2. Two-way monster
Booker's scoring has never been in doubt, and during the postseason of 2022-23, he led the entire league at an insane 33.7 points each game. That didn't end in a championship, but we now know Booker can score at a level few can reach even when the game slows down and he receives a ton of attention from opponents.
Returning to Paris and it was Booker who gladly took on the challenge of defending all opponents, big and small. The fact he's actually really good at it as well - really he should have his best defensive season in 2024-25 no matter how the MVP chase goes - shows that he is still improving nearly a decade after coming into the league.
All-time Phoenix Suns regular season scoring leaders (total points):
— INSIDE HOOPS - NBA Basketball (@InsideHoops) August 19, 2024
1) Walter Davis 15,666
2) Devin Booker 14,529
3) Alvan Adams 13,910
4) Kevin Johnson 12,747
5) Shawn Marion 12,134
6) Dick Van Arsdale 12,060
7) Amar'e Stoudemire 11,035
8) Steve Nash 10,712
9) Paul Westphal…
In an ideal world the Suns would have guys like Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale defend wing scorers, allowing Booker to save his energy for the other end. But if he commits to trying to clamp down a young superstar like Anthony Edwards for example - and if he has success doing it - then his MVP run will take on a whole new perception.
There also hasn't been a guard/wing this century who has won the MVP award because of their elite defending above anything else. Guys like Harden, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose and Phoenix's own Steve Nash achieved this through scoring and playmaking before anything else. So if Booker could pair defending with his own scoring, he'd be the kind of MVP we haven't seen in a long time.