1. No longer the point guard
Last season the Suns had a point guard problem, with the problem being they didn't have one. That meant both Booker and Bradley Beal had to share the duties - which to be fair they both embraced - but injuries to Beal meant the two struggled to really gel as a backcourt.
Booker did hold up his end of the bargain as he averaged a career high 6.9 assists each night, but it often looked like he was spending too much of his time worrying about initiating the offense for the Suns. Booker is an elite passer, but he is at his best when he can move the ball when in the flow of the offense and when a traditional point guard is setting the table.
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer on the addition of Monte Morris: “I think Monte’s gonna fit really well with us. He’s somebody that we targeted in free agency, we feel great about getting him, what he brings.”
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) July 14, 2024
Full interview up later tonight pic.twitter.com/7W1smydD6p
With Tyus Jones and Monte Morris now in The Valley, Booker can get back to doing what he does best. Namely playing off a floor general while chipping in with the passing from the forward or second guard position that we know he can. Scoring is also what he's known for primarily anyway, and there's no doubt he can eclipse his previous high of 27.8 points per game.
We know he'll be an All-Star, and it would be a surprise if his scoring doesn't take one more, final jump. Put that on a winning team - which the Suns should be - and that's the key ingredients of an MVP winner. The defensive abilities are just the cherry on top, while the newfound love of casual fans should see more eyes on him than ever before. This can be Devin Booker's year.