We have arrived at the number one spot on our list of Suns with the most to prove, and who else could it be but Devin Booker? The 29-year-old is the face of the franchise and will always have the most to prove both in Phoenix and throughout the NBA as long as he is with the team.
Booker left behind when best players are being talked about
The most important conversation Booker has to get back into this coming season is when fans and the media talk about the 10 best players in the league. He's currently not a part of those, and if we're being honest, he doesn't deserve to be.
Booker remains one of the best offensive players in the league, and he's just gotten more help, but he hasn't been at his aggressive and dominant best since before Kevin Durant arrived in The Valley. This makes him the dream star teammate because he has no problem deferring to others and feeding them when they get hot, but he has to assume the alpha role again.
Luckily, he has a co-star in Dillon Brooks who allows him to do exactly that, while the roster has been built to showcase his talents. There are shooters (Luke Kennard, Collin Gillespie), table setters (Gillespie again, Jordan Goodwin), and young bigs with upside (Oso Ighodaro, Khaman Maluach) who can all help Booker in different ways.
The only real issue he is facing on a nightly basis is playing in the backcourt with Jalen Green, with the fit looking clunky last season. Booker works better with a true point guard alongside him, and the hope is that once the franchise has accepted this and brought Gillespie or another floor general into the starting lineup, Booker will flourish.
Booker can only leave top spot if he wins a championship
The only way Booker won't start every season in this position for the rest of his career in Phoenix is if he leads the Suns to a championship. Should that happen, he truly could do whatever he wanted with the team; he would be set for life.
But until that happens (if it ever does), he will be judged critically, which should be the case because he is the face of basketball in Phoenix. He is also being paid a lot of money to deliver.
Devin Booker is one of the best players in the NBA this decade, and it is time everybody outside of the Suns organization is put on notice once more.
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