After high hopes and multiple successful seasons in a row, the Phoenix Suns have had a disappointing 2022-2023 season thus far, sitting only one game above.500 and slotted into eighth place in the Western Conference.
However, much of the team's problems this year can be traced to the extended absence of star Devin Booker, who is now expected to return to action in their upcoming game against the Nets Tuesday, which Suns fans are hoping will jumpstart the team and push them closer to the top of the conference.
Booker has been sidelined for the last five weeks after suffering a left groin strain, but has recently been ramping up his on-court activity and is eyeing a return at the beginning of the Suns' five-game road trip that will feature matchups with the Celtics and Pistons, according to ESPN's Adrain Wojnarowski.
Since Booker's injury, the Suns have gone 8-11, with the last loss coming against the Hawks on Wednesday in a 32-point blowout.
According to ESPN, Booker has averaged 27.1 points per game this season but has been forced to miss a combined 24 games due to hamstring soreness his most recent groin strain.
While the Suns remain 27-26, good for eighth, they are only a half-game out of fifth place in the highly competitive Western Conference, so such a big boost to the team could give them enough push to string some wins together and aim for to five in the conference by season's end.
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