Devin Booker is the greatest player EVER in Suns history

[Bobster]

The backlash from 20 year old Devin Booker's 70 point game in Boston is that he quickly became one of the most disliked players. He was frequently mocked, ridiculed and ignored and that continued even after he developed a more rounded game and was playing like he was top 20, maybe top 10. So it's no surprise that he's garnered so few of the awards and acknowledgments that you're talking about.

I think it was more a case of his numbers being labeled as "empty stats" since the Suns weren't winning.

Sure, there were people shaking their heads over the amount of celebration over a 70 point game in a loss, but I don't think that was that unique. If your team doesn't win they're pretty slow to reward you unless you're seen as a "generational talent"

I think Booker is a great player, I just think current Suns fans rank him a little too high because of recency bias. For instance, if you asked 100 current fans if he was better than Jason Kidd was, I would guess a large majority would say "yes" although I don't think he is yet.

 

[Phrazbit]

I think it was more a case of his numbers being labeled as "empty stats" since the Suns weren't winning.

Sure, there were people shaking their heads over the amount of celebration over a 70 point game in a loss, but I don't think that was that unique. If your team doesn't win they're pretty slow to reward you unless you're seen as a "generational talent"

I think Booker is a great player, I just think current Suns fans rank him a little too high because of recency bias. For instance, if you asked 100 current fans if he was better than Jason Kidd was, I would guess a large majority would say "yes" although I don't think he is yet.

I’d put him 10 miles above Kidd, he didn’t accomplish anything here and he left in scandal and the fan base despises him.

I agree that it’s hard to put him ahead of Barkley, Nash, Johnson, and probably Westphal.

If he sticks around, I think he’ll get there, but he isn’t there yet.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I’d put him 10 miles above Kidd, he didn’t accomplish anything here and he left in scandal and the fan base despises him.

Kidd doesn’t even rise to the level of an Amare for me. His teams were the classic 1 and sone pretenders and he never stepped up in the playoffs. And to top all that off, he was a wife beater.

I agree that it’s hard to put him ahead of Barkley, Nash, Johnson, and probably Westphal.

If he sticks around, I think he’ll get there, but he isn’t there yet.

Agree with the above. Except I put him above Westy. Right now, Booker is easily the best SCORER in Suns history, but he’s got to lead the team to the promised land or at least another couple WCF to leapfrog Chuck and Nash.

Especially after back to back humiliating playoff exits, where he was horrible in close out games en route to 30 point home ass kickings and followed up this season, which is looking like an ugly spot on his resume.

 

[Bobster]

Kidd and Westphal were both All-NBA 1st Team 3 times here in Phoenix. Kidd was an All-Star Game starter twice in his 5 years, Westphal 3 times in his 6. This is Booker's 9th year - he's been All-NBA 1st Team once and hasn't been an All-Star starter yet.

And then there's his performances in "win or go home" elimination games -

2021 vs MIL - 46 Min, 8/22 FG, 0/7 3Pt, 3/3 FT, 3 Reb, 5 Ast, 19 Pts
2022 vs DAL - 37 Min, 3/14 FG, 0/4 3Pt, 5/6 FT, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 11 Pts
2023 vs DEN - 36 Min, 4/13 FG, 1/3 3Pt, 3/4 FT, 1 Reb, 8 Ast, 12 Pts
Total - 119 Min (39.7), 15/49 FG (.306), 1/14 3Pt (.071) 7 Reb (2.3), 15 Ast (5.0), 42 Pts (14.0)

 

[Covert Rain]

Kidd doesn’t even rise to the level of an Amare for me. His teams were the classic 1 and sone pretenders and he never stepped up in the playoffs. And to top all that off, he was a wife beater.



Agree with the above. Except I put him above Westy. Right now, Booker is easily the best SCORER in Suns history, but he’s got to lead the team to the promised land or at least another couple WCF to leapfrog Chuck and Nash.

Especially after back to back humiliating playoff exits, where he was horrible in close out games en route to 30 point home ass kickings and followed up this season, which is looking like an ugly spot on his resume.

This right here or he would have to get a couple league MVPs.

 

[Yuma]

I consider the playoffs the same as we had to do with both Nash and the Chuckster. They can only do so much individually. It's a team sport, and if your team isn't good enough, that shouldn't reflect on the player. Those elimination games were mostly blow outs. A couple of those, despite the stats, Booker had the eye test of being one of the only guys trying too win. That Dallas game, Book was running his A$$ off and only one or two guys followed. Everyone else half played. If you consider elimination games, you also have to give him credit, like when we played in the finals and he played great getting us a 2-0 lead, until injury and a Budenholser change in strategy doomed us. Everyone points to elimination games as a stain, but no one credits the play to get to those games. IDK, when a team rips off 3 games in a row on you, and then your teammates don't show up to play, is it any better if he lit it up for 70 and still get eliminated?

 

[Covert Rain]

Kidd and Westphal were both All-NBA 1st Team 3 times here in Phoenix. Kidd was an All-Star Game starter twice in his 5 years, Westphal 3 times in his 6. This is Booker's 9th year - he's been All-NBA 1st Team once and hasn't been an All-Star starter yet.

