[Cheesebeef]

I really hope this team doesn’t grind Book’s value down all season before realizing they need to maximize whatever value he has in trade. There is a very outside chance that Green changes things a bit but my fear that this team is going to be absolutely abysmal has only grown watching the first three games.

 

[BirdGangThing]

idk - if jalen plays well and the good williams shows up we might be 2-2 tomorrow night and i half expected 0-4

not to mention - aside from trade value maybe richards having a faulty gps is a good thing - oso has already surpassed him in the lineup and is getting quality minutes- i see maluach following suit

far as young guys/rebuild goes we're in it - my dream lineup (with what we got) is jalen - book - dunn - oso - maluach but that's not going to happen for some time - if ever

this was not the draft to get a pg - everybody got a pg - we got maluach because everyone went 3andD or pg and that worked out great for us imo - point guards are much easier to draft

we got a big - we got whatever oso is - whatever dunn is - im not on the fleming train yet because he plays nervous like a rookie

 

[Ronin]

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2025/10/26/phoenix-suns-denver-nuggets-takeaways-analysis/86914654007/

 

[Ronin]

Suns blitzed early for 3rd straight game, lose to Nuggets

While the Phoenix Suns are shorthanded, they have not offered a good first impression to begin the season.

arizonasports.com

 

[Covert Rain]

Devin Booker is an excellent scorer, but 17 assists and 18 turnovers over three games is not going to cut it as a ball handler.

Grayson Allen had 17 assists and only 4 turnovers over the same stretch.

Maybe Jalen Green will help. I don't know.

I just watched this. I pointed out all last season how Books turnovers were bad. Someone on this forum argued his assists were more important. Turnovers offset those assists. Especially when point off of turnovers are high.

Agree with much of the sentiment here. Point Book is good in small doses but the second you rely too much on Point Book we see the things above rear their ugly head and it take Book away from focusing on what he is great at.

It’s still early and I hope we can do better but we are 7th worst in the league in turnovers all ready without Durant.

 

[Mainstreet]

He has to help if for no other reason it allows Grayson to play off ball more.


The only aggressive offense is coming from Brooks and Book and even then Book isn't being all that aggressive. I think that's more by design for Devin though since Ott wants Green to be the primary PG. You can tell Book wants to fall into Point Book mode but isn't fully committing.

Booker could score 50 points or more a game if he were so inclined. It comes so easy for him when he looks to score.

I've been trying to figure out a solution to make the Suns offense work better. Even toyed with the idea of playing Booker at small forward, so the Suns could start a point guard and relieve him of distributing responsibilities.

Although, the Suns are not going that far, with Green due to return soon.

However, the Suns MAJOR problem is defense and lack of hustle. What happened to that? This was supposed to be a part of the Suns new identity.

See comments below from Mat Ishbia:

----------------------------

BY PAYNE MOSES ArizonaSports.com editor:

“We want to make sure that it’s a team that competes, that’s grinding, that wants to win, that doesn’t just cash in because it looks like we’re down by too much,” Ishbia said. “(That’s) not what we are here in Phoenix. That identity is set and it’s very clear and I’m excited for everyone to watch it.”

Ishbia says 2025-26 Suns identity is 'set' and ready to go

While the 2025-26 Suns may not make the quick leap to the championship like the Mercury, owner Mat Ishbia knows their set identity will make them competitive.

arizonasports.com

 

[Covert Rain]

Booker could score 50 points or more a game if he were so inclined. It comes so easy for him when he looks to score.

I've been trying to figure out a solution to make the Suns offense work better. Even toyed with the idea of playing Booker at small forward, so the Suns could start a point guard and relieve him of distributing responsibilities.

Although, the Suns are not going that far, with Green due to return soon.

However, the Suns MAJOR problem is defense and lack of hustle. What happened to that? This was supposed to be a part of the Suns new identity.

See comments below from Mat Ishbia:

----------------------------

BY PAYNE MOSES ArizonaSports.com editor:

“We want to make sure that it’s a team that competes, that’s grinding, that wants to win, that doesn’t just cash in because it looks like we’re down by too much,” Ishbia said. “(That’s) not what we are here in Phoenix. That identity is set and it’s very clear and I’m excited for everyone to watch it.”

Ishbia says 2025-26 Suns identity is 'set' and ready to go

While the 2025-26 Suns may not make the quick leap to the championship like the Mercury, owner Mat Ishbia knows their set identity will make them competitive.

arizonasports.com

The Suns are also the second worst team in the NBA so far giving up 2nd chance points. Couple that with top 10 in turnovers which leads to points off of turnovers and that combo will kill any defense.

Not sure how playing smaller with Book as SF will help but I have the same question. Wasn’t size and grit supposed to be the new identity?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Booker could score 50 points or more a game if he were so inclined. It comes so easy for him when he looks to score.

I really don’t think this is the case. He’s neither the 3 point shooter nor skilled/physically talented enough to just get whatever shot whenever he wants to be this kind of scorer. A guy who can consistently average in the 30s (much less 50) is someone who can consistently beat double teams with ease and get to the basket, draw fouls at will. Book ain’t that and never will be.

 

[Mainstreet]

Duane Rankin gets this right about the Suns defense.

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[Hoop Head]

Duane Rankin gets this right about the Suns defense.

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The new and improved Duane Rankin was the biggest off-season change for the Suns. It's going to be a long year.

Rankin has improved dramatically and deserves credit.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Duane Rankin gets this right about the Suns defense.

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pretty much

 

[Covert Rain]

I really don’t think this is the case. He’s neither the 3 point shooter nor skilled/physically talented enough to just get whatever shot whenever he wants to be this kind of scorer. A guy who can consistently average in the 30s (much less 50) is someone who can consistently beat double teams with ease and get to the basket, draw fouls at will. Book ain’t that and never will be.

I think Book could be the guy who gets to the line constantly if he took less threes and drove to the basket instead. The rest I agree with. His game is midrange so he is never going to be great in all 3 aspects. Something’s got to give IMO.