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Phoenix Suns: Who Deserves Minutes At Backup SG?

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) looks up the court during a free throw attempt in the first half against the Utah Jazz at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) looks up the court during a free throw attempt in the first half against the Utah Jazz at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 16, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) dribbles the ball around forward Markieff Morris (11), Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris (14), and forward Kenneth Faried (35) in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Devin Booker

Out of the three backup shooting guards, rookie Devin Booker was easily the most impressive in preseason play, averaging 8.5 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting from three-point range. He didn’t average as many minutes as Weems, and he only shot 38.3 percent from the field, but Booker was clearly the fan favorite and had the two highest scoring games of the bunch.

Against the Nuggets, Booker put up 13 points — more than Weems’ and Goodwin’s preseason highs. But in the game before, he was a complete stud against the Houston Rockets. With Phoenix trailing by 20 heading into the fourth quarter, Booker dropped 15 of his 20 points in the final period to help the Suns force overtime.

Phoenix lost the game, but Booker was exceptional, attacking the basket, getting to the foul line and nailing a few clutch triples to bring the crowd to its feet — in the preseason.

Booker needs to work on being more efficient with any attempt that comes from inside the three-point arc, but he’s shown an awful lot of poise and maturity for someone so young. If he can spread the floor and learn to attack defenders off the bounce when they close out too hard on his shot, Booker may be ready for extended minutes right from the get-go.

“When you bring in an 18-year-old, you’re probably going, ‘Ok, it’s probably gonna be a couple of years, he’s gotta learn the game, yeah we know he’s a great shooter.’ But I’ll tell you: the kid knows how to play,” Hornacek said. “The one thing that Ryan and I see when we watch him play is you don’t have to explain a lot of things to him. Most of the time, defensively, he’s been in the right spot.

“Offensively, he makes good plays. 18-year-olds sometimes get sped up, the game kind of comes at them fast, the speed of these pro guys is a big adjustment for them. But when you watch him play, he’s controlled. If there’s a pass to make, he makes it. If the shot’s open, he’ll shoot it. He’s very advanced for his age so we believe he can contribute for us.”

Next: The Verdict

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