4. He Has A High Basketball IQ
Like it or not, this current Phoenix Suns team doesn’t have very many likable players that fans relate to. The Morris twins spent the year racking up technicals and calling out their own fans, culminating in a felony aggravated assault case. Eric Bledsoe had a great season on the court in his first full year as a starter, but he never truly took over as a charismatic leader.
Archie Goodwin and T.J. Warren thrilled in small doses, but they’re very young and didn’t get enough minutes. Alex Len made serious strides, but he’s a quiet guy who couldn’t stay on the court because of foul trouble and injuries at the end of the year. Brandon Knight is the new guy in town and the face of the franchise — Goran Dragic — was traded away at the deadline as his relationship with the team quickly soured.
The Phoenix Suns could definitely use an intelligent, high-character rookie, and they got all that and more in Devin Booker.
Blessed for this opportunity. Can't wait to get to Phoenix. Thank you @suns https://t.co/bKKnkjZkXY
— Book (@DevinBook) June 26, 2015
Obviously you don’t draft a player based on their character or their intellect alone. But it’s also not a bad thing that this sharpshooter just so happens to have an elite basketball IQ, a humble disposition and an extremely positive attitude.
In an all-Kentucky backcourt, Booker will have the opportunity to feel comfortable right from the start, but not to the point of taking away the hunger that’s clearly driving him. This is a guy who never saw himself as a lottery pick and had no idea where he’d end up despite multiple mock drafts projecting him as early as the No. 8 pick.
When asked about his most common NBA comparison, Klay Thompson, Booker completely downplayed it, choosing instead to reiterate that he’s still got a lot of work to do:
Booker on Klay Thompson comparison: "Might be unfair to Klay. Klay's already proven himself, I still need to prove myself."
— Valley of the Suns (@ValleyoftheSuns) June 26, 2015
Some fans love draft picks that ooze with confidence. But Booker’s admission that he’s going to have to work hard to improve certain areas of his game should be seen as a positive — especially for a fanbase that’s grown tired of bad decision-making, both on and off the court.
Booker, like most rookies on draft night, said multiple times how happy he was with where he ended up. But the Suns are actually a good fit for him with two point guards that can feed him on the wing, and Booker has seemed genuine and thoughtful with his responses throughout the entire pre-draft process.
The Suns didn’t draft him because he can give a good interview, but the fact that Devin Booker has a high level of intellect and maturity at such a young age makes him a far safer pick in the long run than people are giving him credit for.
Jeff Hornacek on Devin Booker: "This kid's a very mature 18-year-old. He could step right in and play."
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) June 26, 2015
Next: No. 3