Devin Booker is the best shooting guard in the NBA

Recency bias is one hell of a drug.

The 2024 NBA Playoffs hit several fans with plenty of that, as every playoff run tends to do. Have the Olympics countered the recency bias from the rough 4-game playoff sample size?

Despite getting swept by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Devin Booker still sits atop the throne as the best shooting guard in the NBA.

The gap is closing due to the emergence of young stars around the league, but the overall body of work matters. It isn’t just about the most recent playoff run or expectations of what players will grow into, it’s about results.

The numbers and recent history show us that Devin Booker is, and has been the best shooting guard in the NBA. With competition nipping at his heels, it’s time for Booker’s best season yet to make it abundantly clear that he is that guy.

Photo by Brian Choi/NBAE via Getty Images

RELATED READ: Devin Booker’s 10th Season: What historic feats could he achieve next?

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The Accolades

Devin Booker has led his team to a Western Conference Championship and a playoff record of 25-22 in his Suns career.

He has averaged 28-5-5 on a shooting split of 49/49/90 in 47 playoff contests, averaging 40.0 minutes per game. He has put on a show to close out several series on the road and at home. The efficiency Book has displayed against playoff defenses has been nothing short of eye-popping. (see below)

The absurd numbers he’s put up in his playoff career seem to go unnoticed by certain sections of the media until it’s convenient to shine a light on the small sample size of elimination games.

Look, those games matter too. We can’t ignore them. But when folks predicate their entire argument for his playoff performance based on that, it’s in bad faith. Looking at the entire body of work, he is a maestro in the playoffs.

Devin Booker’s accomplishments in the 2020s:

• 27.0 PPG - highest of any SG
• 7,691 Points - highest by any guard
• 2x Gold Medalist
• 4x All-Star
• 2x All-NBA

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

At age 27, Booker is entering what is expected to be the prime years of his career. He has already accomplished a lot in his early and mid-20s, and plenty is left in the tank. Expect him to steamroll some Suns franchise records.

I am excited to see him in an environment with stars and table setters with the additions of Tyus Jones and Monte Morris. Phoenix should be in the thick of the brutal competition out West, health permitted.

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The Competition

Anthony Edwards and Donovan Mitchell stand out as the clear top-tier competitors for Booker’s claim to be the best at his position.

Let’s start with Anthony Edwards. He is the “shiny new toy” that fans adore after their coming out party on the national scale. The fact is, he was drafted in 2020 and is much younger than Devin Booker.

Suns fans won’t like to hear this, but he may very well be on track to surpass him if he continues to grow his game. The upside and sheer talent are undeniable. He is on the fast track to solidify himself as a top 15 player in the NBA as soon as next season.

The efficiency, playmaking, and endurance to repeat what he did last season is the question mark here. Will Minnesota maintain its elite play over the course of 82 games? Can they make another deep playoff run? Those are the questions that need to be answered before putting Edwards over Booker given the playoff success from Devin.

Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images

Donovan Mitchell should not be slept on either. He is an electric scorer who can get hot and carry any team’s offensive workload on any given night.

I give an edge to Booker in just about every category by a slight margin, and that well-roundedness accumulates into a tangible gap between the two. That debate ended some time ago, but it’s more about the offense and playmaking leaps taken by Booker along with the defensive narratives shifting between the two players in opposite directions.

That said, Mitchell is a handful for opposing defenses and deserves to be mentioned in the top tier of shooting guards. There is a case given his track record that he should be in front of Antman as well.

The Others

Kyrie Irving has traditionally been listed as PG throughout his career, but playing alongside the likes of LeBron James, James Harden, and now Luka Doncic, his game has primarily been more geared to an “off-guard”. He is supremely talented and has arguably the best handle in NBA history. While he isn’t in the top tier of shooting guards, it would be remiss to go without mentioning him in this piece.

The likes of Jaylen Brown and Mikal Bridges profile more as wings to me than shooting guards. Desmond Bane is in that mid-tier in the top 10 as well. I hope for Bradley Beal to enter the back end of the top-10 conversation again this season.

My breakout candidate to watch for is Jalen Williams from OKC. He is next. I expect him to push for the top tier as soon as next season. He’s the real deal.

Disclaimer: If they aren’t on this list it’s likely because I consider them a point guard or a wing.

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The competition is there and will only get tougher, but the lead dog in this race is none other than DBook until proven otherwise.

Year 10 will be his best season yet. It’s Devin Booker's time in the Valley.