Is Devin Booker playing tonight against the Sacramento Kings? Latest on the 3x All-Star’s availability (Dec. 8)

Devin Booker will be the lone superstar the Phoenix Suns will have against the Sacramento Kings on Friday. Bradley Beal has not played in three weeks due to a lower back strain. He was reportedly a full participant in the Suns’ practice on Thursday but hasn’t been cleared. Beal’s next opportunity will be on Tuesday versus the Golden State Warriors.

Kevin Durant had a spectacular outing against the LA Lakers in the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals on Tuesday. He played in the Suns’ last four games but has been ruled out versus the Kings due to a sprained left ankle. Like Beal, his next availability could be on Tuesday against KD’s former team, the Warriors.

Phoenix will try to bounce back from the heartbreaking and controversial loss to the LA Lakers with just Devin Booker leading the team. “Book” has played just 12 out of the Suns’ 21 games due to different injuries. He will have to be Phoenix’s main option in scoring and playmaking, as KD and Beal are sidelined.

Suns coach Frank Vogel said that he would rely on Booker to carry the team. He also described Durant's injury as "short-term" and nothing serious.

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Devin Booker has been quietly impressive this season

Different injuries have caused Devin Booker to miss nine games already. Many may have overlooked his performance, but he has been superb when he plays. This season, he is averaging 27.3 points, 8.2 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game. “Book” is putting up career-high numbers in assists and rebounds.

The Suns’ experiment of having Booker play point guard has gone seamlessly. He has turned into a pass-first player without giving up a ton of points. Incredibly, there’s very little drop-off in his points per game this season compared to his last.

Devin Booker has less catch-and-shoot action now that he’s the primary ball handler. It’s part of the reason why his overall field-goal efficiency has dropped from 49.4% last season to 46.5%. The shooting guard turned point guard is also launching fewer three-pointers but has been more efficient from behind the arc.

The three-time All-Star has bought into everything the Phoenix Suns have wanted him to do. He has transformed himself into one of the NBA’s best playmakers. But on occasion, he has to regain his aggressiveness when looking for his shots. On Friday against the Sacramento Kings, he will need to do that as Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are both ruled out.