How good is Booker?

[JCSunsfan]

I'm not sure that's an upgrade, or even accurate, for that matter.

I think its about playing style and team role. Harden was the only guy on his team for a while. He handled and scored and created his own shot. Klay is more of a catch and shoot most times.

 

[Hoop Head]

Booker isn't half the defender that Klay is, but he's much better at creating his own shot. However his is twice the defender that Harden is but can't create for others at the level Harden does. Harden was a solid playmaker when he was with OKC but under D'Antoni he's been a great distributor.

 

[Hoop Head]

Booker is starting to get the national attention he deserves:

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/5/16852950/nba-devin-booker-kyrie-irving-phoenix-suns

The go-to comparison for Booker seems to be moving from Klay Thompson to James Harden.

I read that article yesterday, it's a good read for any Suns fan. Booker could be the best SG in the league in a couple of years, with Harden and Klay getting older there really aren't many other high quality SG's in the league right now. He's about at the level of someone like Bradley Beal right now. I'm sure most teams would rather have Booker than any other young guard in the league if they were asked to choose a guard to build their team around for the next 10 years.

 

[SirStefan32]

Booker isn't half the defender that Klay is, but he's much better at creating his own shot. However his is twice the defender that Harden is but can't create for others at the level Harden does. Harden was a solid playmaker when he was with OKC but under D'Antoni he's been a great distributor.

I think it's important to point out some differences in situations. As for KT, he hasn't had an opportunity to shine that Booker had. It would be interesting to see what Klay could do without so many other stars around him. What would Booker be able to do if he was playing alongside Curry, KD, etc? As for Booker, I think he is doing a fine job distributing and passing, considering he hasn't played PG before, and he is surrounded by players who simply do not belong in the NBA right now. I am not saying one player is better than the other, not saying that anyone would be better in a different situation, or anything like that. I just think it's important to consider each player's situation.

 

[BC867]

I think it's important to point out some differences in situations. As for KT, he hasn't had an opportunity to shine that Booker had. It would be interesting to see what Klay could do without so many other stars around him. What would Booker be able to do if he was playing alongside Curry, KD, etc? As for Booker, I think he is doing a fine job distributing and passing, considering he hasn't played PG before, and he is surrounded by players who simply do not belong in the NBA right now. I am not saying one player is better than the other, not saying that anyone would be better in a different situation, or anything like that. I just think it's important to consider each player's situation.

One more thing about DBook. He's our's! Any comparisons are hypothetical. Now the key is to develop or add NBA calibre players around him.

 

[Adrian]

scott bordow
@sbordow

Here are Booker's home-road splits this season:

Home: 23.1 points, 41.8 field goal shooting percentage, 35.8 3-point shooting percentage, 54.9 true shooting percentage.

Road: 27.6 points, 46.9 FG shooting, 42.0 3-point shooting, 60.6 true shooting percentage.

 

[BC867]

scott bordow
@sbordow

Here are Booker's home-road splits this season:

Home: 23.1 points, 41.8 field goal shooting percentage, 35.8 3-point shooting percentage, 54.9 true shooting percentage.

Road: 27.6 points, 46.9 FG shooting, 42.0 3-point shooting, 60.6 true shooting percentage.

Any idea why Book doesn't do as well as home? We should have enough games by now for a good sample size.

He's played 19 at home and 16 on the road.

 

[Hoop Head]

Any idea why Book doesn't do as well as home? We should have enough games by now for a good sample size.

He's played 19 at home and 16 on the road.

I'll look into it but first guess would be who he's playing with. I seem to recall that TJ has missed more road games than home games, which requires Booker to score more. I know Chandler has missed more road games than home games, it's been noted that he won't travel with the team for personal reasons a few times.

 

[Phrazbit]

Any idea why Book doesn't do as well as home? We should have enough games by now for a good sample size.

He's played 19 at home and 16 on the road.

I've been to some games... and sadly, I'd guess it's the atmosphere, and I cannot blame him. The fan base is rather defeated and I'd bet it's easier for him to step up his game to silence a packed crowed on the road than it is for him to rouse a home crowd out of their hammocks.

Hopefully the team stops being trash and that changes. And what gives me hope is the Sixers, not in their tanking physolopshy but that they went from being dead last in attendance to being near the top as soon as a glimmer of hope emerged. I hope the same happens here, and if it does I think our players will respond in kind.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I've been to some games... and sadly, I'd guess it's the atmosphere, and I cannot blame him. The fan base is rather defeated and I'd bet it's easier for him to step up his game to silence a packed crowed on the road than it is for him to rouse a home crowd out of their hammocks.

Hopefully the team stops being trash and that changes. And what gives me hope is the Sixers, not in their tanking physolopshy but that they went from being dead last in attendance to being near the top as soon as a glimmer of hope emerged. I hope the same happens here, and if it does I think our players will respond in kind.

It will happen here. The valley is a suns Mecca when they are good. It’s the first pro team in town and people adore them when they are good. Won’t take much success to get the bandwagon rolling again.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

It will happen here. The valley is a suns Mecca when they are good. It’s the first pro team in town and people adore them when they are good. Won’t take much success to get the bandwagon rolling again.

