Phoenix Suns Guard Devin Booker 2022 All-Star Competition
Devin Booker – 23.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.6 APG (.455/.422)
With everyone able to vote for two backcourt players and three frontcourt players, the league technically pits Devin Booker and Chris Paul against each other for All-Star votes. An opportunity for them both to make it of course still exists, but with no distinction between point guard and shooting guard, one might earn the honor at the other’s expense.
But in a team-first spirit, I’ll split things up by position, comparing Booker against more wing-oriented backcourt players, and Paul against primary ball-handlers. As it stands now, Book finds himself scoring a bit less this year, but off to a fantastic start from an efficiency standpoint.
Donovan Mitchell – 25.4 PPG, 5.0 APG, 3.8 RPG (.457/.337)
Given how they rose to NBA stardom at similar times and team success in the West, Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker feel like fierce rivals, likely to duke it out for years to come.
This season though, Mitchell averages 25.4 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. By those metrics, Booker and him stack up incredibly close, with Book averaging 23.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. When considering how most fans look at points before anything else, Mitchell might seem like the probable choice, skating out to a +2.3 point per game advantage.
But When addressing these players from an efficiency standpoint, Booker takes a slight advantage thanks to his massive 3-point percentage increase this season. Right now, Booker posts .455/.422 shooting splits, while Mitchell’s stand at .457/.337.
Fans might not look this far into the comparison, but Booker’s shooting from deep represents the only significant discrepancy between these two players. For those that do though, Booker will surely get their vote over Mitchell.
Luka Doncic – 25.6 PPG, 8.5 APG, 8.0 RPG (.447/.326)
With his per game averages, Luka Doncic beats Booker across all three major statistical categories. In doing that, he immediately builds a strong case for himself over Booker.
Granted, Doncic’s percentages look less attractive this year, with his shooting splits at .447/.326, which have him shooting slightly better than Booker from the field, but far worse from downtown.
However, All-Star voting revolves mainly around hype and glamour rather than more advanced metrics. With Doncic’s averages stronger across the board, he likely earns more votes than Booker during this first stage of voting.
Anthony Edwards – 22.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.6 APG (.434/.360)
Listed as a guard on the All-Star voting site, Anthony Edwards also squares off against Booker despite playing more often as a small forward.
No matter how he got here though, Edwards remains a strong candidate to possibly steal some votes. Being a second-year player, coming into his own with a fantastic season thus far, excitement and fun seem to follow Edwards everywhere, promoting some fans to favor him when casting their ballots
But still, with him averaging 22.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, Booker beats him across every stat with exception to his rebounds, which makes sense once again due to Edwards more frequently playing the three. With Edwards’s shooting splits also at .434/.360, Booker plays more efficiently as well.
Given those numbers, Booker should easily defeat Edwards in voting, just as long as voters are wise enough to look past the House of Highlights Tik Toks and Bleacher Report Instagram posts which go crazy for Edwards.