Individual awards mean nothing to a championship hungry team like the Phoenix Suns. However, they still carry a certain appeal, glimmering with different moxie and juice that even the Larry O’Brien somewhat lacks.
The MVP award most notably represents this, with it being the most prestigious honor for a singular NBA player to attain. Winning MVP remains a goal which most guys possess, but never admit to, likely in an attempt to appear as a selfless, team-focused, and “easy to root for” player.
As someone frequently compared to Kobe Bryant, the Laker legend who expressed only a desire for his team to win, Devin Booker stands out though as someone who likely means it more than the rest whenever he says that he “only wants to win a title.”
But despite this, he still might find himself floating around the MVP discussion during the 2021-22 season.
The last two MVPs were 25 years old, which Booker turns this October. Clearing coming into his prime, while supplied with a talented and competitive team to work around him, Booker checks all the boxes needed to chase down the award.
Although teammate Chris Paul more closely contended for it last year, Booker’s numbers stacked up relatively close to eventual MVP Nikola Jokic’s. While Jokic snatched way more rebounds and dished out more assistant than Booker, only 0.8 points per game separated the two from a scoring standpoint.
Standing so close, yet so far, Booker needs only to improve a few specific components within his game though to walk away with the MVP this time around.