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Devin Booker, 6’6″ Shooting Guard, Kentucky, 18 Years Old
Strengths – Booker is a great shooter, and he plays smart. His strengths resemble that of Bradley Beal.
Weaknesses – Booker lacks physical strength, and he should be a better rebounder than he is. He also tends to play flat-footed. In the NBA, Booker may be taken advantage of in the same way teams target Austin Rivers when he’s on defense, but Booker is taller and has the ability add bulk.
Offensive Game – Offensively, Devin Booker can be an elite-level NBA shooter (think Bradley Beal, but maybe a little less athletic). In his one year at Kentucky, he shot 47% from the field, 41% from 3-point range, and 82% from the free throw line. Those numbers should dip a little early in his career due to better competition, a deeper three point line, and the usual expected development time. Over time though, his efficiency numbers in the NBA should resemble what he did in college (or better). Booker is an adequate passer, but has trouble getting separation from a defender off the dribble.
Defensive Game – Booker is not athletic in the way many of the NBA’s elite perimeter defenders are, but he uses his high basketball IQ to make up for it. He is probably never going to make an All-NBA Defensive Team, but he will not necessarily hurt his team on defense either. He plays fairly conservative defense, which suits his strengths and weaknesses pretty well. He is 6’6” and 206 lbs., but could have trouble defending more powerful guards who like to post up their defenders. Some NBA-caliber strength training will do Booker a world of good, but it would be foolish to think Booker will turn into a Russell Westbrook-type athlete, he just does not have the body for that to happen. He could provide some versatility, though, as Booker may be able to adequately guard some point guards and most shooting guards.
NBA Readiness – Booker is young (18), so it should be safe to assume that his best basketball is still ahead of him, in that sense his readiness may be low; however, Booker rarely makes mistakes, and he has a relatively low ceiling given what he is already and his lack of physical prowess. His strengths will translate immediately, so his early NBA contributions will be based on how well he can improve on (or hide) his weaknesses.
NBA Potential – Booker is never going to be a superstar that can single-handedly change a franchise fortunes the way LeBron James or Michael Jordan did. He can, however, develop into one of the better shooting guards in the league, and be a starter on a championship-caliber team. Playing for Kentucky helped his efficiency numbers, but it’s unclear how much value his college experience carries since, ideally, college is supposed to help prospects mature and improve in the intangible areas. Being on Kentucky – by virtue of how they run their program – offers limited help in those areas. Booker is a smart player, however, and won’t be counted on to be a team leader on his NBA team in the way some of his higher-rated Kentucky teammates will be.
NBA Player Comparison – Right now, Booker is a Danny Green-type of player: a guy who can shoot, defend (some), and is rarely out of position (although Green has turned himself into an elite-level perimeter defender). He does not possess jaw-dropping athleticism or a highlight-reel-worthy vertical game, but he makes any team he’s on a better one. Also, Booker is further along at his age than Danny Green was coming out of college (it took Green years to figure out the NBA game, land on the Spurs, and have everything fall in place). It should not take Booker that long to adapt to the NBA game, although a natural learning curve should be expected. Booker should go in the early/mid-teens and be able to contribute right away, probably off of the bench in his rookie season.
