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Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker, The Rookie Everyone’s Overlooking

By Gerald Bourguet

Dec 7, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and forward Mirza Teletovic (35) react after defeating the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and forward Mirza Teletovic (35) react after defeating the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /
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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 /

The Future

Booker’s raw numbers don’t suggest that he’ll be in consideration for the Rookie of the Year Award, but there’s no doubt that this 19-year-old is the best rookie no one’s paying enough attention to.

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On the Suns’ recent road trip, Booker began to work his way into the rotation as a more permanent fixture, beginning with a career high 18 points in 23 minutes against the Detroit Pistons.

In that come-from-behind win against Chicago, Booker knocked down a clutch three-pointer to cut the deficit to two with 1:39 to play, and he finished with 14 points (6-of-10 shooting), five rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes.

Since that game in Detroit, Booker is averaging 9.2 points in 21.3 minutes per game on .613/1.000/1.000 shooting splits. That’s a small six-game sample size, but it appears that he’s breaking through as a regular fixture in the rotation.

“Well I think it’s the same thing we’ve seen all year,” Hornacek said of Booker’s recent play. “He’s a young kid who has a lot of confidence. He’s not afraid of anything, he’ll battle anybody in the league. He’ll take his lumps occasionally like he did here against the Bulls the first time with Jimmy Butler faking him, but he’s such a smart player that that’s not gonna last long.”

The Suns gave up on Sonny Weems being a part of the rotation pretty early in the season and with Archie Goodwin failing to get on the floor in Phoenix’s last eight games, it appears as though Booker has decisively won the battle for minutes as the team’s backup shooting guard.

If he can continue to hold his own defensively, knock down open looks, take what the defense gives him and improve the other elements of his game with increasing minutes and confidence, it won’t be long before Devin Booker forces the rest of the league to notice him.

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“Just control the ‘controllables,’” Booker said. “When you get out there, just take advantage of your opportunity. You can’t control everything, but I’m young, I’m a rookie. I know a lot of people have been through it, so just keep working, keep grinding every day.”

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