The Phoenix Suns certainly did not accomplish what they were hoping for in the 2023-24 campaign. They were swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it’s fair to acknowledge that they had a lot of new pieces on their roster this year.

One of the more unheralded pieces on their team was Jusuf Nurkic, who admittedly wasn’t as flashy of an addition as the likes of Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal. Still, Nurkic is vital to the Suns, and Devin Booker opened up on his relationship with Phoenix’s newest big man.

Booker gives the Bosnian Beast his due praise

Amidst the attention drawn to Damian Lillard’s move to the Milwaukee Bucks and his pairing with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Phoenix Suns emerged as a significant beneficiary in the three-team trade, acquiring valuable assets, including Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen.

Nurkic ended up becoming the Suns’ starting center and was a key piece of their plans. While he doesn’t get a ton of recognition, Booker shouted him out as an integral piece of what Phoenix did this season and said he’s looking forward to continuing to work with him on the court.

“Just the IQ, just having basketball conversations and being able to talk through certain situations is the most impressive to me,” Devin Booker said on The Old Man & The Three. “And he’ll come with his own, just on some things, be like, ‘Yo, me and Dame used to get this all the time.’ I’m like, ‘Alright, let me try that out.’”

“It’s just an ongoing conversation and a relationship that is developing, and I love being on the court with him. He’s gonna get after it every time, and he takes matchups personally. He’s down to get aggressive and physical, and that’s all you want,” the guard added.

Suns are hoping to reinforce their core group over the offseason

Booker, Durant, and Beal are all superstars, but you can make a case that Nurkic is just as important as the trio. He was really the Suns’ only playable big man in competitive games, and when he wasn’t on the floor, Phoenix struggled in the paint on both ends of the floor.

Nurkic doesn’t exactly put up flashy numbers (10.9 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 51 FG%), but he quickly became a key piece for the team on both sides of the ball. Nobody else could really hold down the fort like the Bosnian Beast, and that showed in their quick playoff series against Minnesota.

Players recognize how important their teammates are, and D-Book knew early on that Nurk was key to their success. He took on a bigger role as a playmaker to help free up Phoenix’s top three scorers, operating in a role similar to that of Nikola Jokic on the Denver Nuggets at times.

The front office must help Nurkic at the center position next offseason to solidify the team’s depth. Things didn’t go the Suns’ way this year, but they have so much talent that it’s tough to see them struggling again in the 2024-25 campaign.