Devin Booker Deserves to Enter the “G.O.A.T” Debate
Photo from USA Today Sports
It’s time to use “Devin Booker” and “The G.O.A.T” in the same sentence.
As the Phoenix Suns continue to lead the Western Conference and the NBA as a whole, Booker continues to develop as a generational talent. He has scored 11,000 points in his seven-year career, the fourth-youngest player to reach this milestone. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant are his teammates in that category. So is it time for Booker to enter the running to be named Greatest of all Time, or at least this season’s MVP? Isiah Thomas thinks so, and I’m inclined to agree.
There isn’t much of a difference between Booker’s stats and those of Nikola Jokić, MVP of the 2020-21 season, and Booker has been shining even brighter when Chris Paul was out with an injury. With Paul returning just in time to close out the season, the Phoenix Suns should be unstoppable.
If any fan-favorite in Phoenix is going to be named the Greatest of all Time, it’s more likely to be an established player like Paul. Paul hasn’t won any championship rings either, and if the Suns win the NBA finals this year the addition of a ring makes Paul more eligible for GOAT status than Booker.
It’s worth mentioning that Devin Booker is only 25, there’s time yet for him to further develop his game.
Booker was making history in Phoenix long before scoring his 11,000th career point. He leads the Suns in points scored per game, per half, and per quarter, a record he set seven years ago as the youngest player to ever score 70+ points in a single game.
On the seven-year anniversary of that game, Booker had another spectacular night and scored 49 points against the Denver Nuggets. On March 27th, he scored 35 points and led the Suns to their eighth consecutive win.
He’s emerged as a leader, started the season with a hamstring injury, and is now averaging 26 points per game.
What else does Devin Booker need to do to be seriously considered one of the greats?
