Devin Booker

[In2ition]

I'm not too worried about this. I expect Booker to improve his efficiency, defense, rebounding and assists this year, while also improving his ppg. At this rate though as far as ESPN can predict, Booker is going to improve to 25 + ppg this year and drop down to 75 next year.

[bwgood77]

ESPN deserves no coverage. I'm tired of their trash "reporting" and political discussions. I'll be streaming every game I want to watch to not give them ad revenue.
They're clearly making click bait level articles to manufacture controversy and news discussion.

Their NBA rank has always been stupid.

[kennydorglas]

ESPN achieved what they wanted. They'll talk about it for all eternity.

[In2ition]

SI has Booker at 64. He keeps sliding as he gets better and puts up better numbers.

[suns91fan]

SI has Booker at 64. He keeps sliding as he gets better and puts up better numbers.

Maybe raw numbers. According to advanced stats, his improvements from rookie season were marginal at best. I expect he'll do better next season, but it remains to be seen. I'll be disappointed if nine months from now he doesn't make some sort of leap.

[TOO]

Basketball was better before the nerds took over.

[suns91fan]

Basketball was better before the nerds took over.

I assume when they show those stats on screen during games, you turn away your head? I mean, you can't let your eyes get tainted by those scary numbers.

[RaisingArizona]

Basketball was better before the nerds took over.

I assume when they show those stats on screen during games, you turn away your head? I mean, you can't let your eyes get tainted by those scary numbers.

Watching games provides way more insight and context than analyzing the hell out of box scores ever will.

[bwgood77]

Basketball was better before the nerds took over.

I assume when they show those stats on screen during games, you turn away your head? I mean, you can't let your eyes get tainted by those scary numbers.

Watching games provides way more insight and context than analyzing the hell out of box scores ever will.

And watching games while also analyzing numbers provides the most insight.

[suns91fan]

Basketball was better before the nerds took over.

I assume when they show those stats on screen during games, you turn away your head? I mean, you can't let your eyes get tainted by those scary numbers.

Watching games provides way more insight and context than analyzing the hell out of box scores ever will.

Why do you assume i don't watch games? I don't think i've missed more than ten games per season for the last decade. And all that while relying on bad streams all the time.

[Walt_Uoob]

Booker will probably have another high-volume low-efficiency season this year but I'm with those who think his game will round out really well as he ages and the team improves. But if that doesn't happen in a pretty big way pretty soon, he will get a chucker reputation among non-Suns fans that will be hard to shake (not that I particularly care but I don't want to read national writers and casual fans misunderstanding him for the next 15 years).

[bwgood77]

2. Which young guards do you expect to make the top 30 within the next two years?

Holmes: CJ McCollum and Devin Booker. McCollum's scoring average has risen every season, and at just 25, you have to expect he'll only get better from here. Booker, meanwhile, showcased his frightening scoring talents last season in a 70-point outburst in Boston. What's even more frightening: Booker is somehow only 20.

MacMahon: McCollum should be top 30 now. He will be next season. Devin Booker, Lonzo Ball and Dennis Smith Jr. are on their way. Analytics don't put Booker in a favorable light, but I'll take my chances on a dude who averaged 22 points per game at age 20 and embraces all that comes along with being the face of a franchise. Ball will be the best passer of his generation. Smith is already on a short list with Russell Westbrook and John Wall as the league's most athletic point guards.

Pelton: That's only a small jump for McCollum, so even though he has less development ahead of him he's probably the most likely to get there. Devin Booker looks like the best bet of the younger prospects based on his prodigious scoring, which should translate into a high rating. The next two years are a bit aggressive for Ball, Markelle Fultz and Smith, though I think all three will move into the top 30 at some point in the not-so-distant future.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarank5on520682346/5-5-experts-joel-embiid-lonzo-ball-devin-booker-more-rising-stars-nbarank

The two other guys didn't mention Booker. Both mentioned McCollum and one mentioned Ball.

[In2ition]

2. Which young guards do you expect to make the top 30 within the next two years?

Holmes: CJ McCollum and Devin Booker. McCollum's scoring average has risen every season, and at just 25, you have to expect he'll only get better from here. Booker, meanwhile, showcased his frightening scoring talents last season in a 70-point outburst in Boston. What's even more frightening: Booker is somehow only 20.

MacMahon: McCollum should be top 30 now. He will be next season. Devin Booker, Lonzo Ball and Dennis Smith Jr. are on their way. Analytics don't put Booker in a favorable light, but I'll take my chances on a dude who averaged 22 points per game at age 20 and embraces all that comes along with being the face of a franchise. Ball will be the best passer of his generation. Smith is already on a short list with Russell Westbrook and John Wall as the league's most athletic point guards.

Pelton: That's only a small jump for McCollum, so even though he has less development ahead of him he's probably the most likely to get there. Devin Booker looks like the best bet of the younger prospects based on his prodigious scoring, which should translate into a high rating. The next two years are a bit aggressive for Ball, Markelle Fultz and Smith, though I think all three will move into the top 30 at some point in the not-so-distant future.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarank5on520682346/5-5-experts-joel-embiid-lonzo-ball-devin-booker-more-rising-stars-nbarank

The two other guys didn't mention Booker. Both mentioned McCollum and one mentioned Ball.

