Devin Booker

[bwgood77]

I'm glad eating crow right now. I hated him as a prospect (i'm too enamorated with defensive/high motor guys now).
He's being a blessing for us. Obviously he isnt Klay, but how good he can be with an average defense in the future? that's a crazy high ceiling.

It's early in his career but he's starting to look like this guys who cant take a bad shot anymore.
Every attempt is beautiful and has a great chance to hit.
Cant wait to see our crowd getting mad when he missesa 35-ft 3pt hahaha.

Can you forgive me, Booker?

Who was better at 19, Booker or Klay? I am tired of comparing him to Klay and automatically setting a limit on his potential as if he can't be a better player. He is Devin Booker and I am damn happy about what he is and can become, sky's the limit.

Who was better at 19, Booker or Jordan?

I'd love to compare him to guys like Curry and Jordan at that age, but those guys were probably still in college, against easier competition. I doubt he gets to that level, but he could....I mean when he his in the company of Durant and LeBron for scoring points at a young age, that can't be discounted.

[oddity]

There was an article I posted earlier that Klay isn't nearly as productive when Curry is off court because Curry demands so much attention. Klay benefits in a HUGE way from playing with Curry.

I can believe that. Just the eye test shows that he's less comfortable as the main playmaker for the team. Then again, Curry's been pretty healthy these past couple of years (guess he finally fixed that one ankle), so we really need a bigger sample size closer to now to really determine that.

[Qwigglez]

There was an article I posted earlier that Klay isn't nearly as productive when Curry is off court because Curry demands so much attention. Klay benefits in a HUGE way from playing with Curry.

I can believe that. Just the eye test shows that he's less comfortable as the main playmaker for the team. Then again, Curry's been pretty healthy these past couple of years (guess he finally fixed that one ankle), so we really need a bigger sample size closer to now to really determine that.

Well when Curry is sitting on the bench and Klay is still in the game, I believe his stats drastically decrease. But I bet the same is true for all the Warriors players when Curry sits.

[thamadkant]

Booker and Thompson arent even that similar except for their light coloured skin, they play SG and being elite outside shooters.

Thompson is;
- plays bigger, no problem guarding SFs and SGs. Wirey strong and hard bodied.
- A much better defender... Night in and Night out guards the other team's best perimeter player.
- more biased towards catch and shoot, rather play off the ball most of the time. A really hard player to cover.
- Crafty scorer inside... and lightning quick release from the arc.

Booker is;
- Likes to draw defenses away from players he wants to set up. Playmaker mindset.
- Not as quick in shot release, but more patient. Wont shoot circus 3pt shots like Thompson does.
- Terrible defender, he tries HARD a lot, but easily faked into one direction, sometimes gets lost and loses his man.



With that said.
Booker has potential to be a BETTER offensive player simply because he likes to make the pass to the open man.
Both cant dribble well enough to beat defenders penetrating the paint, but thats fine.
I said many times, Booker is 2 years away from being a real contributor, but I'm happy to eat crow and say he is ready next season, assuming he builds his stamina for a 30+ minute 82 game regular season schedule.
Booker wont be the defender Thompson is... but thats fine, Thompson is elite there, but he is currently the worst perimeter defender on the Suns, but should improve.

Booker has potential to be a very very rich man's JJ Redick, AGAIN, not a knock. Redick has been one of the BEST SGs in the last few weeks, check his win shares, his FG and 3PT percentages. NOT A DIS to Booker at all.
A very rich man's Redick pretty much means a Star-level SG sharp shooter with good offensive impact on and off the ball.


Kawhi is my favourite player at the moment so I'm harsh on players who are terrible defense wise. But Booker has been a heck of a player to watch offensively, I have not enjoyed someone's offensive game-style on the Suns since Nash.


Everyone here pretty much knows I'm high on Goodwin and Len and Warren... and I just think these 3 can mesh well with Booker and whomever the Suns can draft in the top 4 in July hopefully. Goodwin and Booker is a JOY to watch IN MY EYES... slasher, shooter, athleticism, finesse etc. So I dont mind the loses as long as I get to see these 2 along with Warren and Len get tons of minutes. That Spurs game was the best game I saw this season, league pass has been disappointing but if I see more games with young players developing.. I'm happy with my purchase.

