Phoenix Suns head coach Igor Kokoškov says star shooting guard Devin Booker will be a game-time decision for Friday's game against the Toronto Raptors.
Booker is dealing with a hamstring strain he suffered versus the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 24 and has missed the previous three games.
In the four games he has played in this year, Devin Booker is averaging 27.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists. The 21-year-old is shooting 50.7 percent from the floor, 38.7 percent from the 3-point line and 81.8 percent from the charity stripe. The Suns are just 1-6 on the season and have lost six games in a row.
Booker underwent surgery to repair an injury to the fifth metacarpophalangeal joint in his right hand in early September. He has been playing through the pain while wearing a splint on his pinky/ring finger.
The Suns signed Booker to a five-year, $158 million maximum contract extension in the offseason. If Booker isn't 100 percent healthy, there's no incentive to play him against the Raptors, who will probably stick Kawhi Leonard on Booker. Hamstring injuries are really tricky. They can flare up at any moment. One small misstep can cause the joint to be re-aggravated.
Phoenix isn't going to contend for a playoff spot this season in the rugged Western Conference. Obviously you want Devin Booker to be out there on the floor with Deandre Ayton so the two young studs can develop rapport. However, risking Booker's long-term health is not the smart play, and the Suns' medical staff will surely make sure he passes some tests before they give him the green light to suit up.
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