Phoenix Suns: It’s time to prove yourself, Devin Booker

With the Orlando restart arriving within the coming week, the Phoenix Suns are primed to prove themselves, but Devin Booker is the number one priority.

It’s common knowledge now that Devin Booker is one of the best young scorers in the Western Conference. With a freelance shooting playstyle, quick and dominant on the midrange and sufficient enough to contend as one of the best shooters in the NBA, Booker is obviously the complete offensive package. Defense is a weak point for the young gun, but with time, Booker has a chance to improve into a solid perimeter defender. Devin Booker is a star, and the Phoenix Suns are undoubtedly grateful for picking him in the 2015 NBA Draft.

For a while now fans and analysts have neglected Booker’s career, shining down on the main weakness of his young current run: He has never lead the Suns anywhere close to a playoff berth. While on paper, his stat sheet is stuffed, always, but fans are quick to note that they’re completely empty.

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It’s not hard to see why, since the Suns haven’t eclipsed more than 27 wins in a season since drafting Booker in 2015. For someone who has assumed the role of a franchise superstar, Booker has been partially blamed for not leading the Suns anywhere near upwards. The empty stats and lack of winning have always kept Booker from being considered in the top five shooting guards, but now is the time for a change.

The Orlando restart is Booker’s time for opportunity, with a legitimate chance of making the playoffs within reach. While he’s only 23 years of age, these dominant scoring years can be considered as Booker’s finest, since it’s hard to dramatically improve from averaging 26.1 points per game. Some fans truly want Booker to spend these fine years at a winning team, a squad that is primed for playoff contention for a very long time. The Suns most certainly have that potential, hands down.

But we can’t ignore the facts here, Booker is still maligned by some fans because of his lack of winning. It’s understandable to see why Booker isn’t considered to be a top-tier player, he’s not a winning player whatsoever.

However, within these next eight games, Booker has the chance to propel himself into a higher level of talent at the guard position. If Booker can lead the Suns to anywhere near the playoffs, he’ll quickly be ushered into superstar territory. But that’s the problem, instead of ‘When Booker can lead the Suns’, it’s ‘If Booker can lead the Suns’, does he have the potential to make the Suns an actual contender?

While it isn’t a now-or-never situation, since Booker is still only 23 years of age, these eight qualification games are the best chance for him to prove himself as a superstar. We truly don’t know if he’ll get the chance again, that’s if the Suns can handle him right going forward.

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But Devin Booker can’t get anywhere near a playoff berth without the help of his team, and the partial blame towards Booker’s winning woes can be put on the Suns themselves. While his teammates aren’t perfect, they’re properly capturing Booker’s quick shoot first playstyle and playing around, and to his strengths.

Before the 2019-20 season, the Phoenix Suns weren’t signing or trading for players around Booker, and that hurt his stock as an All-Star and All-NBA candidate, much like Kemba Walker when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.

But the 2019-20 season was different. Deandre Ayton, Kelly Oubre Jr., Mikal Bridges, Ricky Rubio, and the whole array of role players playing alongside Booker are certainly solid pieces for the young guard. He’s still so very young and his career is bound to be prosperous, so the rush to make the playoffs and prove his legitimacy shouldn’t necessarily be there. It’ll help for Booker to make the playoffs, especially in a tough situation, but it’s not needed.

For Suns fans, however, it’s critical. It’s needed, you want your future superstar player to prove himself to the world as one of the best in the West. Devin Booker leading the Phoenix Suns to a great finish will not only prove his legitimacy, but fans will finally believe the hype for the franchise’s future.

But overall, leading his team to the playoffs is the definition of proving your worth, and Devin Booker must capitalize on everything he’s got going. Suns’ fans would love Booker to step up and officially form into the franchise centerpiece, and this Orlando restart is the perfect time for it. It’s time to make those empty stats whole.