Nash teaches by example and Booker takes the initiative to take responsibility. The new Suns leader will welcome the best mentor in the new season

Translator's note: The original text was published in TheAthletic, and the data in the text were as of the time of publication (local time on October 3), and the dates and times involved were all local time. The views in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.

Phoenix - Shortly after Steve Nash visited the training hall and spoke with Suns players and coaches, Devin Booker was asked about the importance of the Hall of Fame point guard appearing in training camp.

"It's so important, brother," Booker said, "he can be here, for all of us, just knowing he's in the training hall, to improve everything."

As the two-time MVP and the engine of the Suns' "7 seconds or less" tactics, Nash has returned to the team as a senior adviser. While Nash may spend more time with the management and coaching staff, it is probably the one who benefits the most from his presence and wisdom. After all, Nash isn't the only one here with a new character. Booker, who will turn 29 this month, is about to enter his 11th season. He will be the undisputed leader of the team for the first time. Chris Paul is the main controller of the voice during the Suns' NBA Finals in 2021. The Suns, with Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal as the core, have failed to win a playoff game over the past two seasons, and the team lacks a strong locker room leader.

As a four-time All-Star guard, Booker understands that this is his role. Although he is not the oldest player in the roster, he has the most experience. He is also the face of this team. In July, Booker signed a two-year, $145 million max salary extension that will keep him in the Suns until the 2029-30 season.

"I have an unfinished career here," Booker said of the team's stumbling road to championships. "I know what this means to the city and the team. It's my job as a leader. It's my responsibility as a cornerstone of the team."

Booker never shys away from speaking out, but leadership needs much more than that. This is a gradual process. Before training camp began, Booker invited the team to Flagstaff, where he spent most of the offseason to escape the heat of the desert. There, the Suns played an in-team training game at Northern Arizona (Book’s dog was nearby), played golf in Pine Canyon, and enhanced feelings in the cooler temperatures.

"That's very different," said rookie center Kaman Maluach. "I'm going to Flagstaff for the first time."

"It's kind of like a mini camp." rookie guard Kobe Breya said.

Book's motivation is simple.

"We have a new team, (so) just want to get everyone together, get out of their comfort zone, and be together, and we do spend some time in the training hall," Booker said. "We don't want training camp or the week before the camp to be the first time we meet because I know how important those off-court relationships are to play side by side on the field."

Booker emphasized this at the media day at the Sun Hall last week. In an interview with team flagship radio, he said the past two seasons with Durant and Bill were the toughest of his career, even more difficult than when the Suns failed to win more than 24 games in the first four seasons of his career. Booker said of the past two years that the Suns players get along well, but “when everyone has their own plans and doesn’t have the same common goal”, there will be no good results.

The changes this season start with him.

After training on Monday, Nash stood in a corner of the Suns training hall and spoke with former Suns guard Rex Chapman, who worked in the team's management. Alabama coach Nate Oates and former Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau also watched the training there the week before.

The news of Nash's employment not only excited the Suns fans, but also the players on the team. Defender Colin Gillespie said the first text he received came from his mother after big boss Matt Ishbiya announced the news. She told Gillespie to learn as much as possible. She also said: "Don't be afraid to ask questions."

Like Booker, Nash, 51, is one of the most popular players in the team's history. The Suns initially selected the point guard with the No. 15 pick in the 1996 NBA draft, but traded him to the Mavericks two years later. Nash spent six years in Dallas, growing up to be an All-Star before signing with the Suns as a free agent in 2004. In the first three seasons under Mike D'Anthony's "running and bombing" system, Nash won two MVP trophys and was second only to his friend Dirk Nowitzki in his third place.

When playing in The TomTolbertShow in the summer, Warriors head coach Steve Cole -- who served as the Suns General Manager during Nash's Suns -- said he had seen Nash pass a perfect ball in practice, but his teammates made a mistake and caused the ball to go out of bounds. Cole said Nash would pat his chest and say, "My fault, my fault."

"That's so powerful," Cole told TomTolbert. "That's, you know, you're watching and thinking, 'Please, that's a perfect pass'. But how great is that response? It can take the pressure on others and just say, 'Hey, I'll take it, my fault'. I think that's the embodiment of leadership. And I saw that in Steve Nash. ”

Booker doesn't need to organize the offense like Nash - his scoring performance is too important, but if the Suns want to get a season that can serve as a springboard for the future, he needs to improve his teammates' performance as the Suns legend once did. He needs to give them confidence. After talking to Chapman, Nash stopped and hugged Dillon Brooks, who was also a Canadian who practiced three-pointers at a nearby basket. At his peak, Nash would face a defender like Brooks - a guy who enjoys being angry with his opponent. A few days ago, Brooks commented on Nash: "He will be an important person we can rely on. "After that, Nash chatted with development coach Martin Cleveland and then met with general manager Brian Gregory.

Although it is not clear how long Nash will stay here, Gregory pointed out at Media Day that Nash has appeared in the training hall frequently. In a conversation, Nash, who served as the Nets head coach from 2020 to 2022, used "we" to refer to the Suns, which gave Gregory a pause. He thought to himself: "That's right, that's what it should be." ”

"Everything we are talking about, the traits we want the players to embody and the identity of our team, and Steve Nash is the embodiment of all this," Gregory said, "He will have a huge impact. "

New Suns coach Jordan Ott

Last summer, Booker met Jordan Ott before interviewing the Suns head coach position, who was the Cavaliers' assistant coach. They watched about 20 minutes of video together, and Booker was impressed by Ultra's view that the game had changed. He understood that the effective method two years ago may not be so effective today.

After getting the job, Ultra felt very lucky Even though the Suns made a big change in the roster – only seven of the 36-win roster returned last season – he still has a top talent who can build a team around him, a player who has become a star in the league and plays a key role in the Olympics.

"I've been with different teams," said Ott, who has worked for the Cavaliers, Hawks, Nets and Lakers, "It's a huge luxury for us to keep the team's superstars in our own city and training halls. The good atmosphere brought by the players' hard training in the training hall all started with the top stars. "

As the Suns' all-time scoring champion, Booker has a total score of 16,452 points, ranking 18th among active players. Although his efficiency declined last season, he is a very good scorer that his organizational ability is often overlooked. In the three seasons after Durant joined the Suns, Booker has increased from 5.5 to 6.9 to 7.1 assists per game. Past opponent Dillon recently called his new teammate the offensive Wizards.

This season, Booker will be partnering with Jaylen Green in the backcourt, a scorer with a strong athletic and striking rim, and the Suns have won him in the deal with the Rockets (and Dillon and Picks) . Dillon should be the starting small forward, while sophomore dynamic Ryan Dunn and Mark Williams, who gets an all-in-one threat with the Hornets, may form the starting frontcourt. Booker said he and Green — the 23-year-old averaged 20.1 points in four seasons with the Rockets — are still learning how to work together. He said he thinks it would be helpful to speed up the pace of the game. The message he gave Green was: stay aggressive. "He has done a great job since day one," said Ott of Booker's leadership. "He's not a boastful guy, he only speaks when there are points he really wants to emphasize. He is such a person. He is a thoughtful and noble man, and when he speaks, everyone listens because what he says is perfectly in place. "

Maybe it's lucky to have a 50% win rate. Booker said he didn't pay attention to this kind of remarks and chose to keep the team's goals in his heart. He knew the Suns were young. He knew they would make mistakes. His job was to lead them through the difficulties.

"I understand how important my voice is in this younger team, so it's my job to handle it well. "Book said.

And if he needs help, a Hall of Fame point guard is around and is ready to provide assistance.