Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker is the Best Player Left in NBA Playoffs

Earning MVP nods toward the regular season’s final weeks, most viewed veteran point guard Chris Paul as the centrepiece to this Phoenix Suns steam engine which they saw earn the league’s second best record, and now see barreling its way through the playoffs.  It makes sense given Paul’s track record with elevating teams beyond their expectations, most recently with the Oklahoma City Thunder last year.

Paul indeed deserves significant credit for Phoenix’s turn around, having provided some much needed leadership for this young team to go with his on-court excellence. But contrary to popular belief, Devin Booker is the best player on the Suns, and even the best player still standing for that matter, now with four teams still alive this postseason.

Although Booker lacks multiple MVP awards like Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young’s logo-range shooting touch, or Paul George’s multiple All-Defensive First Team accolades, he currently boasts numbers greater than them all, and even some NBA legends as well.

Booker even made history with his scoring barrage last night, becoming the sixth player ever to notch multiple 40-point games during his first postseason run. Booker too became the fourth player ever to lead both teams outright with his scoring, rebounding, and assists during a Conference Finals game, joining LeBron James, Larry Bird, and Bill Russell.

But while Booker might seem like a newer face, at least for one to still be seeing this far into the playoffs, do not confuse his unfamiliarity to this stage with discomfort. He currently averages 29.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game for the Suns this postseason, all coming as top five marks for all shooting guards.

These comparisons aim not to badger or demean other NBA players, with those already mentioned enjoying remarkable campaigns for themselves as well, but instead just intends to give Booker the respect he so truthfully deserves. However, for those still doubting Booker and his abilities, keep reading, he just might be outperforming your favorite player already.

Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker is better than Giannis Antetokounmpo

Beginning with the most difficult star for most to place Booker above, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks now own the best odds to win a title at +105 after vanquishing the heavily injured, yet still intimidating Brooklyn Nets following a brutal seven-game series. At this moment during the postseason, Antetokounmpo averages 28.8 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, while committing 3.6 turnovers per game.

Only within the rebounding department does Antetokounmpo possess an advantage over Booker, but that comes as something more than expected given his superior size and position as a player down along the block. But even at a quick glance before diving into some more advanced analytics, Booker already seems like the more dangerous player given his superior scoring, ability to find his teammates for points, and ability to protect the rock.

Although incredibly dominant down low, Antetokounmpo nonetheless struggles from nearly everywhere else offensively. Meanwhile, Booker remains a threat to score from anywhere, making him the far more versatile piece.

You should not need this article to tell you that Antetokounmpo absolutely reeks from outside and the free throw line compared to Booker, or almost anyone else for that matter, shooting 19.1 percent on threes and 53.8 percent from the charity stripe. But each player’s true shooting percentage reveals that even despite Antetokounmpo’s brilliance inside, Booker’s wide-spread scoring talents outweigh the latter, with Booker owning a 61.6 true shooting percentage, and Antetokounmpo behind him at 56.0 percent. Scoring rate, passing abilities, possession protection, efficiency, and versatility all tip Booker’s way, making him the far better offensive talent.

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However, we know Antetokounmpo’s strength lies elsewhere as a former Defensive Player of the Year. Contrarily, Booker’s defensive efforts often go scoffed at and discredited. But although the numbers reflect Giannis owns an advantage over Booker as a defender, this defensive gap between the two goes easily exceeded by the one already established on the offensive end.

Holding his opponents to a 42.1 field goal percentage, those guarded by Booker actually score less efficiently than those guarded by Antetokounmpo, whose opponents post a 43.6 field goal percentage. For the crowd arguing that Antetokounmpo just caught a tough break having to guard Kevin Durant last round, it was actually PJ Tucker who primarily covered Durant during the entire series, excusing that ideology up front.

Additionally, both Antetokounmpo and Booker currently rank top six in defensive win shares, endorsing Booker as a defender almost as valuable as Antetokounmpo, despite defense being the Greek Freak’s forte. All-around, this points to Booker as the more complete, and therefore better player.

Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker is better than Trae Young

Like Booker, Trae Young finds himself absolutely running through the playoffs as a first-time participant. His Atlanta Hawks dismantled the New York Knicks after five games, and then miraculously took down the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers during a seven-game slugfest.

As the only player mentioned here averaging more points per game the Booker, Young ever so slightly surpasses him, scoring 29.1 per game. However, Young occasionally falls into some tough shooting spells, unlike the rather consistent Booker, allowing his efficiently to still surpass that of Young’s. The former Sooner’s shooting splits go down as .413/.330/.877, while Booker’s clock in at .491/.382/.924.

When comparing two high volume scoring guards, Booker’s ability to hit from the floor at a far more efficient rate certainly outweighs the extra 0.1 more points per game which Young adds.

Now, Young’s incredible 10.4 assists per game remains something unable for Booker to argue against. Young even dished out 18 dimes during Game 4 against Philly, the second most ever by a Hawk during a playoff contest.

But quite frankly, one’s passing abilities often separates point guards from shooting guards, making this something we expect from Young, similarly to how we expect Antetokounmpo to out-rebound Booker. Even amidst this though, Booker still possesses a better offensive rating (116.0) than Young (111.6), endorsing that his far more efficient scoring outweighs this clear strength illustrated by Young.

Defensively, this one comes as a no-doubter. Those guarded by Young shoot 45.4 percent from the field, ranking as the 117th worst mark, whereas Booker’s opponent field goal percentage at 42.1 percent ranks 59th. Booker also easily averages more rebounds at 7.4 per game compared to Young’s 2.7 per game.

Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker is better than Paul George

Still unbeknownst to when Kawhi Leonard might return, Paul George stands alone as the best player for Phoenix’s current opponent: the Los Angeles Clippers.

Illustrated best by how often his nickname shifts from “Playoff-P” to “Pandemic-P,” inconsistencies during big time games remains George’s biggest flaw. We saw this come into play already this postseason, as George and the Clippers struggled early against the Dallas Mavericks, even falling into an 0-2 hole.

Los Angeles managed to fight their way back to a Game 7, winning and then moving onto the next round. But to start off against the Jazz, George struggled again, shooting 34.3 percent from the field with the Clippers digging themselves into another 0-2 deficit.

George found his grove shortly after, scoring 31 points twice, then 37, and finally 28 to close out the Jazz after six games. But Sunday afternoon, he looked shaky once again, scoring 34 points, but going only 10-26 from the floor and dropping the game 114-120.

But even with the distrust which George carries into every game unaccounted for, Booker still seems like a more adept player right now. PG13’s playoff averages currently sit at 26.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Booker’s 29.0 points and 5.4 assists per game both surpass that, with George only putting up better numbers as a rebounder, doing so by 1.5 boards per game. George’s rebounding numbers lead his entire team right now, but although he might carry an advantage on the glass, Booker’s numbers nearly surpassing everyone across the entire Clippers roster even as a guard make them impressive nonetheless.

Strictly offensively speaking though, George might wield an ability to score at all three levels like Booker, but still does so while averaging less points per game, and at a much less efficient rate, more like Antetokounmpo. George’s shooting splits go .444/.375/.892, again behind once compared to Booker’s .491/.382/.924 marks.

Defensively, George seems to have fallen off a bit from his form a few years ago. Out of all 236 playoff participants this postseason, George owns the 170th worst defensive ranking, with Booker treading water at 95th best. This lifts Booker’s net rating far beyond George’s, clearly identifying him as the more efficient player across the board.

No matter what direction one looks from, Booker collectively beats George. The numbers back this up, as do his team’s top playoff record at 9-2.

Showing no signs of slowing down, enjoy Booker’s excellence while you can. Even if he leads his team all the way to an NBA championship, that only leaves a few games left to continue watching this absolute spectacle. Hopefully by that time though, his stance as a true NBA star will come as knowledge far less concealed.