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Suns’ Earl Watson: Facing P.J. Tucker in practice has helped Devin Booker

Jan 17, 2017, 9:47 AM | Updated: 11:28 am

Phoenix Suns' P.J. Tucker (17) and Devin Booker (1) react to a foul call during the second half of ...

Phoenix Suns' P.J. Tucker (17) and Devin Booker (1) react to a foul call during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

(AP Photo/Matt York)

LISTEN: Earl Watson, Suns head coach

There’s no denying Devin Booker’s talent.

The Phoenix Suns’ guard has been one of the top players in his draft class, even though his second pro season has had its shares of ups and downs.

In a 15-game stretch from December into early January, Booker shot just .377 from the floor and .303 from three-point range. He averaged 18.0 points per game during that span, but the Suns, needing a more consistent offensive performance from him, went just 4-11.

Recently, however, Booker has been remarkable.

In his last six games, the 20-year-old is averaging 30 points per night on .532 shooting from the floor and .545 from three-point range. He exploded for back-to-back 39-point games while the Suns were in Mexico last week. The Suns are 3-3 in that

So what’s been the difference?

“The truth is he’s one day closer to 21,” Suns head coach Earl Watson told Doug and Wolf Tuesday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “We have to let him grow up and he’s evolving in front of our eyes, not over the summer, but during the season, and you’re seeing Devin Booker really take form into who he’s going to be.

“His potential is unlimited.”

Booker hit for 25 points in Monday’s loss to Utah, extending his streak of games scoring 20 or more points to six in a row, the longest stretch of his young career.

There is one other thing that has changed with Booker, according to his head coach, and it has nothing to do with time. In practice, Booker has been matched up against veteran P.J. Tucker, one of the Suns’ best defensive players.

“They have this ultra-competitive nature, those two. One is more offensive than the other. The other is obviously defense,” Watson said. “Ever since we made a lineup change and we scrimmage in practice, P.J. somehow ends up on Devin.

“Imagine P.J. Tucker without any referees. That’s what Devin Booker gets every practice. And we don’t stop it, because I understand for Devin to get to that next point, he has to face some like when (Michael) Jordan faced ‘The Bad Boys’ when they constantly put him down, constantly defended him with aggression and eventually, he overcame that physically.”

Watson explained that when Booker gets into a game, he’s not seeing the same level of physicality he sees from Tucker during every practice session.

“You look at the timeline when we did it and made the lineup change, it’s almost identical to when Devin’s game has been taken to another level,” Watson said.

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Suns’ Earl Watson: Facing P.J. Tucker in practice has helped Devin Booker