Moore: Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton should enjoy Game 7 beginner’s luck

Game 7 represents an opportunity for the Suns to rely on their inexperience.

They should lean into beginner’s luck.

Beginner’s luck is real, by the way. People often succeed when they don’t realize or care that things can go wrong.

Ever see somebody win a March Madness bracket challenge without watching a game all year?

Ever see somebody walk into a bowling alley and hit a strike in their first frame?

Ever see a nerd get a date with the prom queen because he didn’t know he was supposed to be afraid to ask her out?

They’re succeeding, largely, because they aren’t concerned with failure.

The Suns have that advantage, if they chose to lean into it.

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Doncic and Kidd know elimination games

Dallas playmaker Luka Doncic was in a Game 7 last season. He scored 46 points with 14 assists — and got cut down by the Clippers in a 15-point loss.

He knows failure.

Doncic’s coach, Jason Kidd, knows failure in elimination games, too.

He’s been around so long that he actually played in two winner-take-all Game 5’s. In 1997, Kidd’s Phoenix Suns lost to the Seattle SuperSonics by 24 in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Five years later, Kidd helped the New Jersey Nets scoop the Charlotte Hornets in five games out in the East.

Flashback: Chris Paul relives first career playoff series in 2008 vs. Jason Kidd, Mavericks

Kidd had one Game 7 in his playing career; he was miserable for the Nets in a blowout loss to the Pistons in 2004.

He has one previous Game 7 as a coach, leading the Brooklyn Nets over the Toronto Raptors in the first round in 2014.

The rising Suns, meanwhile, wouldn’t know a Game 7 if it shined in their eyes, and it’s a huge advantage.

Devin Booker has never played in a Game 7. Ditto for the rest of Phoenix’s homegrown core, Deandre Ayton, Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges.

For that matter, Monty Williams has never played or coached in a Game 7.

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They don’t know failure, so why would they stress about it?

Sunday’s game represents a perfect time for the young guys to take over, allowing veteran leaders including Chris Paul, Jae Crowder and JaVale McGee to relax and enjoy the ride.

Paul is 3-4 in Game 7’s over his long career. Crowder is 1-1. Same for McGee.

They know what it is to lose.

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Focus on the goal, instead of the obstacle

Paul is famous for squeezing. He’s known to bark at referees, teammates and even fans. It’s clear how much he cares about winning.

That kind of attention to detail could put pressure on the guys around him, especially if they’re less talented.

It can be hard to be around someone who points out everything that goes wrong, every little mistake. Pretty soon, the obstacles become more clear than the goals.

Players who find themselves trying to avoid making mistakes are like waiters looking at a tray, thinking “don’t drop it, don’t drop it, don’t drop it.” Of course, they’re gonna drop it. That’s what they’re focused on.

Players who look for problems with the refs will certainly find them.

Players worried about missing shots or turning the ball over will absolutely miss shots and turn the ball over.

It’s the difference between playing not to lose and playing to win, and it takes experience to know the difference.

The young guys — Book, DA and the Twins — don’t have that experience.

This is an opportunity to rely on that.

Game 6 recap: Mavericks rock Suns, forcing decisive Game 7 in Phoenix

Another way of saying “beginner’s luck” is “fool’s luck;” ignorance is bliss.

The young Suns should play loose and free, like a bunch of lucky fools too inexperienced to know the pressure of Game 7.

They should be like golfers who haven’t had their natural swing ruined by overcoaching.

Or painters who haven’t lost their joy in learning art class rules.

Or writers who haven’t been exposed to unqualified critics.

They should just go hoop — and rely on that inexperience.

It was good enough to get them this far. It’ll be good enough to get them to the next round.

Inexperience is a real advantage.

Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @SayingMoore.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Moore: Devin Booker has never played a Game 7, and that’s a good thing