MVP chants might be too soon, but All-Star not for Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker

In the fourth quarter of the regular season opener, Phoenix Suns fans began chanting “MVP” for Devin Booker. This might have been too soon, but All-Star consideration should not be.

The Phoenix Suns had been up 16 at one point. But as they had done several times already, Dallas made a run and with 7 minutes remaining Phoenix held a tenuous 94-90 lead.

Then following a timeout, and with ice in his veins, Devin Booker hit a 3.

Moments later his was fouled on a driving layup and completed a 3-point play (and for the first time heard MVP chants during the free throw).

Then Book hit another 3.

And another.

When it was all said and done, Devin Booker outscored Dallas over the final 7 minuted 17-10, including three 3-pointers, and an additional foul on a 3 that sent him to the line.

Devin Booker, as he had tried to do many times over the past three years, put his team on his back when they needed him most, carrying them to a victory.

There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Devin Booker will do this again and again this season, and more often than ever before in his career, he’ll be able to carry Phoenix to victories, continuing their slow rise in the Western Conference.

While one might be able to make an argument for a player to win the MVP on a team who misses the playoffs (as is still expected to happen), Booker and the Suns would truly have to do something out of the ordinary and special that blows the league and it’s fans away for him to even get consideration.

But, players on non-playoff teams make All-Star rosters on occasion, and even in a ridiculously deep Western Conference, if Devin Booker makes opening night look more like a regular occurrence and less like an aberration (which we, at least, in the Valley of the Suns knows to be true), then there is a real argument to be made that Booker can and should receive his first ever All-Star nod in 2019.

What will help in making that argument too will be that the Suns should actually compete in the Western Conference.

Unfortunately, while last season Booker absolutely played at an All-Star level, with the team tanking around him and on a seven game losing streak with an 18-41 record at the break, nobody outside of Phoenix paid enough attention to the Suns to give Book any credit for his play and recognize the numbers he was putting up on such a bad team.

This year, though, a lot more eyes will be on Phoenix.

The roster has much more veteran talent. They have the number one overall pick in Deandre Ayton. They just unexpectedly fired their General Manager and have promoted one of the league’s most likable and respected former players. They are in win-now mode and are banking on Booker carrying them to as many victories as possible (I predict 35 wins, but anything from 30-40 will be a notable improvement).

Booker too gave his tremendous effort while on national television. Millions of people tuned in to witness Ayton versus Luka Doncic, but instead saw The Devin Booker Show.

They saw what we’ve been seeing for three seasons – a damn good guard who is one of the absolute best up-and-coming players, someone who deserves national recognition for his play, and arguably a spot in the All-Star Game.

We have a long way to go before voting commences and the rosters begin to take shape.

Booker has many more opportunities to set the basketball world on fire, and there is plenty of time for this Suns season to go sideways, dampening the national enthusiasm for Booker’s game.

But if he continues to play his game, and the Suns do compete in the Western Conference, even if they do not appear to be in position to make a playoff run come February, Devin Booker might finally be on his way to receiving the recognition he needs to be an All-Star.

With the Phoenix Suns realizing that it is finally Time to Rise,  the league and it’s fans should finally give Devin Booker the All-Star recognition he deserves.