Devin Booker is the greatest player EVER in Suns history

[Chaplin]

I remember it and changes nothing. I can’t think of another “superstar” that has disappeared as much as he has let alone 3 games in a row in 4 game series. Don’t get me wrong. Book is still one of the best players in the league but he is NOT in the same tier as other Superstars in this league.

Changes nothing? Ridiculous take and I agree with most of yours. Short memories.

He needs help. Why? Because he obviously can’t do it alone, especially being one of the best 2nd stars in the league.

 

[Covert Rain]

Changes nothing? Ridiculous take and I agree with most of yours. Short memories.

He needs help. Why? Because he obviously can’t do it alone, especially being one of the best 2nd stars in the league.

It’s ridiculous to expect a Superstar to be consistent and NOT disappear? Nothing ridiculous about it. Memory has nothing to do with it unless you don't remember those games.

Can you think of another Superstar that you can say that about? If there is, it doesn’t happen very often.

 

[Yuma]

It’s ridiculous to expect a Superstar to be consistent and NOT disappear? Nothing ridiculous about it. Memory has nothing to do with it unless you don't remember those games.

Can you think of another Superstar that you can say that about? If there is, it doesn’t happen very often.

It's like Curry just said this week, guys like him fail more than they succeed, but fans only remember when you succeed. Jordan had some bad play off games. Magic, Bird, etc. It happens. People tend to remember, you know when Barkley scored fifty?

 

[clyde2tw]

To be great, Book needs to greatly improve his defense, like the way Kobe and Edwards play

 

[Cheesebeef]

To be great, Book needs to greatly improve his defense, like the way Kobe and Edwards play

It’s impossible for Booker to play the way Kobe and Edwards play because he doesn’t have their athleticism.

 

[Suns_fan69]

He's more Allan Houston than Kobe.

 

[Mulli]

Why are we mentioning Kobe and this Anthony Edwards guy in the same sentence?

 

[Peter Sheldon]

Booker isn't magically going to get more athletic and suddenly become a great defender. This is "peak Book" we are witnessing. Great player but not in superstar conversation nor will he ever IMHO. Question is...how to proceed? If other teams call about any Suns player, take the call. Book or KD have to go (or buyout Beal or convince him to get traded). Those are the only real options. Who is going to want Beal. He is just marginally a starter for most teams.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Why are we mentioning Kobe and this Anthony Edwards guy in the same sentence?

Because he's only 22, is elite athletically and has a pretty fair chance of reaching or even exceeding prime Kobe.

 

[Mulli]

Because he's only 22, is elite athletically and has a pretty fair chance of reaching or even exceeding prime Kobe.

Ha! Good one.

 

[BirdGangThing]

49pts in an elimination game is pretty damn good

it doesn't erase the first 3 games but he did perform phenomenally in a elimination game

 

[AzStevenCal]

Ha! Good one.

Watch him play Mulli, he's got special written all over him. He's not at Kobe's level yet, more like where Kobe was in year 2 or 3 but the potential is there.

 

[Mulli]

Watch him play Mulli, he's got special written all over him. He's not at Kobe's level yet, more like where Kobe was in year 2 or 3 but the potential is there.

In a league where no one defends any more, congrats to him.

 

[95pro]

Last nights Book is what i want to see on the regular. I'm not talking about putting up huge points every game but just flat out attacking the rim while shutting the freak up. He could do this most games if he knew where to spend his energy.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Last nights Book is what i want to see on the regular. I'm not talking about putting up huge points every game but just flat out attacking the rim while shutting the freak up. He could do this most games if he knew where to spend his energy.

The team was +1 during the 45 mins he was on the court, and a -7 for the 3 minutes he sat. Can't really ask for much more out of him yesterday. Too bad Beal laid a big fat egg.

 

[GatorAZ]

Why are we mentioning Kobe and this Anthony Edwards guy in the same sentence?

Because they’re on the same arc. I’m pissed Ant cooked us too.

 

[mjb21aztd]

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

Or tom chambers heck even thunder dan imo

Book just cant get his suns to w big gms majority of tim annoyin as can be

 

[clyde2tw]

Edwards is going to be like an hybrid between Kobe and Wade. He and SGA will dominate the next generation of SGs. And Suns' chance to draft a real franchise player was lost by missing Doncic.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Watch him play Mulli, he's got special written all over him. He's not at Kobe's level yet, more like where Kobe was in year 2 or 3 but the potential is there.

Steve, I think you’re misremembering a bit. Kobe year 2, averaged 15 ppg, and became such a cancer on the team that his minutes got cut to 20 a game in the playoffs where he averaged a woeful 8 ppg.

Kobe year 3 averaged 19 ppg and about the same in an unimpressive pplayoff run also.

Year 4, Kobe finally started to really find his groove, but was still scoring only 22 ppg in the regular season and 21 in the playoffs, but he became a legit running mate for peak MVP Shaq.