The DBacks won a World Series and Cards went to a Super Bowl and neither compared to the energy around town when the Suns are a contender.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

Not sure how to feel about this 2015 NBA redraft from the Ringer.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/...anthony-towns-devin-booker-kristaps-porzingis

On the one hand, it's awesome that Booker goes #2 in such a stacked class. On the other hand, the thought of Dbook on the Lakers is just gross.

 

[Chaplin]

Laugh of the day!!

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[unseenaz]

Laugh of the day!!

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"Hey Phoenix, you haven’t been in the top half of the NBA in attendance since 2011. You’re desperate for a star"

lmao! booker is already the star Lonzo hope to someday be, and he's only getting better. what a joke.

 

[BC867]

Laugh of the day!!

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Are they serious? But then we have seen some outrageous trade proposals for the Suns on this site.

Ah, homers.

 

[Hoop Head]

Lakers fans are delusional beyond typical fans being homers. Every year they convince themselves that they're one year away from being contenders because they're going to pawn their bad contracts on unsuspecting teams so they can free up cap space to go after 2 max players in the offseason and immediately get back to the finals because of those signings meshing with the young players they have. It doesn't matter if those free agents have no ties to the Lakers and say they're going to stay where they are. They get through the season talking that narrative up until it doesn't happen and the only reason it doesn't happen is because they decided that the next year's free agency group is better so they're keeping their options open.

 

[devilalum]

Laugh of the day!!

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I'd consider trading Chriss for the Lakers first round pick.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Laugh of the day!!

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*** Big Lead!

I’ll admit... I was DEAD wrong wanting Ball. I still think he can be a really good player, but I was wayyyyyyy naive to think his idiot father would be such a massive distraction... and that Lonzo would be such a bitch to let him be.

 

[elindholm]

Ball needs his father to distract the world from noticing that he's just not a good player.

 

[Hoop Head]

Ball needs his father to distract the world from noticing that he's just not a good player.

I agree with this. Without Lavar hyping him up I don't think he would have been taken #2 overall. I highly doubt he would have been taken ahead of Fox, who dominated him when UCLA played Kentucky. He probably would have slipped into the next tier of PG's who all had warts that kept them from being picked higher than they were like Dennis Smith Jr and Frank Ntilikina.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I agree with this. Without Lavar hyping him up I don't think he would have been taken #2 overall. I highly doubt he would have been taken ahead of Fox, who dominated him when UCLA played Kentucky. He probably would have slipped into the next tier of PG's who all had warts that kept them from being picked higher than they were like Dennis Smith Jr and Frank Ntilikina.

You can’t be serious. Not even the worst franchise would use the second pick in the draft BECAUSE of Lavar. People talked about him being drafted IN SPITE of his father.

 

[elindholm]

You can’t be serious. Not even the worst franchise would use the second pick in the draft BECAUSE of Lavar. People talked about him being drafted IN SPITE of his father.

They did, but they fooled themselves. I called Ball as a bust before the draft. He's just too clumsy a shooter and doesn't have enough positives to offset that.

 

[Hoop Head]

You can’t be serious. Not even the worst franchise would use the second pick in the draft BECAUSE of Lavar. People talked about him being drafted IN SPITE of his father.

If a team other than the Lakers had the #2 pick I think they would have passed on Ball in favor of Fox if they were after a PG. Ball can't shoot and in today's NBA a player that can't shoot will only get your team so far. The Lakers seemed to be the only team at the top of the draft that was completely sold on Ball. He's a good playmaker who was taken in a draft that didn't have great players at the very top of the class. Fultz, Jackson, Fox, Tatum, and Ball were all figured to be pretty even. Philly wouldn't have taken him because they already had Simmons and didn't need to add a PG that can't shoot, of course Fultz ended up becoming a PG who can't shoot but that's a different issue. The Celtics wouldn't have taken him either because he wouldn't be a good fit there and they claimed that Tatum was always their choice like the Suns have said with Jackson. That's 3 teams that would have passed on him, if Sacramento had the choice between Fox or Ball I think they would have stayed with Fox since he was clearly better than Ball each time UCLA met Kentucky. Add in how Ball was injured and didn't work out for the top teams and I think he'd slip past Fultz, Fox, Tatum, and Jackson, maybe further. That would have put him at #5. So yeah, I think it's pretty easy to see that he may have slipped down the board a bit if his dad didn't do the job he did on selling him to the Lakers.

 

[3rdside]

They did, but they fooled themselves. I called Ball as a bust before the draft. He's just too clumsy a shooter and doesn't have enough positives to offset that.

He’s averaging 10, 7 and 7 in his rookie year


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[Willie D]

Booker is good enough that the Suns only lost by 10 last night, instead of 46.

Unfortunately for Los Suns, the rest of the league is now wise to him. And if the Suns don't stop this "let's look like the Washington Generals every night so we can get the 1st pick...again," he will test the market. Couple that with Sarver's role as CTO (Chief Turd Officer), who will never pay up to retain Booker, and you have Booker in L.A., or NYC, or OKC.