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Suns 5-On-5: The Best Of Steve Nash

By Gavin Schall

Oct 30, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash (10) before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash (10) before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Devin Booker
Jun. 26, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby, head coach Jeff Hornacek, 2015 NBA Draft selection Devin Booker and general manager Ryan McDonough pose for a picture at a press conference. Mandatory Credit: Gerald Bourguet-Valley of the Suns /

5. Devin Booker was voted the best shooter amongst the league’s rookie class, does he average more than 18 minutes a game next year?

Gerald Bourguet:  Alex Len averaged 8.6 minutes per game as a rookie. Archie Goodwin averaged 10.3 minutes per game as a rookie. T.J. Warren averaged 15.4 minutes per game as a rookie. You can see that head coach Jeff Hornacek hasn’t had too much time for rookies with the Suns chasing a playoff spot.

Then again, the current makeup of the team does leave a little bit of an opening for a player like Devin Booker, whose pure shooting ability could earn him minutes right away. However, I’m going to say he falls just short, around 15-17 minutes per game.

Gavin Schall:  I think he falls just under. Watching him in Summer League, it was abundantly clear that Booker is ready to be an above average sniper from day one, but unless he dramatically improves his ability to attack the basket it’s going to be tough to consistently justify playing him over a more well-rounded Sonny Weems (who will also play the 3) and an improved Archie Goodwin.

That being said, Phoenix doesn’t exactly have elite guard depth so if Booker can round out his game, he has a shot to be the first guard off the bench by midseason.

Mark Harris:  Yes, but not much more. We all know he can shoot, but the NBA is a quick game and his defensive play will determine his minutes. So if he is at least an average defender then he’ll see a good amount of time on the court.

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Newly-signed Mavericks wing excited for rivalry with Suns and Devin Booker
Newly-signed Mavericks wing excited for rivalry with Suns and Devin Booker /

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    • Scott Chasen:  Nope. Bledsoe and Brandon Knight are going to be on the court together a fair amount, and he still has to contend with now third-year guard Archie Goodwin. Then you add Sonny Weems into the mix and the fact that Booker is still just 18 years old and it’s difficult to see.

    He’s definitely a great shooter, but there aren’t going to be a terrible amount of shooting guard minutes for him to grab. I could see him in that 10-12 minute per game mark, maybe even up to 15, but even that seems a little high.

    Colton Dodgson:  I have a strong feeling Booker is going to force Jeff Hornacek’s hand at some point and give him no other option. It’s all going to depend on whether Booker’s poise and confidence can follow him into the regular season. Summer League and his play at Kentucky are the only things anyone has to go off at this point.

    However, if that sample size is any indication, we might be talking about Booker being the steal of the 2015 NBA Draft a few years from now.

    Next: Steve Nash: Top 10 Moments With The Phoenix Suns

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