[Blackification]

Booker and Thompson arent even that similar except for their light coloured skin, they play SG and being elite outside shooters.

Thompson is;
- plays bigger, no problem guarding SFs and SGs. Wirey strong and hard bodied.
- A much better defender... Night in and Night out guards the other team's best perimeter player.
- more biased towards catch and shoot, rather play off the ball most of the time. A really hard player to cover.
- Crafty scorer inside... and lightning quick release from the arc.

Booker is;
- Likes to draw defenses away from players he wants to set up. Playmaker mindset.
- Not as quick in shot release, but more patient. Wont shoot circus 3pt shots like Thompson does.
- Terrible defender, he tries HARD a lot, but easily faked into one direction, sometimes gets lost and loses his man.

Unfair to both players to compare 19 year old rookie booker to current all star klay thompson. Also, I highly doubt klay was an elite defender as a rookie or even a good one. That might be your point when you stated they arent very similar but i think people should compare their rookie years

[Djedefre]

Klay's drtg in R season was 111, Book's current is 112. So the difference is negligible, especially knowing that Klay was 21 when entered the league. Size and frame are good with Book, but the movement is off which is expected given his age and NCAA-NBA transition. He definitely has the potential to be a solid defender, but as always, time will tell.

[kennydorglas]

What makes Klay so special is his ability to block. It's extremely rare to see a sharpshooter who can stay in front of his man AND recover with blocks when he loses ground.

He always had it (check his block stats in WSU, pretty much in every year he had nearly a block per game there).
It's a super special trait.

Booker not being able to be a 'complete' Klay isnt a shame at all. Like I said, if he becomes an average defender, the sky is really the limit here. He just have to lock in on defense and try as hard as possible to stay in front of his guy. That's all he needs to do.

His offensive game is pure as ****. He's already a very good facilitator.
It's only a matter of time.

[JMac1]

Klay benefits humongously from Curry, the guy gets wide-open shots like crazy. I watched the Pacers game last night and I was in awe at how many open shots Steph got those guys and himself because of the mad scrabble his passing creates after they double him. An open Steph 3 is like an above average NBA player free-throw attempt, crazy.

I am not worried about Booker's defense at this time until we include ref favortism in his calls, then we will actually know how good or bad his defense will be. He is playing without any ref bias and Klay gets a ton. Hard to be aggressive when they call everything.

[oddity]

To be fair, Booker is pretty reliant on screens as of now. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because a good offense is one that uses screens often, but I would love to see him improve his handling and confidence to the point where he's ABLE to take it himself regularly. Being able to iso is definitely an overrated trait, but I feel that it could round out Booker's offensive game perfectly, to the point where he becomes unguardable. He'll probably never reach the level of a ball-dominant pg, but just a biiiiiit more is all he needs, and he has a ton of time to pull it off.

EDIT: And I think he can make this change, as opposed to Klay who never did, because of Devin's increased role so early in his career. Horny's been vocal about increasing Booker's role, to the point where he's the focal point of the entire offense in his ROOKIE YEAR. Booker is going to need to add more to his one-on-one game because his role will further and further demand it, as opposed to Klay, who was working on his shooting more than anything in his early career as a role player for the Warriors. Booker definitely has the quickness to capitalize on a handles improvement, and it would fit into his game perfectly

[jcsunsfan]

To be fair, Booker is pretty reliant on screens as of now. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because a good offense is one that uses screens often, but I would love to see him improve his handling and confidence to the point where he's ABLE to take it himself regularly. Being able to iso is definitely an overrated trait, but I feel that it could round out Booker's offensive game perfectly, to the point where he becomes unguardable. He'll probably never reach the level of a ball-dominant pg, but just a biiiiiit more is all he needs, and he has a ton of time to pull it off.

EDIT: And I think he can make this change, as opposed to Klay who never did, because of Devin's increased role so early in his career. Horny's been vocal about increasing Booker's role, to the point where he's the focal point of the entire offense in his ROOKIE YEAR. Booker is going to need to add more to his one-on-one game because his role will further and further demand it, as opposed to Klay, who was working on his shooting more than anything in his early career as a role player for the Warriors. Booker definitely has the quickness to capitalize on a handles improvement, and it would fit into his game perfectly

A guy who is money hitting jumpers off of screens is gold in this league. But he is much more than that. He is also pretty good passing the ball. He is by no means a ball hog and will set up teammates willingly.