Year 5 is where Kobe exploded and that’s the level Ant is either at or at least approaching. I mean, that kid came to a team that the previous two years went 19-45 and 36-46 and got them to the playoffs in his second season, leveling up from 22 ppg in the regular season to 25 ppg in the playoffs, and then his third season, he got them there again averaging 24 in the regular season and 31 ppg in the playoffs against Denver in a series loss.

Then he leveled up again this year, averaging 26 ppg before laying us to waste to us in the playoffs in dominating fashion to the tune of 31 ppg again. And that’s all with facing doubles as the best player on the team, unlike Kobe who could operate much more freely with all the attention Shaq demanded.

What he’s doing at such a young age, lifting up a woeful franchise no less, is really rare/ special.

 

[95pro]

Steve, I think you’re misremembering a bit. Kobe year 2, averaged 15 ppg, and became such a cancer on the team that his minutes got cut to 20 a game in the playoffs where he averaged a woeful 8 ppg.

Kobe year 3 averaged 19 ppg and about the same in an unimpressive pplayoff run also.

Year 4, Kobe finally started to really find his groove, but was still scoring only 22 ppg in the regular season and 21 in the playoffs, but he became a legit running mate for peak MVP Shaq.

Year 5 is where Kobe exploded and that’s the level Ant is either at or at least approaching. I mean, that kid came to a team that the previous two years went 19-45 and 36-46 and got them to the playoffs in his second season, leveling up from 22 ppg in the regular season to 25 ppg in the playoffs, and then his third season, he got them there again averaging 24 in the regular season and 31 ppg in the playoffs against Denver in a series loss.

Then he leveled up again this year, averaging 26 ppg before laying us to waste to us in the playoffs in dominating fashion to the tune of 31 ppg again. And that’s all with facing doubles as the best player on the team, unlike Kobe who could operate much more freely with all the attention Shaq demanded.

What he’s doing at such a young age, lifting up a woeful franchise no less, is really rare/ special.

Yep he wasn't a well liked rookie and 2nd year player. Once the shaq trade was made, then the rest is history.

 

[Covert Rain]

Booker isn't magically going to get more athletic and suddenly become a great defender. This is "peak Book" we are witnessing. Great player but not in superstar conversation nor will he ever IMHO. Question is...how to proceed? If other teams call about any Suns player, take the call. Book or KD have to go (or buyout Beal or convince him to get traded). Those are the only real options. Who is going to want Beal. He is just marginally a starter for most teams.

It's simply fact that guys are in their peak around Booker's age. I think Booker can get better but only marginally. For example, he improved last year on defense but looked downright awful at times this year. Maybe that was Vogel's scheme. We are talking about a 27 years old who has already been in the league for 9 years. Not some young kid going into year 5 and exploding onto the scene.

 

[95pro]

It's simply fact that guys are in their peak around Booker's age. I think Booker can get better but only marginally. For example, he improved last year on defense but looked downright awful at times this year. Maybe that was Vogel's scheme. We are talking about a 27 years old who has already been in the league for 9 years. Not some young kid going into year 5 and exploding onto the scene.

Also depends on your teammates. When you have a center like Nurk, who sucks at defense and has to play the drop, the perimeter guys have much less wiggle room to gamble and play passing lanes. Then add to that your pf is KD, who is older, slower, not a banger or physical type pf, then you're going to have problems holding down the fort. And on the perimeter, you have two others in Allen and Beal who are also not defensive guards.

When we did see Ayton and PG, Book was allowed to be more aggressive on D because he knew he had players behind him that could make the right reads and rotations.

 

[Yuma]

To be great, Book needs to greatly improve his defense, like the way Kobe and Edwards play

His handles need some work, too. Plus when he is getting doubled he kills his dribble way too early with having an open taget to pass to. This last series I took not of how much better Ant Man was at that.

 

[Cheesebeef]

His handles need some work, too. Plus when he is getting doubled he kills his dribble way too early with having an open taget to pass to. This last series I took not of how much better Ant Man was at that.

Ant-Man figured that out at 22. Booker’s 27. If he was going to figure that out, it probably would have happened by now but he just isn’t that next level cerebral type NBA superstars. Which is a problem because he’s also not a next level athlete either. To be neither of those things as the head of the snake is a fatal flaw for any team legitimately trying to win a title.

 

[Yuma]

Ant-Man figured that out at 22. Booker’s 27. If he was going to figure that out, it probably would have happened by now but he just isn’t that next level cerebral type NBA superstars. Which is a problem because he’s also not a next level athlete either. To be neither of those things as the head of the snake is a fatal flaw for any team legitimately trying to win a title.

I do think Booker is maximizing the talent he does have. When he entered the league he couldn't dunk. Now he is way stronger than he was by far. He has developed into a more efficient scorer, rather than just a volume shooter. He does have his flaws, but I have to give him props, he does try and keep improving his game. Most guys plateau. This last couple of years they tried to make him point book. We missed out on dominant two guard Book during this time. We saw it briefly when Beal played PG some, and Book lit up teams. To get maximum Booker, someone else HAS to run the team.