The Phoenix Suns received some devastating news over All-Star weekend when they learned that their star point guard, Chris Paul, will miss the next 6-8 weeks.
In theory, this could end up sidelining him for the rest of the regular season, as there are only roughly seven weeks left. He should be back for the playoffs, but that still puts the Suns in a pickle.
They’ve built up a big enough lead out West, so they should be fine, but they are now going to have to learn to navigate life without Paul leading the offense.
Can Devin Booker carry the Phoenix Suns and win MVP?
This opens the door for Devin Booker. The 25-year-old is already having a phenomenal season, but with Paul out, he has a chance to do something truly spectacular.
As of now, the MVP race is between two guys – Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. Players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, and Ja Morant are there, too, but Jokic and Embiid are the two real frontrunners.
But even right now, Booker shouldn’t be too far behind them. Some may have Chris Paul higher up in the MVP ranks, but now that he’s set to miss some serious time, Booker will leapfrog him easily.
Right now, Booker is averaging 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three-point range.
Those numbers may not scream “MVP,” but when you combine them with the best record in the league an argument is easy to make. And now, Booker will be the unquestioned leader of the Suns.
If he can kick things into high gear and help Phoenix stay on the current pace they’re on, he’ll start to get some serious votes for the award, and rightfully so.
In reality, there’s a very low probability that Booker ends up taking home the MVP award this year. One of either Embiid or Jokic will almost certainly end up winning it.
But he has a chance to put himself into the conversation, at the very least. If the Suns continue to be this dominant, and Booker goes on a tear, don’t count him out of the race.