Is Devin Booker A Foundational Piece For The Phoenix Suns?

Defense

There’s no doubt that defense is the biggest area of the floor where Booker needs to improve. Phoenix’s defense is nearly five points per 100 possessions better when Booker is off the court, and opponents shoot eight percent better from the floor than they normally would when guarded by the Suns rookie.

However, that’s to be expected from a scrawny 19-year-old going against seasoned veterans who know he’s a rookie and are looking to exploit his lack of experience — as Jimmy Butler did when the Chicago Bulls came to visit in November.

“He’s not afraid of anything, he’ll battle anybody in the league,” Hornacek said after the team’s November road trip in reference to that game. “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.”

For now, Booker is allowing opponents to shoot 10.5 percent better on shots from six feet than they’d normally shoot. But when he gets the help defense down and bulks up so he’s strong enough to keep opposing wings from getting to the basket, Booker will start doing a better job of holding his own on the defensive end.

Next: The Future