3 Suns who are underperforming, 4 exceeding expectations at the All-Star break

Exceeding expectations: Devin Booker

There is not much that can be said about Devin Booker that has not already been said. He is one of the top scorers in the NBA today, and has been for multiple seasons on end now. Since he earned first-team All-NBA honors during the 2021-22 season, he has rightfully been regarded as one of the best players in the association.

And yet, he has still managed to exceed the expectations that were set on him before the season started. Scoring 27.5 points per night feels like child's play for him with his seemingly effortless ability to get to his spots and knock down a pull-up jump shot from virtually anywhere on the floor, and with the opposing team's best defender draped all over him.

But one of Booker's biggest accomplishments this season has been his improved playmaking. With Chris Paul out of the equation, Devin was called on to get better at finding his teammates as one of the Suns' primary ball handlers.

Since given that task, he has found resounding success, putting up a career-best 7.0 assists per game for Phoenix this season. Booker has single-handedly shown that the Suns do not need a prototypical point guard in their starting lineup. In doing so, he has defied the odds to bring this team back from the bottom half of the conference and help make them a true contender once again.