Although ranking the top 30 NBA players in today’s game is an incredibly difficult task, The Last Word on Pro Basketball staff has taken it on. Debuting at number 24 in the countdown is Phoenix Suns‘ guard Devin Booker.
Top 30 NBA Players
Number 24 – Devin Booker
In his fifth season in the NBA, Booker continues to be one of the league’s most underrated players. Over the past four seasons, he has become the face of the Phoenix Suns amidst their massive rebuild. This season, Booker didn’t disappoint as he was selected to his first All-Star team and sits near the top of the league in scoring.
On the season Booker is currently averaging 26.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. He has given his franchise hope for the future despite many struggles over the past few years.
Strengths
Booker possesses a very solid frame for a player of his position at 6’5″ and 206 lbs. His size gives him plenty of flexibility in the scoring department. He isn’t the biggest, but his frame allows him to play with versatility on the offensive side of the ball.
There are very few players in the league that possess the scoring ability of Booker. His blend of speed and athleticism make him an incredibly difficult player to defend. He has an array of moves to sneak by defenders and finish in the post. Playing off of him won’t work either as he is one of the leagues’ elite shooters. Throughout his career, Booker has averaged over 35 percent from beyond the arc. Whether it’s in the catch and shoot game or creating his shots off the dribble, Booker knows how to get the job done.
While Booker’s shooting is definitely his strong suit, he is not limited to just shooting. Over the past two years of his career, he has become one of the better passers in the NBA. He struggled a little during his early years in the league failing to rack up many assists. Over the past two seasons, he has raised his game to a new level and averaged 6.7 assists per game.
At age 23 the sky is the limit for Devin Booker. He has become one of the league’s premier players despite the lack of talent around him. While he isn’t the perfect player, he still has plenty of time to improve on his inconsistencies and reach new heights.
Weaknesses
Offensively there is very little that Booker does wrong. His defensive play is a different story as he often struggles mightily in that area. He needs to play with more physicality and refine his technique if he wants to ascend to the next level.
Booker has made some slight improvements to his defense, but honestly should be better after five years in the league. He continually makes improvements on offense but has failed to prioritize becoming a better two-way player.
While Booker is on one of the bottom-tier teams in the NBA, he really should be winning more games for his team. His team isn’t great, but true stars find a way to get it done. At age 23, Booker still has plenty of time to improve his overall game. With improvement, he could easily become a top-15 player in the league, but to this point, he has failed to do so.
Devin Booker Career Accolades
With this being only Booker’s fifth season in the NBA, his accolades are a bit limited at this point. As a rookie, he impressed and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He made tremendous strides over the next few seasons and many believed he was snubbed out of multiple All-Star teams. He was finally named to his first All-Star team for his efforts in the 2020 season.
Booker also managed to show that he is one of the league’s best shooters back in 2018 winning the NBA Three-Point Contest. At age 23, he still has plenty of time to rack up awards and accolades.
Last Word on Pro Basketball Top 30 NBA Players Ballots
We believe in full transparency in the top 30 NBA player rankings so we are going to disclose the ballots of our player rankings and where each contributor had each player ranked.
Tyler Marling – Site Manager – NR
Chase Gage – Managing Editor – 26
David Knight – Marketing Manager – 19
Zack Kircher – Associate Editor – 18
Matthew Waldman – Associate Editor – 18
David Ward – Author – 25
Avinash Chauhan – Contributor – 21
Adam Zigner – Contributor – 25
Albert Dadson – Contributor – 19
Dylan Guest – Contributor – 25
Raheem Bashir – Contributor – NR
Nathan Levine – Contributor – 24
Bill Huan – Contributor – 23
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