Devin Booker trusts his hand post-surgery, ready for Suns season opener

PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker is ready to go for the team’s opener on Wednesday night. Ready to go, though, is not quite the same as 100 percent.

Booker will be playing with buddy tape on his right hand, the same right hand he had surgery on in early September.

The 21-year-old said on Friday he hates playing with the tape on, but his comfort level goes beyond that.

Booker is now almost a week into playing with full contact and is starting to feel more at ease.

“I’ve [taken] plenty of hits in practice now and now I trust it and believe that it’s ready to go for full contact and that’s what I’ve been doing the past week,” he said Tuesday.

Booker said when the team was running 5-on-0 he collided with Ryan Anderson, a moment that scared him at first. Anderson, rightfully so, looked at the Suns’ young star with a “crazy face” but Booker said he realized after the hit that his hand felt OK.

“I was kinda [nervous] until I took those first few hits,” he said. “I didn’t know how I was going to react to the hit.”

Due to the specificities of the injury, Booker said the injury can’t get worse, so there’s no harm in him playing through the time with his fingers wrapped.

“It’s just gonna be a little bit sore but you have to expect that coming back from the surgery,” Booker said.

NOTES

– When asked if there will be a minutes restriction on opening night against the Dallas Mavericks, Booker joked this was an upper-body injury and there’s no concern about his legs.

– Booker told the media Tuesday he was talking to shooting guard Jamal Crawford a week ago about coming to Phoenix. Crawford has agreed to a deal with Phoenix, per 98.7 FM’s John Gambadoro.

“Adding another veteran, man, somebody that I idolized growing up. People just all see his handles but he’s a player — he knows how to play the game,” Booker said.

– In regards to the big night, Booker said he doesn’t get that nervous anymore, but he’s more excited about the significance of opening night this season.

“I was talking to Deandre [Ayton] and I told him I’m more excited for him,” he said. “It’s the start of his legacy, his new career. I told him that today in his locker and my job is to make this special for him and not make it like my first three years. So turn it around, let him be known as a winner (and) let our whole organization turn around to a winning franchise.”

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