Duane Rankin | The Republic | azcentral.com

Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic

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Devin Booker has taken another giant step in recovering from an injured right shooting hand.

The Phoenix Suns’ franchise player has been cleared for contact and has been practicing 5-on-5 with the team.

“He looked good,” Suns coach Igor Kokoskov said after Saturday’s practice. “As we all know, on any level that you play, when you’re recovering from something, an injury, there’s some kind of hesitation when it comes to the contact, but I don’t see that in Book."

Booker was scheduled to miss six weeks after having surgery Sept. 10 to repair the fifth metacarpophalangeal joint a week after his right hand swelled while playing basketball.

Following that time frame, Booker would return for Phoenix’s third game Oct. 21 at defending NBA champion Golden State, but he’s vigorously rehabbed to make it back for Wednesday’s opener against the Dallas Mavericks at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic

A little more than three weeks after surgery, he was back to shooting with his right hand. Booker’s since been cleared for contact, but as of Friday, he wasn’t totally satisfied with how it felt.

“Feels pretty good right now. I want it to feel better before I step out there," Booker said.

Booker's still wearing two small wraps around his two outside fingers, but the defending NBA 3-point shooting champion has made huge strides in his recovery.

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“Great, great,” said Suns forward Ryan Anderson when asked how Booker has looked in practice. “Our chemistry is going to continue to build every day, but he understands how to play the game so well. Even for how young he is. His court vision, his ability to score.”

Averaging 24.9 points in 54 games last season, Booker didn’t play in any of the SUns' five preseason games, but in practice has given the team a glimpse of what it can be with him on the floor.

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“His change of speed is unbelievable,” Anderson said. “That’s going to help us so much on the offensive end. Rather than just sprinting through every play. A lot of these guys come from the college game and the NBA game slows down quite a bit and Book knows that speed so well. That’s why he’s so dangerous.”

Booker’s return could also help Phoenix situation at the one.

After failing to bring in a proven point guard in the offseason,Kokoskov experimented with the idea of playing “two-and-a-half” point guards in their five preseason games, but Booker has been working as a lead guard in practice.

“It feels good to play with him,” rookie point guard Elie Okobo said. “Trying to find him on the court. Sometimes play as a one, play with the ball and off the ball. Trying to get used to that and be able to play with him. I really like to play with him.”

Okobo isn’t the only Sun who feels that way.