How Suns SG Devin Booker Evolved Even Greater This Season
Phoenix Suns star shooting guard Devin Booker is in the midst of arguably the best stretch of his career. It has been apparent for some time that he shed the "strictly a scorer" and "empty stats" narratives, but he has seemingly added new wrinkles this season that make him a true all-around threat.
This article will cover how his game has evolved, why it has evolved, and why it makes the Suns so dangerous going into the postseason.
Suns fans know the usual pattern of Booker's play from season-to-season: start out the first two months or so on cruise control, and play good (not great) ball. Booker usually picks things up at around the halfway point of the season, and plays the best in the closing stretch of the season. This year was noticeably different though, for many reasons.
The most noticeable change from game one against the Dallas Mavericks was that Booker started the season out in midseason form. Much more aggressive as a scorer, much better defensively, and acting as the engine of the Suns' offense much of the time next to an aging Chris Paul. This was evident when he was awarded Western Conference player of the month from October-November 2022, averaging 29 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game, according to Statmuse.
This is just the surface of the improvements he's made to his game.
One of the more subtle changes to his game has been the consistent effort on defense since the Suns have vaulted to contender status. Booker may never be a representative of an all-NBA defensive team, but his improvement on that side of the court can't be overstated.
These improvements are fairly subtle, but Booker has become a generally great off-ball defender, especially when it comes to positioning and playing passing lanes. He is a solid on-ball, point of attack defender as well, but his bread-and-butter is utilizing his IQ to take advantage of opponents being caught off-guard.
His effort can't be understated either, from diving for 50-50 balls to crashing the glass with more ferocity than many other guards would be willing to.
His playmaking has steadily improved since day one in the league, and has resulted in him becoming possibly the most underrated playmaker in the league. Many people who don't pay attention to his game much may assume he's more in the Jaylen Brown or Klay Thompson mold of a two-guard, but his advantage creation and ability to facilitate the offense in the absence of important pieces for much of the year can't be ignored.
He may not be elite enough as a playmaker to be considered in the upper-echelon of playmakers, but he should be considered a well-above average one at the very least.
The most shocking improvement is his growth as an all-around scorer, since he's already been among the league's best. Booker has largely been seen as a mid-range maestro with a threatening three ball for the better part of three seasons.
There isn't one spot on the court where Booker is significantly below league average from, and the shot distribution is extremely evened out. He has become a true three-level scorer who is extremely difficult to blitz because he can still find a way to pick his spot and burn opposing defenses anyways.
Booker's recent aggression in terms of pressuring the rim, getting to the line, and efficiently getting to his spots and scoring at a career-best efficiency is also noticeable.
He has somehow elevated his play to an even higher level in the month of March, posting a 32.4/4.8/4.6 line on an absurd 66% true shooting percentage. The most noticeable change, however, is how often he's getting to the line. Prior to March, he was averaging less than six free throw attempts per game, which is quite modest for a player of his stature.
This month he's averaging 7.8 attempts per game from the line, and has raised his season average to nearly 7 per game. Booker has obviously been very aware and conscientious of the lack of whistles and has done something to address it.
He was quoted after the game against Minnesota on Wednesday as saying: “I have been studying it. You look at all the top scorers in the league. A lot of them are in double-digit attempts a game or somewhere close to it. I think me and Steph (Stephen Curry) are the only ones that were as low as we were. Just try to find ways; you know I play a very aggressive style. I get to the paint, I invite contact; maybe they have an eye open for it now.”
It's obvious that free throws are an important part of star players' arsenals, and the fact that Booker is getting more calls now, coupled with leading the league in field goals made per game this month, is a scary sight for the rest of the NBA.
The most logical explanation is that Booker has become intrinsically motivated by the Suns' addition of Kevin Durant: he wants to prove that he's a more than worthy sidekick and among the best teammates number 35 has suited up with.
The utter aggression in his game even when Durant has shared the court with him is incredible. The other train of thought would be that taking the month off to rest from Christmas Day until the game before the Durant trade gave him time to rest and replenish.
Anyone who keeps tabs with the Suns franchise knows Booker wants to play every chance he gets, but being shut down for that time likely was exactly what was needed to return to the best version of himself for the most important part of the season.
The Suns will be a very tough out for anyone in this playoff race, not only because of Durant, but also because of Booker's incredible rise.
