Devin Booker is having a tremendous season leading the Suns, but ESPN's Tim Bontemps doesn't think he deserves All-Star recognition.
Despite Booker's clutch play and overall brilliance, he's still in danger of missing the mid-season recognition behind other West stars. Booker will need to continue his winning ways to earn an All-Star nod in a deep conference.
Devin Booker: Potential All-Star snub
Booker has been the leader of the Suns' surprising success this season. The team has won games with defense and all-around shooting, but Booker is the head of the snake offensively. He's the team's engine as both a scorer and playmaker; the Suns are only able to go as far as he can take them.
The team results on the court have been undeniable. When Booker is at his best and most confident, the Suns can compete with anyone in the league. Their recent win against the Thunder, when Devin Booker hit a game winner, should be proof enough. But Booker is still being overlooked because of his relatively tame statistical profile.
On the season, Booker averages 26 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists per game. He is shooting 46% from the field and 30% from three, not mind-blowing efficiency by any means. But context matters and Booker is doing a lot of heavy lifting for the Suns.
He lacks another teammate with star-level talent but is still carrying the Suns to playoff seeding after trading away his best teammate in the offseason.
Thankfully, Booker should have the opportunity to prove himself as an All-Star soon. The Suns are coming up on a grueling schedule in January, but it's also a chance to elevate themselves in the national media. In this span, Booker needs to improve his shooting percentages and lead the Suns to some big wins.
Beating the Thunder on a clutch basket and going toe-to-toe with the Rockets was a good start. But Booker will need to keep it up to fend off media members who doubt his All-Star candidacy.
In an ironic twist of fate, he's having one of his best seasons and impacting winning at a high level, but it's not showing out on the stat sheet.
But Suns fans will tell you that Booker is arguably at his best right now. His awareness is on another level, and his playmaking has taken a clear leap. It's been his unselfish play that's driven other Suns to breakouts and unexpected success.
And Booker has stepped up defensively compared to previous seasons, which has helped the entire team buy in on that end. If his shooting can spike back up to his normal levels, Booker should hopefully be a no-brainer selection for the All-Star team.