Phoenix Suns: Best candidates for 2018-19 NBA awards

Most Valuable Player: Devin Booker

Other than Russell Westbrook, who averaged a freaking triple-double the year he won MVP, the last MVP winner whose team didn’t finish in the top three of their respective conference standings was Moses Malone back in 1983. That alone would exclude Devin Booker from garnering serious votes in this category.

The absolute best-case scenario for the 2018-19 Phoenix Suns, in a world where everyone clicks right away, Ayton is an absolute two-way stud and Kokoskov gets the best out of everyone, is sneaking into the postseason as the 8-seed in a loaded Western Conference. More than likely, Phoenix will finish anywhere between 12th and 15th in the West.

Still, there’s no question Booker will soon be posting the types of numbers worthy of MVP consideration — assuming there are no lingering effects from his upcoming hand surgery, and that he won’t miss significant time in 2018-19 due to the injury that currently has him sidelined indefinitely.

Last year, he averaged 24.9 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game on 38.3 percent shooting from 3-point range. With more spacing around him and a better coach at the helm, it’s not unreasonable to think he could surpass a 25-5-5 line on 40 percent shooting from deep in another individual breakout year.

Booker is already on a Hall of Fame track based on the scoring numbers he’s put up so early in his career, frequently reaching hallmarks that only players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Michael Jordan have achieved at such a young age. He’s been mentioned in dark horse MVP articles this summer and was ranked in the top 30 for MVP odds for the upcoming season.

However, even if Booker took over point guard duties, improved his defense and posted a monster 30-6-6 line, the Suns would still probably only win 30-35 games at most, which would immediately shut down any MVP talk. The future is bright for this 21-year-old, but it’s not here just yet.

Odds: Same as Devin Booker being mentioned in another Drake song — inevitable down the road, but not quite yet.