The Perfect Match: Devin Booker and Igor Kokoskov

The game of basketball is simple. The creation of a winning team is complex.

In today’s NBA the task of constructing an organization that promises long-term sustainable success while putting a winning product on the floor is almost impossible. Geographic location – investments into the organization – and ownership all play a key role in creating the culture of a team and fan-base.

Starting in 2015 the Suns bought into a full rebuild – accumulating assets over a three year period – betting they can hit on enough draft picks to build the core foundation of a young talented roster.

Fast forward three years later the Suns have dealt with dysfunction within the organization – three new head coaches – and a general manger relieved of his duties nine days before the start of the season opener.

However, the Suns were able to reach their goal of creating a promising young core that includes: Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Josh Jackson.

This off-season, the Suns signed their most important franchise piece, Devin Booker to a max extension. Booker is the flashy offensive scorer that brings fans to Talking Stick Resort Arena – a high IQ player that makes others around him better – and has a competitive nature that positively impacts the culture of any organization.

Booker has also played for three different head coaches his first three seasons in the league; experiencing the business side of the NBA and continuous dysfunction within the Suns organization.

Heading into Booker’s fourth year, the Suns believe to have the found the answer at the head coaching position in former assistant coach from the Seven Seconds or Less Era, Igor Kokoskov.

Kokoskov comes into his first season providing much hope and optimism for a fan-base long-starving for a playoff appearance. In reality, the Suns need more than a well-respected basketball-mind; they need a culture setter that can master every aspect of the job.

Kokoskov brings a wealth of experience from a championship team in Detroit – playoff teams in Phoenix – and success in Europe as the head coach of Slovenia at the European Championships.

The key for Kokoskov will be to unlock the play-making potential of Booker. With the Suns weakness at point guard he needs an elite play-maker – and Booker knows he needs a basketball savant to give him the best chance to make his first All-Star appearance.

So far through summer league and pre-season action, Kokoskov has looked to install the ball-screen heavy and guard centered offense that lead Slovenia to become champions of Europe.

The offense is designed for guards to flourish with optimal spacing and numerous shooters on the floor.

Further studying the different sets and actions Kokoskov ran for Slovenia you can see his ability to tweak common NBA actions to fit his style of play.

A common action in the NBA is called, ‘Motion Weak’ – in this action there is an entry pass on the strong-side – and the lead guard cuts over to the weak-side. Kokoskov ran a variation of this action where the lead guard attacks into a double ball-screen – allowing for his star guards to attack downhill in space.

Kokoskov had success using this action with two star guards Goran Dragic and Luka Doncic.

Throughout summer league and pre-season the execution and timing has not been there.

With the Suns still finding a stop gap solution at the point guard, Booker should expect to see minutes filling in that role – a role he has played well in this past season.

Per the Bball-Index database, Booker grades out in the 95th percentile among other “creators”.

Kokoskov when asked about Booker at his introductory press conference stated, “Devin’s obviously such a gifted scorer and his ability to score makes him so special – his ability to play-make for other guys… (those players) trigger a lot of stuff on the court – he’s going to be a play-maker.”

In a way they both need each other. Kokoskov coaches a style that puts that ball in his star play-makers hands – Booker has developed into one of the elite play-makers in the league – and wants to prove to the rest of the NBA he belongs with the best.

The future is bright in Phoenix and the Suns may have found the perfect coach – player match they so desperately coveted.

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