With Kevin Durant’s return reportedly days away, the Suns are inching closer to proving whether or not they can live up to the hype of being labeled as the NBA’s next superteam. Except, if you ask Devin Booker, who believes Phoenix, despite its potential lineup, does not belong in such a conversation.
During a media session on Thursday, Booker fielded a question asking about the Suns being a superteam with the pending addition of the recently-acquired Durant to a lineup that also includes Chris Paul, and DeAndre Ayton. To many, the “Big 4” has already positioned Phoenix as both title contenders and a contender on the list of all-time superteams but, in Booker’s eyes, the team does not deserve the latter label for a big reason.
“We only had one All-Star this year, that was KD,” Booker said, referencing Durant–a 2022 All-Star starter–being the team’s only All-Star this season.
Booker, a three-time All-Star who missed the cut for this year’s exhibition after missing 21 games due to injury, then explained why being called a “superteam” would only distract the Suns from their ultimate goal.
“I just don’t do all the titles and stuff, man, that’s for you guys and everybody else,” he continued. “I know we have a really talented group, I think enough to get to where we’re trying to go, and finish what we’re trying to do. So, that’s my main focus, everything that’s said about us will come, regarding how we finish.”
As Booker alluded to, the Suns, despite not yet having KD in the fold, boast a collection of talent that could give any team fits when healthy. Despite being quickly bombarded with renewed expectations since landing Durant, Phoenix has not yet felt the pressure of his presence on the floor, though that could soon change if he returns from his MCL injury on March 1.
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With Booker and Durant leading the way, the fifth-place Suns (32–28) are poised to make a lot of noise in the West but, as always, it’ll all come down to how the pieces fit on the floor. However, it’s worth noting that Phoenix is just two years removed from making an NBA Finals run while led by Booker, Paul and Ayton.
Coming out of the All-Star break, Booker, who returned to action on Feb. 7, has averaged 26.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per night on 47.7% shooting this season. Meanwhile, Durant averaged 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game on 55.9% shooting in 39 games with Brooklyn.
