At only 27-years-old, Devin Booker has already had himself one heck of a career. If he retired today he'd probably go into the Hall of Fame at some point, and he may be the best player in franchise history as well.
He's got a pair of gold medals with Team USA, and will be returning to The Valley with Kevin Durant in 2024-25 with the biggest goals in mind. The fact Durant chose Phoenix as a destination to likely see out the rest of his playing days was as much to do with Booker than anything else, and the same could also be true of Chris Paul during his time with the Suns.
The only thing missing from Booker's CV is hardware, but he could be about to change that with a run at the MVP award.
Actually putting himself in position to win this award will be extremely difficult, as it has been dominated by centers for a long time. The last non-big man to win the award being James Harden, all the way back in 2017-18. Since then it has been taken home by Nikola Jokic (three times), Giannis Antetokounmpo (twice) and Joel Embiid. But Booker has the chance to change that next season.
3. Public perception at an all-time high
For casual fans of the NBA - or just fans who don't like or support the Suns - it was easy to knock on Booker's game in the past. Yeah he fuelled a fun Suns group to an 8-0 run in the NBA's bubble, but they didn't even make the postseason.
Sure Booker went to the NBA Finals in 2021, but he couldn't get over the hump. Unlike similar players in Jamal Murray and Jayson Tatum, both of which have already gotten their chips. Besides, that run was as much to do with Paul and Deandre Ayton (that feels like a long time ago now...) than it was Booker's elite scoring.
That all changed at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, with Booker's attitude and willingness to defend at an elite level and give up a ton of shots making him beloved in the eyes of those who didn't watch him before or simply didn't care. Booker was just doing what he always has - he does defend in Phoenix too you know - only now everybody got to witness it.
Which helps his MVP case in a massive way. To go from Olympic success, back to the Suns and the change to lead a group to a championship is a compelling narrative. Much as fans may hate to admit it, that narrative - and the spin that the media can put on certain players - helps an MVP case as much as anything else. Booker always had the numbers, now he's got the public's attention.
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.
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.