The Phoenix Suns are not having a great season. With about a quarter of their scheduled games remaining, they're sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference and are currently 3.5 games out of the play-in tournament. They've lost three straight and 10 of their last 12 games.
It seems like the kind of situation where the team would want one of it's leaders to step up and take charge, but according to a new report from NBA insider Chris Haynes, coach Mike Budenholzer actually asked one of his stars to take a step back.
Sources: Weeks ago Suns coach Mike Budenholzer called a meeting with Devin Booker imploring he tone it down vocally, leaving the star shocked. Inside that meeting which provides context to Booker’s postgame remarks on communicating. #haynesbriefs
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 28, 2025
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"I was told that weeks ago Mike Budenholzer called his star guard Devin Booker into his office to issue a complaint," said Haynes. "And that complaint I am told was that Booker was being too vocal on the court and during timeout huddles. He implored his star guard to tone it down to allow for the coach's voice to be heard. This completely shocked Booker, I was told."
It's unclear when this conversation took place exactly, but Booker's points, assists and all his shooting percentages have increased in the five games since the All-Star break so it doesn't appear to have affected his performance. Booker was not selected for the All-Star Game.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mike Budenholzer Shocked Devin Booker by Asking Him to ‘Tone It Down' in the Huddle.
