4. Crash The Boards
Booker’s pure shooting stroke was what stood out the most during his play in NBA Summer League, but another thing that Suns fans learned about their new rookie is that he’s more well-rounded than people have been giving him credit for — particularly on the boards.
Lost in Booker’s 15.3 points per game on 40 percent three-point shooting were the 4.9 rebounds per game he was pulling down. That may not seem like a lot…until you consider that Booker plays the shooting guard position and that he was the youngest player out there. He crashed the boards on offense to extend Phoenix’s possessions and helped close out defensive stops on the other end with a rebound.
In the Summer League game where he dropped 31 points, for example, Booker also pulled down nine rebounds. That won’t be happening very often at the NBA level, especially during his rookie season, but if Booker can prove he’s more than just a one-dimensional spot-up shooter, it’ll be hard for Hornacek to keep him on the bench.
Next: No. 3