By Dan Ferrara, NBA International
Lost in the shuffle of Phoenix’s disappointing 23-59 season – their worst record since their inaugural season of 1968-69 – was the stellar play of young shooting guard Devin Booker. But don’t let his brilliance get swept under the rug, this kid is going to be a star, and extremely soon.
Looking around the league, Booker has the same skill-set and size as another star at his position, Golden State Warriors sharp-shooter Klay Thompson. Booker actually has a legitimate chance to be a better overall player than Thompson, meaning that the sky is truly the limit for the dynamic shooter in Phoenix.
Consider that Booker was the youngest player selected in the 2015 NBA Draft, an 18-year-old from Kentucky University who didn’t even start a game for the Wildcats in his lone season. He turned 19 years old on his second career NBA game, and he only played two minutes and 24 seconds in that contest. For the most part, Booker was two years younger than Thompson, yet here are both player’s statistics from their rookie campaign.
| Klay Thompson | Statistic | Devin Booker |
| 12.5 | Points Per Game | 13.8 |
| 2.4 | Rebounds Per Game | 2.5 |
| 2.0 |
Assists Per Game |
2.6 |
| 111 | 3-Pointers Made | 99 |
| 41.4% | 3-Point Percentage | 34.3% |
You can see that Booker has the advantage in points, rebounds and assists. Thompson hit more 3-pointers at a higher rate, but Booker’s percentage is marred by the fact that he struggled with his outside shot later in the season after playing considerably more minutes than he ever had at any level in his life.
Regardless of the rookie wall, Booker averaged 19.2 points in 28 games (all starts) after the All-Star break last season. His scoring average ranked second among rookies who played over 10 games in the season’s second half, trailing only Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns of Minnesota. Booker also proved to be more than just a jump shooter, tallying 17 games with five or more assists after assuming ball handling duties in the wake of various injuries to the Suns backcourt.
While Thompson is one of the greatest jumpshooters in the league and may go down as one of the best 3-point marksmen in NBA history, Booker has the potential to be equally potent from outside while also adding more in the box score by way of assists and rebounds. Thompson has diversified his scoring game in recent years by scoring off the dribble and creating his own shot, but he still lacks any other kind of production out of the scoring column.
In retrospect, the Suns’ blast of injuries last year may have been the best thing for the future of the franchise. Booker and young center Alex Len were given big minutes and valuable experience while their poor record netted them the No. 4 pick in the 2016 Draft, Croatian sensation Dragan Bender. With a full season under his belt, the soon-to-be 20-year-old Booker will only continue to grow and enhance his skills as a sophomore. Even with Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe healthy, Booker will be a large part of the Suns’ offense this season and for years to come.
The question won’t be whether Booker will be great, just how great he can become.
