Phoenix Suns: The pros and cons of starting Devin Booker at point guard

Con: Turnovers

As most Suns fans have learned by now, there’s a reason they’re called “growing pains.” Watching these youngsters learn NBA lessons the hard way is not always fun.

Though Booker has proven himself a capable passer and floor general with the ball in his hands, this would be another animal entirely. Considering his penchant for turning the ball over, the results wouldn’t always be pretty.

Booker not only leads the team in 3.6 turnovers per game, but his 133 total turnovers on the season nearly double the next closest player, Tyler Ulis (80).

His ability to score and make the smart pass helps him in pick-and-rolls, but sometimes, as you’d expect from any 21-year-old, he caves in the face of longer double-teams. The result is often an easy layup in going in the opposite direction, and it’s a sight that’s become more and more common as the doubles keep coming to hound Phoenix’s lone playmaking threat.

Keeping the rock in Booker’s hands would create an inordinate amount of pressure to make reads he might not be ready to make on a consistent basis. Such is the life of an NBA point guard, and between the defensive woes it’d create and the turnover problem, it’d be understandable for Triano to stick with a more traditional lineup.