Phoenix Suns: The miseducation of Devin Booker, a budding superstar

After coming off the bench for a loaded Kentucky team and almost falling out of the lottery in 2015, few expected Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker to have the impact that he has had in the league

I listen to the podcast version of “The Herd”, hosted by radio personality Colin Cowherd, everyday. I do not always agree with his takes, but I do respect that he takes a logical stance on his topics.

In the two weeks leading up to the 2015 NBA draft, Colin was adamant that Kentucky freshman guard Devin Booker was more of a sure pick than a lot of the players predicted to go ahead of him. I had watched Kentucky a ton that season. Few other players stuck out to me more than their freshman 6th man with the sweet shooting stroke.

Draft night rolled around and Colin sent out a tweet to hammer home his stance on Booker. Three of Devin’s Kentucky teamates were selected before him (Karl-Anthony Towns (1st), Willie Cauley-Stein (6th) and Trey Lyles (12th)). The Phoenix Suns got lucky as Booker fell all the way to the 13th pick. The same slot as Kobe Bryant in 1996.

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Draft position is not the only parallel that Booker shares with Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. The easy one is that they are both shooting guards. They both stand tall at 6-foot-6, the perfect size for a two guard in the NBA. The last and maybe most important parallel, is the unabashed confidence that jumps off the screen right away when watching these special talents.

Navigating the League

When Booker played his first game in the NBA he was the youngest player in the league, still only 18 years old. The NBA is a league of men who see every game and play as a way to make money. Right away Devin Booker showed that he would not be bullied. Vets from around the league would speak (mostly) highly of the young, brash guard’s skill set. They even liked his ability and confidence to talk smack.

After coming off of the bench and showing flashes for most of the first half of the season, an injury to Eric Bledsoe pushed Booker into a starting role. Most nights Booker started at point guard. While the efficiency was not quite there, Booker made an impact on the game every night. According to basketball reference, Booker averaged 13.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from 3. Not bad for a rookie. By the end of the season, the All-Star potential was clear.

Going into his second year with plenty of buzz, Devin improved in almost every statistical category. He averaged 22.1 points, 3.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds on 42.3 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from 3-point land. He even improved his PER (player efficiency rating) from 11.9 to 14.6. The crown jewel performance of his career came towards the end of the season on March 24th. Booker went for 70 (!) points against the Boston Celtics in Boston. It was tied for the 10th highest scoring game in NBA history. The performance put him up there with greats like Wilt Chamberlain and (of course) Kobe Bryant. Not bad for a 20 year old kid.

The Problem With Getting Picked In The Lottery

Even after one of the greatest scoring performances in NBA history and again improving on all major statistical categories in his third season, Booker still has his detractors. One of the most talked about problems with the NBA draft, is kids one year removed from high school are going to bad teams. They learn bad habits with other young, high draft picks trying to prove themselves.

Some people feel like Devin has already picked up some troubling habits. Booker is still a minus on the defensive side of the floor. His effort is not always there on the defensive side (maybe because he does so much on offense), though it has improved. Also, for a player who gets a lot of attention from the opposing defense, most people feel like he could benefit from becoming a better passer/playmaker.

His shooting splits have also been improving, but people expect him to someday be above 40% from beyond the arc. Some of these problems add up and create a narrative that Booker is a gunner and a classic good stats/bad team guy. Some might even whisper that he would be best served at playing the role he played in college, 6th man on a good team.

But when you ask NBA players around the league, they include Booker on the short list of young players who got “next”. According to this Slam Magazine article with quotes from the Open Run podcast, even LeBron James can see the all-star potential. To me, all of the negative is just noise.

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Devin Booker has already exceeded expectations. His ceiling is up there with some of the best young players in the league like Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Booker has a smooth skill set, a good work ethic, and the mamba mentality pushing him to be great. It’s only a matter of time before Devin Booker makes Colin Cowherd look like a genius.

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