Phoenix Suns basketball is almost back in our lives, and that can only mean one thing. The NBA have brought out their yearly poll to get a feel of how the people in the know throughout the league feel about the players in it. This survey is always interesting, although it is also worth mentioning that it doesn't always get it right either.
Whereas a majority think the Oklahoma City Thunder will repeat - and that Nikola Jokic will once again win MVP - two fair and measured takes, there are some odd selections in there too. LeBron James being thought of by a small cohort as the best small forward in the NBA as he approaches 41-years-old one of the wackier conclusions.
Booker no longer considered in best shooting guard conversation.
Spare a thought for Devin Booker though - the cornerstone of the Suns - who did not feature at all when talking about the best shooting guards in the league. Anthony Edwards came out on top - as he did 12 months ago - but both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic received votes. Neither are what you would think of as shooting guards first, yet they both got selections ahead of Booker.
That shows you just how far his standing has fallen throughout the league, and it may be about to get worse. That's because the Suns insist on using him as a point guard - a movie we have most definitely seen before - at a time when they need his scoring outbursts more than ever.
A superstar on and off the floor 💜🧡
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 9, 2025
Devin Booker gifted children from Special Olympics pairs of Book 1's in Macao, China! pic.twitter.com/xhxGNxpg2h
These people are going to look silly when he averages nearly 30 a game throughout parts of the season, whether Jalen Green is out there with him or not. It really is a shocking reveal of just how lowly both Booker and the Suns are now thought of throughout the league, now that Kevin Durant has left town.
But rebranding themselves as a defensive-minded unit is actually the key to winning the fanbase over once more, and Booker will be a part of that. But at only 28-years-old and an NBA Finals appearance to his name - something the likes of Edwards cannot compete with - it seems premature to leave Booker off this list entirely.
A revenge season is likely incoming, if head coach Jordan Ott allows him to lead the offense once more. Really though this is just straight disrespect, and if anything Booker could be in line for a bounce back season after a couple of years of willingly stepping into Durant's shadow. To not get a single vote in this category is criminal.