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Devin Booker is expected to play against the Portland Trailblazers on Tuesday. He has been healthy and is set to take the court for the Phoenix Suns. Booker has grappled with various injuries, including a Grade 1 right hamstring strain, right ankle injury and a right calf strain, all season.
His availability has fluctuated, missing nine of Phoenix (14-12)'s 26 games. Despite the setbacks, Booker has been a critical contributor when healthy. His presence in the lineup has been significant for the Suns, given his offensive prowess and playmaking abilities.
Phoenix is 11-6 in the games he has played and 3-6 when he's out. Although this will be his first full season playing alongside a scoring machine like Kevin Durant, Booker has been more effective playing with Durant.
Devin Booker's MVP ascent and impact on the Phoenix Suns
Devin Booker has been making a compelling case for an MVP-caliber season for the Phoenix Suns. Booker's contributions, complemented by Kevin Durant, have boosted the Suns despite health challenges.
He supplied 34 points, six rebounds and 12 assists in the 116-112 defeat to the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 13 and had 32 points, four rebounds and seven assists in a narrow 124-120 win over the Golden State Warriors.
He’s averaging career highs in points (28.6 per game), rebounds (5.8) and assists (8.3) in his eighth season. Booker is no stranger to the MVP conversation. He finished fourth in the 2021-22 voting, behind what's been the usual top three: Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who have all won the award.
That season, Devin Booker averaged 26.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 4.8 apg. What could arise as an issue later in the season is that, because Booker has missed so many games due to injury, those absences could keep him from being on the MVP ballot. Under the NBA's new rules, a player has to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for awards. So, Booker can't miss more than eight games the rest of the season.
