Phoenix Suns Key #1: Devin Booker thriving as a scorer and playmaker
Devin Booker has the opportunity to be the best player in this series, and him performing that well will be one of the biggest keys to success for his team. While Booker has been a significant game-changer for the Suns in all scenarios so far, his importance is stressed even more with the potential absence of Chris Paul for multiple games of the series.
Booker is one of the best and most resilient scorers in the league. He has already proved this in the playoffs, averaging 29.7 points per game, on 49/43/94 splits, with a 62.6 true shooting percentage, even while going against the Lakers No. 1 regular season defense en route to a series win.
Booker might find himself in a similar situation to that series against Lakers though, with an extremely high offensive load coming his way, as Paul will miss at least the first game of this series due to a positive COVID-19 test. One of Booker’s most underrated aspects as an offensive threat is his playmaking.
Luckily for Phoenix, he will get the opportunity to shine in this area quite often. It’s something Booker will have to do very successfully though, as it comes as a make or break factor for Phoenix’s playoff run, especially if Paul stays out for more than a game.