Yeah, there are a lot of guys that are super skeptical of Booker even getting better. Some see him more as a low % chucker like OJ Mayo or Tyreke Evans.

[bwgood77]

2. Which young guards do you expect to make the top 30 within the next two years?

Holmes: CJ McCollum and Devin Booker. McCollum's scoring average has risen every season, and at just 25, you have to expect he'll only get better from here. Booker, meanwhile, showcased his frightening scoring talents last season in a 70-point outburst in Boston. What's even more frightening: Booker is somehow only 20.

MacMahon: McCollum should be top 30 now. He will be next season. Devin Booker, Lonzo Ball and Dennis Smith Jr. are on their way. Analytics don't put Booker in a favorable light, but I'll take my chances on a dude who averaged 22 points per game at age 20 and embraces all that comes along with being the face of a franchise. Ball will be the best passer of his generation. Smith is already on a short list with Russell Westbrook and John Wall as the league's most athletic point guards.

Pelton: That's only a small jump for McCollum, so even though he has less development ahead of him he's probably the most likely to get there. Devin Booker looks like the best bet of the younger prospects based on his prodigious scoring, which should translate into a high rating. The next two years are a bit aggressive for Ball, Markelle Fultz and Smith, though I think all three will move into the top 30 at some point in the not-so-distant future.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarank5on520682346/5-5-experts-joel-embiid-lonzo-ball-devin-booker-more-rising-stars-nbarank

The two other guys didn't mention Booker. Both mentioned McCollum and one mentioned Ball.

Yeah, there are a lot of guys that are super skeptical of Booker even getting better. Some see him more as a low % chucker like OJ Mayo or Tyreke Evans.

That guy was just pointing out that those guys had similar stats as Booker in their first two years, though both were better at rebounds and steals while one was quite a bit better passer. Tyreke was a far worse 3 pt shooter, though Mayo was quite a bit better at it.

The advanced #s favor those guys though, by quite a bit.

http://bkref.com/tiny/sSpJ9

The guy who wrote that they could be Booker's floor is a Suns fan, though.

[RaisingArizona]

I assume when they show those stats on screen during games, you turn away your head? I mean, you can't let your eyes get tainted by those scary numbers.

Watching games provides way more insight and context than analyzing the hell out of box scores ever will.

Why do you assume i don't watch games? I don't think i've missed more than ten games per season for the last decade. And all that while relying on bad streams all the time.

Sorry if it seemed that way. I wasn't calling you out specifically. The media in general (ESPN).

[TOO]

Basketball was better before the nerds took over.

I assume when they show those stats on screen during games, you turn away your head? I mean, you can't let your eyes get tainted by those scary numbers.

Analytics has turned the game into a game full of specialists. It's annoying, so few people can play at all 3 level offensively, and nobody plays defense. Everyone just shoots 3's because its the "best" shot. Basketball has been so dumbed down because of all these scary numbers. Also, you can take your snark and swallow it, nerd.

[jcsunsfan]

I assume when they show those stats on screen during games, you turn away your head? I mean, you can't let your eyes get tainted by those scary numbers.

Watching games provides way more insight and context than analyzing the hell out of box scores ever will.

And watching games while also analyzing numbers provides the most insight.

But there is a whole host of people who only look at numbers. They forget, for instance, that Devin was injured the first 2 months of the season, or that once the vets sat, he had the other team's best defender on him at all times.

[suns91fan]

Basketball was better before the nerds took over.

I assume when they show those stats on screen during games, you turn away your head? I mean, you can't let your eyes get tainted by those scary numbers.

Analytics has turned the game into a game full of specialists. It's annoying, so few people can play at all 3 level offensively, and nobody plays defense. Everyone just shoots 3's because its the "best" shot. Basketball has been so dumbed down because of all these scary numbers. Also, you can take your snark and swallow it, nerd.

Don't blame analytics for today's game. Blame the rules. Analytics are simply a pointer to what is effective and what is not.

And not sure what's your problem with nerds. They gave you the ability to watch games without being in the arena, they gave you the ability to post your opinions online for everyone to see, they gave you the ability to go back through time and watch games that happened few decades ago. Without them, basketball would not reach 10% of popularity it has today, if even that. So unless you were a big fan of basketball in the 40s or 50s, i think your hate is misdirected.

[bwgood77]

Watching games provides way more insight and context than analyzing the hell out of box scores ever will.

And watching games while also analyzing numbers provides the most insight.

But there is a whole host of people who only look at numbers. They forget, for instance, that Devin was injured the first 2 months of the season, or that once the vets sat, he had the other team's best defender on him at all times.

Sure, but those are the types of things he is likely to have to deal with as his career goes on. Ultimately we don't know how much the turf toe hurt him but it seemed to get better all on it's own while playing. He may have to get used to having the best defender on him if he hopes to be great.

[bwgood77]

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