[oddity]

To be fair, Booker is pretty reliant on screens as of now. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because a good offense is one that uses screens often, but I would love to see him improve his handling and confidence to the point where he's ABLE to take it himself regularly. Being able to iso is definitely an overrated trait, but I feel that it could round out Booker's offensive game perfectly, to the point where he becomes unguardable. He'll probably never reach the level of a ball-dominant pg, but just a biiiiiit more is all he needs, and he has a ton of time to pull it off.

EDIT: And I think he can make this change, as opposed to Klay who never did, because of Devin's increased role so early in his career. Horny's been vocal about increasing Booker's role, to the point where he's the focal point of the entire offense in his ROOKIE YEAR. Booker is going to need to add more to his one-on-one game because his role will further and further demand it, as opposed to Klay, who was working on his shooting more than anything in his early career as a role player for the Warriors. Booker definitely has the quickness to capitalize on a handles improvement, and it would fit into his game perfectly

A guy who is money hitting jumpers off of screens is gold in this league. But he is much more than that. He is also pretty good passing the ball. He is by no means a ball hog and will set up teammates willingly.

Yea, of course. I just think the next step toward stardom would be a tighter handle. His game is already very good, and will only get more polished with more experience. I'm just speculating if he can expand his game outward slightly, and how it would effect his ceiling.

[JMac1]

To be fair, Booker is pretty reliant on screens as of now. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because a good offense is one that uses screens often, but I would love to see him improve his handling and confidence to the point where he's ABLE to take it himself regularly. Being able to iso is definitely an overrated trait, but I feel that it could round out Booker's offensive game perfectly, to the point where he becomes unguardable. He'll probably never reach the level of a ball-dominant pg, but just a biiiiiit more is all he needs, and he has a ton of time to pull it off.

EDIT: And I think he can make this change, as opposed to Klay who never did, because of Devin's increased role so early in his career. Horny's been vocal about increasing Booker's role, to the point where he's the focal point of the entire offense in his ROOKIE YEAR. Booker is going to need to add more to his one-on-one game because his role will further and further demand it, as opposed to Klay, who was working on his shooting more than anything in his early career as a role player for the Warriors. Booker definitely has the quickness to capitalize on a handles improvement, and it would fit into his game perfectly

A guy who is money hitting jumpers off of screens is gold in this league. But he is much more than that. He is also pretty good passing the ball. He is by no means a ball hog and will set up teammates willingly.

Yea, of course. I just think the next step toward stardom would be a tighter handle. His game is already very good, and will only get more polished with more experience. I'm just speculating if he can expand his game outward slightly, and how it would effect his ceiling.

[oddity]

A guy who is money hitting jumpers off of screens is gold in this league. But he is much more than that. He is also pretty good passing the ball. He is by no means a ball hog and will set up teammates willingly.

Yea, of course. I just think the next step toward stardom would be a tighter handle. His game is already very good, and will only get more polished with more experience. I'm just speculating if he can expand his game outward slightly, and how it would effect his ceiling.

Bruh. Don't misrepresent what I'm saying now. I didn't say he wouldn't improve at all before. It's obvious a player will naturally polish their games more with more experience. That has nothing to do with my calling you out on your age argument. Quit strawmaning what I'm saying just because you can't hold up a counterargument.

To clarify, what I objected to was your asserting that Klay and Devin would improve at either the same rate, or Booker would just end up better because he's producing better at a younger age. I never said Booker wouldn't improve: it's almost a given that every player will improve with experience. But the role that age has to do with it isn't nearly at all large enough to make the argument that you made. There's no problem speculating a player will improve, but the question is how much.

[JMac1]

Yea, of course. I just think the next step toward stardom would be a tighter handle. His game is already very good, and will only get more polished with more experience. I'm just speculating if he can expand his game outward slightly, and how it would effect his ceiling.

Bruh. Don't misrepresent what I'm saying now. I didn't say he wouldn't improve at all before. It's obvious a player will naturally polish their games more with more experience. That has nothing to do with my calling you out on your age argument. Quit strawmaning what I'm saying just because you can't hold up a counterargument.

You can deny what ever you want to deny. You lose all credibility when you deny the fact that age is the most important factor when assessing an athlete's ceiling physically and mentally, if you can't see that, there is no counter argument in the world that will wake you up, believe that.

