Devin Booker is the best shooting guard in the NBA

There are contenders for this spot, but Devin Booker reins supreme.

Devin Booker has been disrespected by both the media and the fans ever since he arrived in Phoenix, and he is now finally showing what he is capable of. The Phoenix Suns have been given a shot to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010, and Devin Booker has been showing out and is showing no signs of going home early. Booker has been ranked behind players like Beal, Butler, DeRozan, Harden, and Klay Thompson his whole career, and now I think it is obvious that Devin Booker is the best shooting guard in the NBA.

Before we get into comparing Booker to the other top two-guards in the NBA, let’s take a look at what Booker has been doing this season. On the year Booker is averaging 26.3 points per game, 6.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds on 48/36/91 shooting splits.

The Suns have also shown newfound success, sitting at 29 wins and a realistic shot at the playoffs, all while being led by the top free-throw shooter in the NBA despite doubters saying his whole career that he could not contribute to winning basketball, and was just an inflated stats player on a bad team. This season Devin has racked up  27 games of 20+ points, 22 games of 30+, 3 games of 40+ and has reached a season-high of 10 double-doubles while reaching that aforementioned career-high 29 wins.

On top of all that, Devin just hit the biggest shot of his life in an exciting win over the Los Angeles Clippers, with hit a turnaround fadeaway mid-range shot at the buzzer over two of the best defenders the NBA has in Paul Geroge and Kawhi Leonard.

The first player I will be comparing D. Book to is Donovan Mitchell. While Mitchell is easily the 2nd best young shooting guard in the league, and one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA, it is obvious that Booker is better and the only reason Mitchell is ever ranked higher is because of the lack of media attention in Phoenix combined with the Suns record over the past few seasons. Mitchell is averaging 24/4/4 on 45/36/86 shooting on a stacked Utah team. Devin Booker is just the all-around better player. Despite Mitchell being an amazing dunker, Booker is still better at finishing inside.

Devin Booker’s game is just so much more complete than many of his peers at the position.

The biggest reason I put Booker over Mitchell is because of his playmaking, Devin’s playmaking and passing are severely underrated. He is averaging almost seven assists per game next to a ball-dominant point in Ricky Rubio, I truly believe Booker will average 10 assists in a season before it is all said and done. When Phoenix and Utah first met this season Booker outperformed Mitchell despite The Jazz leaving with the win. Booker had 21 points, and three rebounds on 56% from the field compared to Donovan’s 25 and three on 37% shooting. The Suns got the last laugh during their last regular-season meeting. Phoenix won by 20 points behind 24 points and 10 assists from D. Book. Mitchell also had himself a game with 38 points and 4 assists. Booker has played better all season and would be more nationally recognized as the better player if it wasn’t for the team record.

Next on the list is Bradley Beal, the leading scorer in the NBA and an overall great player. Booker and Beal have had their battles over the years, including a 50 point game by Booker against the Wizards back in 2019. Bradley Beal is averaging 30.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, on 45/35/84 shooting. Their stats are extremely similar but I will once again give the edge to Devin Booker. My reasoning behind this choice is Booker’s efficiency, Devin is one of the most effective players in the entire NBA even though he is only a one-time All-Star and could shoot every shot on every possession over the past four seasons if he really wanted to. Booker is such a smart player and overall a great teammate, I do not want it to sound like I am knocking Bradley beal, but if I were to choose a player to start a franchise with I am taking Devin over Bradley ten out of ten times.

Finally, the number one player people always say is better than Devin is none other than James Harden. Harden is statistically one of the best scorers ever, and an amazing regular season player, but here is my problem with him: he is a known playoff choker. Sure, you can make the argument that Harden has made the postseason, but I think that is more of a nod to the franchise and coaching staff that Harden has been a part of. This is the first season the Suns have ever even had a slight chance of making the playoffs, and despite all of the adversity, the Suns have shown promise.

Currently, the Suns have won three straight games in the bubble and are looking like a lock for the eighth seed. Booker has taken this opportunity to be known as a winner and has excelled, while Harden disappears in the playoffs every season no matter how far he gets. What makes Booker better to me is definitely his elite efficiency, and continuously improved defense. Granted, while he will probably never be an elite defender, he has improved on that end of the court every season of his career, and while he may have some bad defensive games he always hustles on defense and tries his best. Next is his efficiency, Harden is infamous for his horrific shooting and reliance on free throw shooting to rack up points, Booker is the complete opposite. He has learned how to score at an elite volume while getting to the line without drawing questionable fouls and letting his team down when the game is on the line. Devin is the better player in my opinion, and pretty soon the haters will realize how good he truly is.