No timetable for Suns’ Booker’s return after re-aggravating hamstring

PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker is not one to say he’s hurting or make excuses.

More often than not, Booker has played through injuries, to the point where it’s debatable if he should even be playing.

So when Booker re-aggravated the same left hamstring on Sunday that caused him to miss three games and then play at less than 100 percent for at least eight more games, he said he’s now going to take his time coming back.

Devin Booker was forced to leave the game in the second quarter after suffering a hamstring injury.

LeBron and Tyson Chandler went to check on the young star right after it happened. pic.twitter.com/AOlqjvbhqy

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 2, 2018

“I’m going to make sure it’s right,” he said after Monday’s practice. “Make sure it’s fully (ready) to go. I don’t think I’ve played a healthy game this season. So just making sure my body gets right before I get back out there because if I can’t give 100 percent out there I’m letting my team down in that way so making sure it’s right before I get back out there.”

That’s a sigh of relief for Suns fans, who have seen their franchise player consistently get nicked up and play through injuries.

Since the start of last season, Booker had issues with his right knee, back and hip, inflammation in his right big toe, a left adductor strain, a right rib contusion, a left hip pointer, surgery on his right hand, a sprained left pinky finger, his left big toe hurting and the aforementioned hamstring.

There is no timetable for Booker’s return, but he did say this break will likely be longer than the initial three games he sat out for the first hamstring strain earlier in the season.

“Back to the regularly scheduled programming,” he said. “Treatment every day. Just making sure it gets closer to 100 percent before I get back out there.”

Booker said it’s not an injury he can play with and he wants to “take a little bit more time with it this time.”

Head coach Igor Kokoskov said it’s the same process for Booker.

“Daily communication with the medical staff and obviously with Devin to see how he feels and if he’s 100 percent he’s going to play,” he said, describing the process as “day-by-day” to monitor Booker’s status.

Dating back to the start of last season, the Suns are 6-27 when Booker does not play.

WARREN UPDATE

Forward T.J. Warren has missed the team’s last two games due to right ankle soreness and Kokoskov described Warren’s chances of playing on Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings as “slim.”

Warren has had a terrific season, averaging 17.7 points and 4.1 rebounds a game while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from deep.

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