Edit: Scenario: Athlete A is better than athlete B at the same age, who will be better at in 5 years? I guess you would pick athlete B Base off of variables unknown; and since you cannot predict anything but what is true of the athletes today, most rational thinkers would say all things being relative, athlete B.

5 to 1, you still will disregard that rational synthesis.

[oddity]

Bruh. Don't misrepresent what I'm saying now. I didn't say he wouldn't improve at all before. It's obvious a player will naturally polish their games more with more experience. That has nothing to do with my calling you out on your age argument. Quit strawmaning what I'm saying just because you can't hold up a counterargument.

You can deny what ever you want to deny. You lose all credibility when you deny the fact that age is the most important factor when assessing an athlete's ceiling physically and mentally, if you can't see that, there is no counter argument in the world that will wake you up, believe that.

No, it really isn't. The most important part of assessing a player's ceiling, call me crazy, is his GAME. If the most important factor was age Devin Booker would've gone first overall. Would you consider MJ a worse prospect than Sebastian Telfair because the latter came into the league at a younger age. It's straight up flawed logic.

[JMac1]

Bruh. Don't misrepresent what I'm saying now. I didn't say he wouldn't improve at all before. It's obvious a player will naturally polish their games more with more experience. That has nothing to do with my calling you out on your age argument. Quit strawmaning what I'm saying just because you can't hold up a counterargument.

You can deny what ever you want to deny. You lose all credibility when you deny the fact that age is the most important factor when assessing an athlete's ceiling physically and mentally, if you can't see that, there is no counter argument in the world that will wake you up, believe that.

No, it really isn't. The most important part of assessing a player's ceiling, call me crazy, is his GAME. If the most important factor was age Devin Booker would've gone first overall. Would you consider MJ a worse prospect than Sebastian Telfair because the latter came into the league at a younger age. It's straight up flawed logic.

That's called an outlier, you want to include an outlier as a predictor....wow!

[oddity]

You can deny what ever you want to deny. You lose all credibility when you deny the fact that age is the most important factor when assessing an athlete's ceiling physically and mentally, if you can't see that, there is no counter argument in the world that will wake you up, believe that.

No, it really isn't. The most important part of assessing a player's ceiling, call me crazy, is his GAME. If the most important factor was age Devin Booker would've gone first overall. Would you consider MJ a worse prospect than Sebastian Telfair because the latter came into the league at a younger age. It's straight up flawed logic.

That's called an outlier, you want to include an outlier as a predictor....wow!

Sorry, what are you calling an outlier?

Ok wait, I just saw your edit that I missed earlier. The problem with that argument is assuming it exists in a vacuume. IF those 2 players were similar enough, and in a similar situation, with just different ages, then that makes sense. But that is NEVER EVER the case in sports. Klay and Devin are different enough players to destroy that argument by itself. To further hammer this home, Devin, for instance, isn't going to become a dunk contest player no matter how old he is, because he naturally just doesn't have the athletic profile for it. That doesn't matter if he comes into the league at 19 or 29. He isn't necessarily going to expand his game/athletic profile just naturally over time. The player's situation and game MATTERS when it comes to improvement, and to chalk it all up to age is the shallowest argument you can make.

[Frank Lee]

Screw Klay... he has Curry and nobody else will.....


Can Booker be Rip Hamilton ? He seems to have similar tools/size.

This is a pretty good watch from a few years back...
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHcvntjSwog[/youtube]

[JMac1]

http://web.stanford.edu/class/stats50/

Course overview

The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the use of mathematics, statistics, and probability in the analysis of sports performance, sports records, and strategy. Topics include mathematical analysis of the physics of sports and the determinations of optimal strategies.

Our objective is for students to use these tools over the duration of the course to develop new diagnostic statistics and strategies for sports.

I took this class when I was an undergrad at UCLA, maybe you should too.

[JMac1]

No, it really isn't. The most important part of assessing a player's ceiling, call me crazy, is his GAME. If the most important factor was age Devin Booker would've gone first overall. Would you consider MJ a worse prospect than Sebastian Telfair because the latter came into the league at a younger age. It's straight up flawed logic.

That's called an outlier, you want to include an outlier as a predictor....wow!

Sorry, what are you calling an outlier?

I appreciate your honesty. Your Jordan example.