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By Aman Sharma
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Forty-three points didn’t stop Devin Booker from pointing at a weak spot in his own starting group.
The Phoenix Suns guard told reporters after a 131-122 win over the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 24 that his bench has formed tighter bonds than the starting lineup.
Two games into the 2026-27 season, Booker didn’t exempt himself from the critique.
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“I’d say right now they [the bench] have more of a chemistry than our first group, and I think typically that’s how teams are. You play against those guys every day in practice, and they know each other like white on rice.”
He then laid out what the starters should copy from the reserves.
“Us as the first unit I think need to learn from them in a way, and the type that they play: everybody sacrifices in those groups, and you see the result that you get out of it.”
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Booker runs the point for the starting group, with Jalen Green at shooting guard, Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges at forward, and Khaman Maluach at center.
Guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin lead the second unit alongside shooter Luke Kennard and Ryan Dunn, giving Suns coach Jordan Ott a dependable 10-man rotation.
At Mortgage Matchup Center, Booker held up his end. No Suns player had ever scored more in the first home game of a season.
That win followed a 124-83 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center to open the year.
Rebounding is the other sore spot. Golden State was missing six of its seven leading rebounders from a year ago and still won the glass 44-42, making it two straight games Phoenix has come up short there.
Opponents are grabbing 17.5 offensive rebounds per game against Phoenix, the most in the NBA, and Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro were both unavailable.
Next up for the 1-1 Suns are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets.
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