Alright, so I decided to really sit down and watch the Suns play the Pistons recently, specifically focusing on Devin Booker. It wasn’t just about catching highlights later; I wanted to see the flow, his approach during the actual game.
I got myself set up, tried to ignore the usual distractions, and just track what Booker was doing possession by possession, especially when things weren’t just fast breaks or wide-open shots. How was he reacting to their defense? What choices was he making?
Watching Booker Operate
What struck me was his pacing. The Pistons, they bring energy, try to be physical, even if they’re outmatched talent-wise. I noticed Booker didn’t seem sped up by it. He had this deliberate way about him, especially early in the game. It felt like he was reading the floor, seeing how they were going to guard him and his teammates.
- He took what the defense gave him quite a bit. Didn’t seem like he was forcing tough shots over double teams right away.
- I paid attention to his off-ball movement too. Setting screens, relocating. Stuff that doesn’t always show up big in the box score but matters.
- There were moments where he definitely took over, hit some tough shots, but it felt more like picking his spots rather than just trying to dominate every single play.
It felt different than watching him against, say, a top contender where maybe the intensity is different, the pressure is higher from the get-go. Against the Pistons, it seemed more like a controlled performance, managing the game, getting teammates involved while still getting his own points efficiently.
It’s interesting, this kind of “practice” of just watching one player intently during a game. You pick up on little things, the nuances of how they navigate different situations. It wasn’t his most explosive scoring night maybe, but watching how he dissected a specific opponent like the Pistons tells you something about his game intelligence. Just my observation from spending some time focused on that matchup.
