Welcome to the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns Season Preview series, where we embark on a comprehensive journey through the roster. In this series, we’ll break down individual player previews, offering a detailed look at each member of the Suns’ lineup. We’ll recap their performance from last season, highlighting key moments and areas of growth, and analyze how their skills, experience, and roles will contribute to the team’s championship aspirations.

Whether it’s the seasoned veterans or the rising stars, each player has a unique role in what could be a defining season for the franchise. Join us as we explore the potential and challenges that lie ahead for the Suns in their pursuit of basketball glory.

First up...

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Devin Armani Booker

Shooting Guard, 6’6”, 206 pounds, 27 years old, 9 years of NBA experience

He is the Chosen Sun, and it’s hard to believe this season marks a decade in the Valley for Devin Booker. Drafted 13th overall in 2015, who would’ve thought he’d still be with the Suns ten years later?

Every fan dreams of their team drafting a franchise player, someone you can cheer for year after year. In today’s NBA, that’s a rare thing, especially for the Phoenix Suns. Booker now joins an elite group, becoming just the fifth player in franchise history to play 10 or more seasons with the team.

Devin Booker’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. From being dismissed as a “looter in a riot” to becoming a two-time Olympian, leading the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals, and evolving into a player that stars around the league want to team up with, his story is one of transformation. There’s a suaveness and coolness to Booker that’s hard to capture in words — perhaps he’s just “chillin’” — but his approach to basketball and life has become a source of inspiration for teammates, fans, and admirers worldwide.

At 27, with his 28th birthday on October 30, Booker is stepping into the prime of his career. And these defining years will unfold right where his journey began, in Phoenix, Arizona.

2023-24 Recap

Last season was disappointing for the Suns, but it wasn’t necessarily disappointing for Devin Booker. Averaging 27.1 points per game, he personally had a stellar year. He posted career highs in assists (6.9..giggity), effective field goal percentage (55.0%), and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.65).

He was asked to operate outside of his comfort zone, as primary guard duties fell upon his shoulders. Despite the organization stating that Bradley Beal would be the one who would play the primary point, it was Booker, who was forced into the role due to Beal’s injuries. This shift created a push and pull for Booker, who thrives off the ball but was now tasked with facilitating the offense. Although he’s been in this position before, often out of necessity on less competitive teams, we believed that with the talent surrounding him, it wouldn’t be an issue.

Newsflash: it was a problem. Not just for Booker, but for the entire team. The challenge was that Booker didn’t always know when to be the facilitator, when to initiate the offense, create his own shot, or when to defer.

The Suns lacked a clear identity last season, and Booker embodied that struggle. His role became muddled due to the demands placed on him and the way the roster was built. Yet, despite it all, Booker still earned All-Star honors and a spot on the All-NBA Third Team.

The one issue we did have with Booker was his lackadaisical nature — which generally is something that gravitates us to him — was frustrating at the end of the season. When the team was struggling and Booker stated that he was just “chillin’”, it was the first time I’d seen significant backlash from the fanbase. It simply wasn’t what we wanted to hear at the time.

In the first round of the playoffs, Booker wasn’t at his best, averaging 20.3 points on 43.2% shooting and 26.7% from beyond the arc. Part of it was certainly due to the level of defense the Minnesota Timberwolves were playing, and part of it appeared to be a result of the Frank Vogel/Kevin Young system.

Game 4 appeared to be Devin Booker just saying hey, “I’m gonna do it my way”. And his way? A 49-point performance as the team was eliminated in the First Round.

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Contract Details

Booker is beginning the first year of his super-max extension, a four-year deal worth $220.54 million. This contract will make up 35% of the team’s payroll this season. With an average annual value of $55.1 million, Booker is tied with Karl-Anthony Towns as the NBA’s 8th highest-paid player.

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Strengths & Weaknesses

The strengths of Devin Booker are unmistakable. He is an elite mid-range scorer, demonstrating a masterful ability to create and convert shots from that area with exceptional precision. His scoring prowess extends beyond the mid-range, as he is adept at finishing at the rim and is a decent three-point shooter (more on that shortly).

This versatility allows him to score at all three levels, making him a constant offensive threat and a challenge for any defender. His skill set not only highlights his individual brilliance but also his capacity to adapt and excel in various offensive scenarios.

For someone with such a sweet bumper, he’s not the greatest three-point shooter. For his career, Booker is at 35.7%. Last season he shot 36.4%, which places him at 39th overall amongst players who shot at least six threes a game — Booker averaged 6.1 — and played 55 or more games last year.

Coach Bud’s system could see an uptick in volume from deep, and Book will have to knock them down.

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One Key Factor

Adding Tyus Jones and Monte Morris to the roster will be transformative for Devin Booker. We saw the positive impact of having a facilitator and distributor beside him during his seasons with Ricky Rubio and Chris Paul. With such playmakers alongside him, Booker can fully embrace his free-flowing style, knowing that when the ball is in his hands, he can focus on scoring.

This season, he won’t have to split his attention among teammates as he did last year. No need to focus on feeding Kevin Durant or managing other responsibilities. Instead, Booker can use screens to get to his spots, elevate, and score with greater ease.

Having these point guards will enable Booker to be the best version of himself, unleashing his full scoring potential.

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Prediction Time

I’ll throw some stats out there. Why not? It’s always fun to go back in time and see how we did, right? Last season, here are how Brandon Duenas’ predictions ended compared to Booker’s actuals:

• Predicted: 70 games played, 26.2 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.8 RPG, 1.1 SPG on 50/38/88 shooting splits.
• Actual: 68 games played, 27.1 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.5 RPG, 0.9 SPG on 49/36/89 shooting splits.

Slow clap. Slow rise. Loud clap! Brandon was pretty spot on! These are tough shoes to fill. But I’ll give it a go:

71 games played, 28.6 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.7 RPG, 1.1 SPG on 51/36/90 shooting splits

Booker is going to set the Suns’ single-season record for points per game. I know he technically has it after his performance in 2022-23, where he averaged 27.8 points, but he didn’t play enough games to technically qualify (he played 53 and you need 55 to qualify). He had 27.1 points per game last season. TomChambers’ record is 27.2.

He’s going to go off in a big way for this team. I feel it in my bones. It’s Prime Devin Booker SZN.

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Final Thoughts

This is going to be a big year for Devin Booker.

As an alpha, Booker is ready to fully embrace that role. There will be no more confusion or hesitation between being Point Book and Scoring Book. Last season was an anomaly. He wasn’t in a position to thrive, and the coaching schemes under Kevin Young fell short.

With facilitation duties minimized and the added presence of players like Tyus Jones, and the gravity that Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant possess, we’re poised to see the best version of Devin Booker. That’s a high bar, given how remarkable he was last season, but there’s another level he’s ready to reach. This season, he’s primed to get there.