J.J. Redick Reveals When He Knew Devin Booker Had 'Killer' Mentality
Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker has long played at a different level than his peers.
You hear plenty of barbershop talk about great NBA players who possess the "killer" mentality, also seen as the ability to close games out and push yourself mentally/physically to places others won't go when the lights are brightest.
As he enters his prime, Booker has molded himself into an undisputed game-sealer when the clock gets low.
Former NBA player and current media member J.J. Redick knows all too well.
Hosting Booker's former teammate Cam Johnson on his "Old Man and The Three" podcast, Redick detailed the exact moment he knew Booker was legit:
"I remember we had a game in Philly my first year there, so this was 2017-18 before you were there. This dude [Booker] I want to say he might have had 48 but he might have had 54. We threw every defender at him and I had been asking - this was back when I used to guard people. Lloyd Pierce was our defensive coach, I was like 'Lloyd, put me on him. You need to give me a chance. I'm watching these guys, they're not in the ball on pick-and-rolls, blah blah blah.'" said Redick.
"Anyways, he [Booker] runs a high pick-and-roll, I defended it as well as I could defend it. He picks up the ball and he does that Book thing where he does the Kobe shot-fake two or three times and then just launches a three over me, off balance. Well defended, well contested, and it goes in.
"And yeah... I look at him and I see in his eyes he's a f------ killer. It's not rocket science. It really isn't."
Johnson chimed in and said, "He has a very, very elite ability to just score the ball. If he was just talking and carrying himself one way - he's had the execution aspect of it. He's always had it."
Awfully high praise coming from Redick, who has transformed himself from a former player to one of the best NBA media talking heads thanks to his insight and rational viewpoints.
