The Phoenix Suns were no match for the Brooklyn Nets, who embarrassed them on their own court by a final score of 104-82.
With the loss, the Suns fell to 2-8 on the season. That left superstar shooting guard Devin Booker extremely frustrated with the team's performance, and he wasted no time ripping their terrible outing.
"It sucks, man," Booker said after the game, via. ESPN.com. "We thought last game would be our step forward. We definitely took a step back tonight. We didn't protect home court, came in here and got blown out in front of our fans. It's embarrassing."
The Suns were coming off a close 102-100 home victory against the Memphis Grizzlies, snapping a seven-game losing streak. Just when the young Suns thought they were finding their groove, the Nets game into town and embarrassed Booker and co. on their own court.
"I think all good teams have that trust and chemistry, where they're able to get on each other and know that it's for a better purpose," Booker added. "For us, I don't think we have that right now.We're not comfortable with each other, we don't step on each other's toes, we don't push each other, and I think that's what we need to do."
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Though expectations were low for the Suns coming into this season, there was some hope among fans that they would make progress. Booker signed a five-year extension worth $158 million, No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton was to solidify the offense, and sophomore Josh Jackson was expected to grow more in his second year.
Booker (24.9 points per game), and Ayton (15.9 points, 10.9 rebounds per game), have been extremely productive, but the Suns haven't gotten enough help from the other players. The defense is sloppy, the outside shooting has been terrible, and the team chemistry just hasn't been there - as Booker pointed out.
At the end of the day, the Suns aren't exactly performing below expectations, but Booker and co. are expecting better play. We'll see if this young group can rebound when they host the Boston Celtics on Thursday.