Make Devin Booker’s life difficult on offense
The Phoenix Suns have a lot more than just Devin Booker to worry about, but the best chances of winning against the Suns is to shut down Booker the best you can. He is one of the league’s best scorers, but that doesn’t mean he has no weaknesses to his name.
Booker has been a turnover machine so far this season. He has posted 4 turnovers and more in five of his seven games, including two games with 8. Though he has improved his playmaking last season, he is still trying to find his rhythm in that department this season.
Whenever he is forced to pass out when players close on him, his passes have been sloppy or completely misplaced. And if that isn’t the case, he tends to hold the ball for slightly too long and just loses the ball as he does below.
If there is one thing the Raptors can do is play defense at an elite level and shut down an opponent’s star — unless it’s Ingram or Tatum. The Raptors have to make Booker’s life as uncomfortable as possible. Making OG Anunoby the primary defender on Booker should help facilitate that. Anunoby has been playing elite-level defense and with Toronto’s heavy help defense style, Booker should be in a position to struggle.
The Raptors have to make the rest of the team beat them and that is something they’ll have to live with. They face off at 9 pm Eastern time tonight.