Tag: Devin Booker

Friendship of Suns’ Booker, Ulis ‘greater than basketball’

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-Suns Booker Ulis, 645 words
  • Photo available

By ERIC NEWMAN
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — Since Kentucky’s 2014-15 Final Four season, NBA teams have drafted 12 players from the men’s basketball program, including Suns guards Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis.

The young guards became best known in the 2016-17 season: Booker with a 70-point game, and Ulis with a number of spectacular plays and buzzer-beaters. Their friendship, however, goes beyond their year together in Phoenix.

“It’s greater than basketball, me and Tyler,” Booker said. “He’s one of my closest friends.”

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Phoenix Suns treated the end of the season like a summer league to evaluate young talent

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Suns Summer, 728 words.
  • With photos

By Logan Newman
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — As the Phoenix Suns tried to secure the best possible pick in this summer’s NBA draft, the player who is now the “face of the franchise” was on the bench against the Sacramento Kings.

It wasn’t the first time Devin Booker had been pulled for playing too well. During the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas the then-19-year-old played only two games before the Suns’ staff realized he didn’t need to play there.

“Devin Booker obviously dominated summer league,” head coach Earl Watson said at the team’s exit day last week, when the coaching staff and player personnel staff give players a plan for their off-season.

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Phoenix Suns building organically through NBA Draft

by Adnan Alam

Slug: Sports-Suns rebuilding, 1050 words
Photos available (thumbnails, captions below)

By  SAMANTHA PELL
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — As a player, Earl Watson experienced the baby steps of building a championship contender in the NBA. Now as coach of the Suns, he is hoping his team can follow those same steps to return to prominence.

Watson was playing for Seattle in 2008 when the SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. That team included two young stars, Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. The Thunder drafted guard Russell Westbrook the next season, then James Harden in 2009.

That’s when the Thunder took off.

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Veteran P.J. Tucker is the Suns ‘X Factor’

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-Suns Tucker, 774 words
  • No Photos available

By MATT FAYE

Cronkite News

PHOENIX — Suns forward P.J. Tucker doesn’t always know what role he’ll play for the team from game to game, and that’s just the way he likes it.

The 31-year-old NBA veteran does a little bit of everything for a Suns squad that often needs just that.

“Each game is specific. Every night is different,” Tucker said. “Whatever I can do to help this team get a win, that’s what I’ll do. That’s what it’s about.”

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