How Kevin Durant, Devin Booker Can Make History
PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have just two preseason games left before the 2023-24 season is officially here, and there's some massive expectations placed on the shoulders of stars such as Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
Such is life when you've reached the levels those two have, though the addition of Bradley Beal and other talented veterans around them gives hope for a franchise-first NBA Finals title coming back home to the Valley.
NBA.com's Jeff Case highlighted how Durant and Booker can etch their names further into history books this season:
Devin Booker
Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker is already well established in franchise record books.
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Case: "All-NBA guard Devin Booker is entering his ninth season with Phoenix and is already the team’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made and attempted. This season, he can move to No. 2 in scoring and No. 3 field goals made in team history. At 12,688 points, Booker is No. 4 in scoring in team annals and needs to score 1,233 points in 2023-24 to surpass No. 2 Alvan Adams (13,910). Booker is also just 60 points from passing No. 2 Kevin Johnson (12,747). Last season, Booker scored 1,471 points, which marked his first season with less than 1,700 points since 2017-18.
"In terms of field goals made, Booker has 4,453 in his career and ranks No. 4. He needs 427 or more to pass Shawn Marion for the No. 3 spot. Booker has made at least 525 field goals in five straight seasons and six of his last seven seasons, so getting ahead of Marion seems like a near-given."
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant can push himself further on the NBA's all-time scoring list this season.
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Case: "Scoring has never been an issue for Durant and even changing teams at midseason couldn’t slow his proficiency in bucket-making. Last season, he started off at No. 21 on the all-time scoring list but quickly made his way up the ranks. By season’s end, he had passed Alex English, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, John Havlicek, Paul Pierce, Tim Duncan, Dominique Wilkins and Oscar Robertson to vault to 13th place.
"This season, Durant has a more than solid shot at cracking the top 10 in all-time scoring. Durant needs 55 points to pass No. 12 Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946), 422 points to pass No. 11 Elvin Hayes (27,313) and 518 points to pass No. 10 Moses Malone (27,409).
"Last season, Durant amassed 1,366 points in 47 games, which was more or less on pace with his previous season (1,643 points in 55 games in ’21-22). If Durant scores about 1,600 points this season, he’d have enough to pass Carmelo Anthony (28,289) for No. 9 on the scoring list. A healthy season with 2,000 or more points would give him more than enough to pass Shaquille O’Neal (28,596) for the No. 8 spot. Lastly, Durant needs 3,108 more points to become the eighth member of the 30,000-point club."
Former Suns point guard Chris Paul is 591 assists short of beating Jason Kidd for the No. 2 spot in all-time assists. Case points out it's very unlikely Paul catches up to John Stockton, as he is 4,305 assists ahead of the Golden State's newest backcourt member.
Phoenix begins regular season play on Oct. 24.
