Can Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker make a scoring leap next season?
By Avnoor Deol
What can we expect from Devin Booker next season?
Due to the aforementioned hamstring issues, I can’t say for certain that Booker will be the same driving force that he used to be. However, if he’s at least a few steps better than last year, we could be in store for a generational scoring season.
With Paul likely decreasing his offensive load going into next season at 37 years of age, Booker may see yet another uptick in volume. Next season is an opportunity for him to try and take his offensive game up a notch, distancing himself from players like Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell as he could be depended upon to run the Suns’ offense more often.
It will be interesting to see how opposition defenses guard Booker in this respect. When Paul was out injured towards the end of the regular season, we got a taste of what the 25-year-old looks like with increased usage rate.
Booker averaged 28.2 points and seven assists in 11 games without Paul in the line-up, including five games of 30+ points and two games with double-digit assists. This included a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 24, with the three-time All-Star posting 25 points, 12 assists and a career-high six steals.
After finishing fourth last season, Booker is currently tenth favourite to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award according to DraftKings Sportsbook. He was also rated the best shooting-guard in the league in recent position rankings undertaken by HoopsHype.
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One thing is for certain, Phoenix’s sustained success, next season and into the future, is highly dependent on Booker and where his development lies.