Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series where we do individual PLAYER REVIEWS of each man who contributed in the 2023-24 season. We go through the roster to analyze what went right/wrong for them, and what they can do to get better for next season.

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Devin Booker

• Position: Shooting Guard
• Vitals: 6’6”, 206 pounds, 27 years old
• Experience: 8 years
• Stats: 68 GP, 27.1 points (49.2 FG%, 36.4 3PT%, 88.6 FT%), 6.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds

Devin Booker climbed the ladder to become the NBA’s best shooting guard. Now, he may have taken a few steps down.

Booker and the Phoenix Suns’ sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards put Book’s consideration as the top two-guard into question. Even though Edwards is yet to accomplish Booker’s four-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA status, he did sweep the Suns and is in the middle of a thrashing of the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

Booker’s season is one that included highs and lows, much like the Suns.

Contract Details

Booker, who signed a four-year, $221,008,000 supermax contract with the Suns in July 2022, will have a cap hit of $49,350,000 for 2024-25.

Career Progression

Booker made a bold claim in Nov. 2018, amid a third season at the bottom of the Western Conference with the Phoenix Suns, that a superteam would come to him. Book got his wish, as Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal joined forces to create the Suns’ “Big 3.”

“It’s crazy to watch his growth, just being a few years older than him just to see the caliber-level player he is,” Beal said.

“It can only just get better, and that’s kind of scary to say. I’m excited to see that, because I’m going to continue to push him and push him and push him and push him until he can reach that level we know he can tap into, and whatever that is, because he can still be better. He can still grow, he can still improve just like I can, just like everybody can. But I think his sky is unlimited, honestly. And I think he’s just now scratching the surface, and people really waking up and respecting his game and understanding he can carry a team.”

Booker’s path to becoming a superstar and one of the best players in basketball was…rocky. The Suns endured brutal seasons while the young Book established himself as the team’s best player very quickly, according to former Sun Tyson Chandler.

“I remember afterwards the GM (Ryan McDonough) was like, ‘What do you think?,’” Chandler said in the “All the Smoke” podcast. “And I was like, ‘I’m gonna be honest with you. The best player you got on your roster is that kid that you drafted, Devin Booker.’ And he was like, ‘What? Really? What do you think about (Bledsoe and Knight)?’ I was like, ‘They’re good. I’m telling you. Me, them, this roster, he’s better than all of us. That’s the best player you got on this roster.’”

Booker’s path and that of the Suns smoothed out. Booker in 2019-20 with the Suns in the Orlando “Bubble” went 8-0, with the shooting guard hitting a big shot over the LA Clippers — an NBA championship favorite — and Paul George to win one of eight in a row.

In that time, Booker was regarded as a rising star. Once the Suns acquired an established veteran, Chris Paul, he became the best scorer by a player ever in their first playoff run (601) en route to an NBA Finals appearance. The next season, he was first-team All-NBA.

Once the Suns traded for Kevin Durant, Book’s game benefitted. He became the first player since Michael Jordan to have at least 300 points through the first nine games of a playoff run in 2023, and did so on 70% true shooting, the best-ever mark.

Regular Season Recap

When asked if he arrived as an NBA player, Booker with a smug face turned to The Arizona Republic’s Greg Moore and said something that inspired his 2023-24 season:

“I feel like I’ve been there,” he said, “since ‘96 (his 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 year).”

Booker in 2023-24 launched his Nike “Book 1” signature shoe, which our John Voita and Trevor Booth each sported at Suns games. The flair of the shoe and comfortability marked an impressive Nike launch that included sell-outs on the SNKRS app.

Unfortunately, Book on the court did not match that level of excitement.

Let’s get it straight: Booker, who is 27, is one of three players in the regular season who ranked among the top-6 players in scoring (27.1 PPG) and top-11 in assists (6.9 per game), along with the Joker (Nikola Jokic) and Luka Doncic. In January, he was named Western Conference Player of the Month, averaging in 16 games 30.0 points, 6.3 assists and 4.4 rebounds while shooting a blistering-hot 53.9 percent from the field including 40.0 percent from 3-point range.

Most Suns fans remember the rest, but let’s not forget: Book over a three-game stretch averaged 50.1 points on 65.1% shooting, surpassing Michael Jordan for the highest field-goal percentage by a player averaging 50-plus points over a three-game span. In four road games from Jan. 19-28, Book joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to score at least 200 points over a stretch of four straight road games. Book is tied for first with seven 20-point quarters this season according to Statmuse.

But Booker’s 2023-24 season was expected to be one in which he ascended the ladder he is climbing to become the heir apparent to Kobe Bryant, who his game is modeled after. Book in 2022-23 could have reached his second Finals if Chris Paul was not hurt in Game 2. This season, he looked like the inferior player to his shooting-guard counterpart, 22-year-old Anthony Edwards.

