During Fanatics Fest, Minnesota Timberwolves rising star Anthony Edwards sat down with Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant and former NBA star, Jalen Rose. Discussing his experience with Team USA in the Paris Olympics, the 23-year-old made a surprising proclamation:
“(Stephen Curry) had great games. (Kevin Durant) had great games. (LeBron James) had great games. But (Devin Booker) was like guarding the best player, turning down shots. ‘Cause Book (can) go for 70. Not gonna lie, I was impressed watching him.”
Booker averaged 11.7 points, 3.3 assists, and 0.5 steals in 22.0 minutes per game in the Paris Olympics. Shooting 56.8 percent from the field and 56.5 percent from 3, his efficiency was in part a byproduct of his shot-selection. Unlike in the NBA, he wasn’t tasked with being the offensive engine.
Towards the end of the tournament, he was arguably sixth in the pecking order, behind Durant, Edwards, Los Angeles Lakers point-forward LeBron James, Golden State Warriors marksman Stephen Curry, and Philadelphia 76ers face-up center Joel Embiid.
Anthony Edwards Names Surprising ‘Most Impressive’ Teammate
Booker has worked diligently to be one of the most effective scorers even when he is the go-to guy.
He hasn’t scored 70 points since that special night in his second season, but he’s had at least one game scoring 45 or more points every season since. Last season, he scored 62 points against the Indiana Pacers in late January. Yet, his scoring volume is only half of the story.
The former lottery pick has made at least 46 percent of his field goal attempts over the past six seasons. For a player who began his career shooting 42.6 percent from the floor across his first three seasons, it’s been his most effective change. The Suns are only 290-308 with Booker all-time. However, they’ve won 172 of those games (59.3 percent) when he’s shot above 45.0 percent from the field.
All of that being said, Booker has long held a reputation of being an offensive-minded player. In the same vein, he’s been considered as a defensive weak link. He’s not much of a defensive event creator, averaging under one steal per game for his career. He expends far more energy trying to score than stopping his opponents from getting buckets.
That’s what made Booker’s performance in the Paris Olympics so remarkable. On a team littered with All-Stars, there was only so much heavy lifting any player had to do offensively. However, nobody expected Booker to take his defensive responsibilities so seriously.
Of course, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White made a number of stellar plays at the defensive end. Nonetheless, Booker was steady. The 6-foot-6 guard’s length and effort contributed mightily to Team USA winning gold.
Can Devin Booker Keep It Up?
It’ll be interesting to see how his Olympic showing translates to his play with the Suns from here on out.
The NBA and FIBA rules are different to the point where it’s simply easier to play staunch defense abroad. Furthermore, he has a far higher level of offensive responsibility in Phoenix. Still, if Booker can take the next step and make a consistent two-way impact, the Suns will have that much more of a chance to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy while he’s the face of the franchise.