Next up in our top 25 list is Devin Booker. The Phoenix Suns guard is an elite and dynamic scorer with a solid all-around game. While the Suns are coming off a disappointing season Booker had a productive individual year and expectations are high for Phoenix this season. Let’s dive into Booker’s game and spot on the list.
Top 25 NBA Players 2024-25: No. 14 – Devin Booker
A Prolific Three-Level Scorer
Booker is one of the most polished and prolific three-level scorers in the league. He particularly thrives as a shot creator and mid-range assassin. Booker excels as both an isolation and pick-n-roll scorer. This skill set allows Booker to consistently generate offense and has resulted in some big-time performances. Booker’s shooting makes him elite on or off the ball. In addition to his scoring abilities, Booker is a high-quality playmaker and underrated defender. Booker’s playmaking makes him an all-around offensive threat. Defensively, Booker isn’t an elite on-ball stopper or a two-way star; however, he is a high-IQ perimeter defender who makes a positive impact. Booker’s skill set allows him to fit with any team, which was on full display during the Olympics. With a lesser offensive role, Booker showed what he’s capable of as an on-ball stopper.
Season Recap
The first year of the Booker-Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal trio yielded unfavorable results for the Suns. While they finished a 6-seed with 49 wins, the Suns were swept in the first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Notably, only one of these games was within 10 points. Considering the Suns’ extreme offensive talent, everyone deserves some blame for this underwhelming series. Regardless, Booker performed at a high level this season. In the regular season, Booker posted averages of 27.1, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists on 49.2/36.4/88.6 shooting splits. He earned third-team All-NBA and All-Star honors. Booker’s 6.9 assists were a career-high as he played the de-facto point guard role. Furthermore, Booker ranked within the top 10 for offensive plus/minus and offensive win shares. Booker also had three 50-plus point games throughout the year including a 62-point outburst against the Pacers and two 52-point games all of these performances ranked within the top 10 for highest-scoring games of the season.
Most points in a game by a Sun this season:
62 — Booker
52 — Booker
46 — Booker
44 — Booker
43 — Durant, Beal
41 — Durant
40 — Durant (x2), BookerScary. pic.twitter.com/XxwDIneMx7
— Booker Muse (@DevinBookerMuse) February 4, 2024
Despite the disappointing finish, Booker averaged 27.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists on 49.2/35.0/95.1 shooting splits in the playoffs, including a 49-point performance in Game 4. While Booker’s overall counting stats were good, he also had questionable games, including a 5-16 shooting night in Game 1 and a six-turnover performance in Game 2. Getting swept with that much offensive talent is a reflection on everyone and Phoneix’s stars have to be criticized to some degree.
Season Outlook
With the addition of Tyus Jones, Booker will be less of a facilitator allowing him to play his natural role as an off guard. Having an elite playmaker will help orchestrate Phoenix’s offense. Additionally, the hiring of Mike Budenholzer and the Suns’ trio having more court time together could lead to a more fluid offense. As a result, the Suns could be a much more competitive team. Booker’s counting numbers will stay around the same with a possible slight decline in assists and an uptick in efficiency. Undoubtedly Booker will have some massive scoring outbursts this season. Look for Booker and Durant to remind people of their extreme scoring talent while the Suns compete for a higher seed.
The Last Word
Booker has a case to be a top-10 player in the league. With his dynamic and versatile scoring abilities, Booker is suited to be a number-one option or an elite complementary star. What holds Booker back slightly is what players above him have accomplished as the clear number-one option or the elite two-way abilities of those above him. Furthermore, getting swept in the playoffs last year along with disappointing finishes in the previous two playoffs hurt Booker’s case. Nevertheless, with a productive season and more team success Booker could sneak into the top 10.
Keep up with the top 25 list here.