And then there's his performances in "win or go home" elimination games -

2021 vs MIL - 46 Min, 8/22 FG, 0/7 3Pt, 3/3 FT, 3 Reb, 5 Ast, 19 Pts
2022 vs DAL - 37 Min, 3/14 FG, 0/4 3Pt, 5/6 FT, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 11 Pts
2023 vs DEN - 36 Min, 4/13 FG, 1/3 3Pt, 3/4 FT, 1 Reb, 8 Ast, 12 Pts
Total - 119 Min (39.7), 15/49 FG (.306), 1/14 3Pt (.071) 7 Reb (2.3), 15 Ast (5.0), 42 Pts (14.0)

Barkley and Nash also made their other teammates better. League MVPs for both. Book had a long period of being called an empty stat guy.

 

[GatorAZ]

I’d put him 10 miles above Kidd, he didn’t accomplish anything here and he left in scandal and the fan base despises him.

I agree that it’s hard to put him ahead of Barkley, Nash, Johnson, and probably Westphal.

If he sticks around, I think he’ll get there, but he isn’t there yet.

Kidd was surrounded by washed up stiffs here. The one year he had a PNR partner they were a great and exciting team. The McDyess things still irks me.

 

[Phrazbit]

Kidd was surrounded by washed up stiffs here. The one year he had a PNR partner they were a great and exciting team. The McDyess things still irks me.

It goes beyond that though. The one year they advanced out of the first round Kidd got hurt and KJ came out of retirement.

I honestly don’t consider Kidd a Suns player. He was here briefly, he accomplished nothing and he disgraced himself.

 

[Yuma]

It goes beyond that though. The one year they advanced out of the first round Kidd got hurt and KJ came out of retirement.

I honestly don’t consider Kidd a Suns player. He was here briefly, he accomplished nothing and he disgraced himself.

I was pissed when we got Kidd because I didn't want to lose Nash. Talked to Kidd a couple times. Gave him a golf tip, too. Seems like a nice guy. Looks skinnier in real life than TV.

 

[BirdGangThing]

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[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Barkley and Nash also made their other teammates better. League MVPs for both. Book had a long period of being called an empty stat guy.

During the stat stuffer years did he ever play with a nowitski, amare, Marion? With a kj or majerle? I don’t hold those years against him. He was a kid doing everything he could surrounded by trash players and trash coaches.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Kidd was surrounded by washed up stiffs here. The one year he had a PNR partner they were a great and exciting team. The McDyess things still irks me.

Yup. If we had retained mcdyess and acquired pippen as rumors had it that team would have been insane defensively and incredibly fast and athletic.

 

[Ronin]

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[Hoop Head]

Kidd and Westphal were both All-NBA 1st Team 3 times here in Phoenix. Kidd was an All-Star Game starter twice in his 5 years, Westphal 3 times in his 6. This is Booker's 9th year - he's been All-NBA 1st Team once and hasn't been an All-Star starter yet.

And then there's his performances in "win or go home" elimination games -

2021 vs MIL - 46 Min, 8/22 FG, 0/7 3Pt, 3/3 FT, 3 Reb, 5 Ast, 19 Pts
2022 vs DAL - 37 Min, 3/14 FG, 0/4 3Pt, 5/6 FT, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 11 Pts
2023 vs DEN - 36 Min, 4/13 FG, 1/3 3Pt, 3/4 FT, 1 Reb, 8 Ast, 12 Pts
Total - 119 Min (39.7), 15/49 FG (.306), 1/14 3Pt (.071) 7 Reb (2.3), 15 Ast (5.0), 42 Pts (14.0)

All-Star starter doesn't mean much. Yao started more All-Star games than Hakeem, you think Rockets fans think Yao was better? Starting is all based on fan voting so holding it against Book that we're not an NBA darling is a little odd.

In a French fry throwing contest, I'll take Kidd over Booker but that's it. Kidd wouldn't make an All-Time Suns 13 man team as far as I'm concerned.

Adams, Amare, Barkley, Booker, Nash
Marion, KJ, Davis, Westphal, Majerle, Hawkins, Chambers, and Dick Van Arsdale

 

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[TJ]

If anything, this playoff series solidified that he’s not in Nash and Barkley’s class.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If anything, this playoff series solidified that he’s not in Nash and Barkley’s class.

Yeah… even when Barkley’s teams would blow 3-1 leads they’d go down swinging in Game 7 and Nash teams routinely gave it all they had.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Rare that you get such a strong case against a thread like we’re getting now.

 

[Sweet D]

I'm not sure that he is even in Amare's league right now. I can't recall Amare bombing like this in the playoffs.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I'm not sure that he is even in Amare's league right now. I can't recall Amare bombing like this in the playoffs.

No Suns leader or even second banana has ever had as many embarrassing losses as Booker has captained in 4 of his playoff appearances in only 9 seasons.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I still have him as the greatest Phoenix Sun ever, I just don't think it means as much as it should. He's a very good player but I wonder how many clubs have a "greatest" player that didn't lead them to a title and has come up small in multiple big games?

 

[Cheesebeef]

I still have him as the greatest Phoenix Sun ever, I just don't think it means as much as it should. He's a very good player but I wonder how many clubs have a "greatest" player that didn't lead them to a title and has come up small in multiple big games?

This is a very sad, but true point.

Not one I necessarily agree with, but ultimately a true point.

Also, the movie PLANE needs MUCH more action in the first 45 minutes for a movie called PLANE.

 

[Absolute Zero]

And it isn't even close, consider this an appreciation thread.

Not really feeling this thread at this point.