Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker was already known as an elite scorer and his latest feat further cements that narrative.
Devin Booker has yet again proven without a shadow of a doubt that he is the Phoenix Suns’ franchise player. It wasn’t another 70 point performance either, rather something much more important in the long term view of his future with the franchise. In the Phoenix Suns’ second matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, his career point total went over 3,000 points.
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Booker is the fourth youngest player to ever reach that total. He surpassed fellow young star Andrew Wiggins by completing the task 37 days before Wiggins did. The only other players to do it in quicker time before the shooting guard were LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. With four NBA Championships between the group and each undoubtedly going to the Hall of Fame, Booker has yet affirmed himself again as an elite player.
Booker has shown over his first three years in the NBA that he is an elite player. Comparing his numbers to the other top five youngest players to get 3,000 points first proves it.
| Rk | Player | From | To | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carmelo Anthony | 2004 | 2006 | 237 | 237 | 8544 | .448 | .282 | .471 | .465 | .795 | 1318 | 637 | 253 | 113 | 689 | 683 | 5405 |
| 2 | Devin Booker | 2016 | 2018 | 165 | 140 | 5196 | .425 | .356 | .455 | .479 | .841 | 487 | 507 | 127 | 43 | 434 | 498 | 3012 |
| 3 | Kevin Durant | 2008 | 2010 | 236 | 236 | 8892 | .462 | .361 | .483 | .494 | .882 | 1453 | 628 | 286 | 212 | 728 | 427 | 5967 |
| 4 | LeBron James | 2004 | 2006 | 238 | 238 | 9871 | .458 | .330 | .487 | .488 | .746 | 1576 | 1563 | 430 | 176 | 795 | 476 | 6307 |
| 5 | Andrew Wiggins | 2015 | 2017 | 245 | 245 | 8862 | .450 | .329 | .471 | .475 | .760 | 993 | 523 | 246 | 126 | 546 | 538 | 4995 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/7/2017.
Comparing the totals of the five players is pretty eye opening. Also, remember that the numbers for the other players are of a full third season where as it’s just the beginning of Booker’s third. Still Booker isn’t that far behind the other players and once Booker completes this season, his numbers should be right in the ball park of all the other players.
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With all the hard work that Booker is putting into his game, the Phoenix Suns should reward the young star by giving him a team that can compete sooner rather than later. With the recent Eric Bledsoe trade, it appears unlikely that the team plans to be competitive any time soon, which is unfair to Booker. Hopefully, the franchise finds a way to rectify the bad trade soon.