Booker Report

[Gladiator]

I'm not too worried about Booker at all. If you look at his numbers this year compared to his post All Star numbers from last season (when he "broke out") - he's scoring roughly 1 point less in 2 fewer minutes per game, with better shooting percentages this season.
Last March he scored 22 points per game, but that was in a whopping 38 minutes per game and with no-one else who could score, which is unsustainable.
I don't see any regression, more he hasn't taken a massive leap forward from the end of last season than some expected or hoped for. But if you take a step back he's a 20-year-old with a beautiful shooting stroke, giving us 18 ppg and glimpses of his playmaking potential. He's so far down the list of things to be concerned about on this team that it isn't funny, IMO.

[carey]

The leap almost always comes in year 3. LaVine seems to be ahead of schedule. KAT was good out the gate which makes me wonder what his year 3 will look like. Booker was really young, like Bender, when drafted and we need to keep that in mind. I fully expect the leap will come and he'll be the player we all envision him to be. Nothing is guaranteed though. We could, for instance, keep playing him with ball dominate score first PGs for the next year and have only made incremental progress by this point next year. I guess we'll see.

[Shabazz]

I don't think it's fair to pin Booker's struggles on Bledsoe.

[carey]

I don't think it's fair to pin Booker's struggles on Bledsoe.

I don't. I don't think playing with drive & kick guards that never choose the kick option is helping his development though. The defense, the sometimes questionable shot selection, the 3 point % is all Booker.

[Split T]

The leap almost always comes in year 3. LaVine seems to be ahead of schedule. KAT was good out the gate which makes me wonder what his year 3 will look like. Booker was really young, like Bender, when drafted and we need to keep that in mind. I fully expect the leap will come and he'll be the player we all envision him to be. Nothing is guaranteed though. We could, for instance, keep playing him with ball dominate score first PGs for the next year and have only made incremental progress by this point next year. I guess we'll see.

LaVine is in year 3, he's in Warren's draft class.

[carey]

The leap almost always comes in year 3. LaVine seems to be ahead of schedule. KAT was good out the gate which makes me wonder what his year 3 will look like. Booker was really young, like Bender, when drafted and we need to keep that in mind. I fully expect the leap will come and he'll be the player we all envision him to be. Nothing is guaranteed though. We could, for instance, keep playing him with ball dominate score first PGs for the next year and have only made incremental progress by this point next year. I guess we'll see.

LaVine is in year 3, he's in Warren's draft class.

That explains it then. I keep thinking he is in Booker's.

[sunshoopjunky]

I don't think it's fair to pin Booker's struggles on Bledsoe.

I agree.

[sunshoopjunky]

I don't think it's fair to pin Booker's struggles on Bledsoe.

I don't. I don't think playing with drive & kick guards that never choose the kick option is helping his development though. The defense, the sometimes questionable shot selection, the 3 point % is all Booker.

I feel like that may be coaching. I see it over and over. I even see Booker doing it and Watson encouraging him to. Bender not so much maybe why he is in the dog house?