Postseason Recap

Many, including myself, expected a superhuman version of Book come playoff time. It appeared he played hurt after he rolled his ankle in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs, but that is only speculative.

Book failed to shoot above 50 percent in Games 1 and 2 against the Timberwolves, whose stout defense managed to hold the Phoenix Suns with three of the NBA’s best scorers to 95 and 93 points, respectively. Whether or not Book played hurt doesn’t matter; he looked bothered by Jaden McDaniels.

Book’s only notable performance was in the elimination game, in which he has been notably disappointing in his playoff career. He had 49 points as the Suns fell 122-116.

The only positive thing about Book in May is that he now has a “Call of Duty” operator.

Biggest Strength

Book’s elimination-game stats have for some overruled what has been a historic and all-time playoff career. Book’s 2021 performance is something that by some basketball heads would have elevated him to one of the five best players in the NBA, if only his name was changed to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Biggest Weakness

None.

Just kidding.

Book’s second-side passing is something that is rarely used but is one of his biggest s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s. He has been identified by Isaiah Thomas and majority owner Mat Ishbia as a vocal leader.

Unfortunately, Booker on the floor has failed to become the playmaker the Suns need. Sure, he averaged a career-high in assists but too many times he failed to uncover what his offense could do in total with Kevin Durant.

Booker’s skip-passing is a s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 the Suns could have used in their system with associate head coach Kevin Young. He is one of the best players in the NBA at reading defenses, but his development as a point guard was clearly not managed well, either at his own fault or that of the staff.

By March, Book’s point-guard role was given to Bradley Beal, who had success putting pressure on the rim with over 10 drives per game on average, according to NBA Stats. Book is also a terrific help-side defender when he allows himself to be aggressive in passing lanes, but his defense clearly took several steps backward in 2023-24.

“I’ve always said, ‘Defense is five guys,’” Book said. “You go with the game plan, and the spectator can’t ever really tell who’s playing good defense and who’s not because no one knows the game plan. Every team has a different game plan, and you never know what that is.”

Unfortunately, Book’s individual defense lacked some of the passion he displayed in last season’s playoffs when he was among the leaders in steals and blocks combined (2.5). His recovery on swings of the basketball and his on-ball defense particularly suffered, as his recovery forced rotation that led to the Suns being beat and on-ball defense failed to have the same level of hand activity.

Here is how BBall Index rated several of Book’s defense qualities relative to other NBA players.

What to Work On

Booker’s defense and on-court leadership are two traits that Suns fans feel he needs to work on before the 2024-25 season. Via X:

To me, Booker is one of the eight best players in the NBA. He earned a top-3 spot prior to the season but several players took a jump while Book’s team with two other superstars failed miserably as a group.

Book is someone who has all the talent in the world. Like Kobe, he has tremendous footwork but is even a more gifted player at moving laterally and reading the opposite end of the floor. He has a bag of tools he can use to move into his jump-shot that few others have in NBA history.

To become the Devin Booker he must be, and not a second Kobe, he needs to focus in on his passing and play defense that can at least stop opponents from pointing him out as a weak source.

Likelihood of Return: 9.7

The likelihood of Devin Booker being traded appears to be the same as mine of giving up Raising Cane’s. Mat Ishbia affirmed this in his end of the year press conference:

“Devin Booker’s the face of the franchise and he’s going to be for the next 10-plus years until hopefully, he retires,” Ishbia said.

“Devin Booker is that guy.”

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith released a preposterous — nothing new — take on “First Take” that Booker is interested in joining forces with the New York Knicks. The report has since been shut down by PHNX’s Gerald Bourguet.

Again, would I consider leaving Raising Cane’s and never ordering a Caniac combo again? Sure. But like my love for chicken fingers, Booker’s love for the city of Phoenix runs deep. He endured purgatory and has since been on the mountaintop with the exclusion of only an NBA championship. His presence has attracted Durant and Beal and certainly more players to come.

Booker’s loyalty is something that has earned Phoenix’s trust and shouldn’t be doubted unless the man himself has something to say different.

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Overall Grade

Booker is one of the 10 best players in the NBA, to many. Before the season, I wrote in a wild take to many I believed Book is a top-3 player in the NBA with the potential (keyword) to be considered the best in the world.

I stood on that side of the fence and will not be moving from it. I believe Booker was hurt during this year’s playoffs and if it weren’t for circumstances out of his control, he would have two championships.

But, there are plenty of ‘what ifs’ in NBA history and I can’t rely on that alone as credit. What Booker has done in the playoffs is insignificant if he is not an NBA champion. That honor brought the credit Jokic waited for and the same applies for each player.

Book’s shoe launch was the best part of the season. We should hope it’s his play on the floor that is in 2024-25.