Booker Report

[Superbone]

Let's talk all things Booker.

What gives? Has he hit the sophomore slump? He has been pedestrian the last couple of weeks. The luster has come off. The flashes of brilliance have come less and less. His shooting has been spotty. It seems like he throws up one air ball a game lately.

Is it just because he has become a number one option and he's being targeted and needs to learn how to handle it better? Is he not all there physically? Foot still bothering him? I'm sure time will help as he develops an NBA body.

I'm a little concerned. The sparkle is missing. What say you all?

[In2ition]

I'm a little concerned too, and honestly it's affected my enthusiasm for the future of the Suns. It feels like he's pressing a little too much, doesn't have the bounce, bravado and step he had this summer. I don't know if it's because of his foot issues at the beginning of the year, the concentration on him by opposing defenses this year, just a natural inconsistency while being the newly anointed "face of the franchise", or having to play with an inconsistent group of me first pgs and a mismash of different agenda players. It's not that I'm looking for the Suns to get a new SG, but I'm hoping to pair him with a star to carry the load and I don't think that Bledsoe or anyone else on the team right now fits that bill. Go lottery! Get me a big pass first franchise changing pg!

[LazarusLong]

I think some may have expected him to morph into Walter Davis overnight.
Davis spent four years against ACC and premier national competition to hone his game.
Booker had one year at Kentucky.
He still has much to learn.
I wonder if he talks to Eddie Johnson at all about shooting and letting the game come to him.

What I wouldn't mind seeing is putting him on the second unit alongside Ulis. I think he'd perk up and feel more comfortable.
Coming off the bench, he could observe the pace of the game and get a feel for what he needs to do. If he gets hot, then he could stay out with the first unit in the second half of the game.

Part of it is on the organization, which again wanted too much too soon.
It is not unlike when the Diamondbacks made Justin Upton the face of that organization and he struggled under the weight of impossible expectations.

[virtual9mm]

There is a reason why people talk of a sophomore slump. I am concerned about his shooting percentages being too low, perhaps because he's making plays that he shouldn't have to be making all the time. Booker is more of a Ray Allen than a Kobe -- I'm glad that he's getting Kobe-type looks but really we should have a pass-first PG feeding him the ball so that he can make some shots assisted rather than unassisted.

Edit -- I think that he'd do well alongside Ulis, and maybe some time with Ulis (keeping him as a starter) might be good for him.

[Cap]

There is a reason why people talk of a sophomore slump. I am concerned about his shooting percentages being too low, perhaps because he's making plays that he shouldn't have to be making all the time. Booker is more of a Ray Allen than a Kobe -- I'm glad that he's getting Kobe-type looks but really we should have a pass-first PG feeding him the ball so that he can make some shots assisted rather than unassisted.

Edit -- I think that he'd do well alongside Ulis, and maybe some time with Ulis (keeping him as a starter) might be good for him.

Bender is another "play the right way" kind of player who might help Booker, though the PG position is obviously more crucial. I'd like to see what a Ulis-Barbosa-Booker-Bender-Chandler lineup can do on offense. (When Warren returns, maybe put him in for Barbosa.)

[specialsauce]

He's having to create all of his shots. He was never billed as a playmaker, coming out of college he was known as a shooter. He would be better served in an offense that knew how to get him open looks. I'd love to see his FG% on spot up shots

[Mori Chu]

I think it must be some combination of his health (lingering foot injury) and the toxic team environment / lack of any offense or ball movement. He's getting nothing easy, having to create everything for himself. Also every team is gearing their defense toward stopping him. I was at the Warriors game and they were very much targeting him on D and making sure he didn't go off. I've seen the same in other games I have watched on TV. Teams probably spend their whole scouting report talking about him and Bledsoe.

[ShelC]

I don't think the team is toxic, just that the talents don't mesh. I agree that guys like Ulis, Booker and Bender play "the right way", whereas Bledsoe and Knight are pound-the-ball and attack their man types. Even when Bledsoe had 30+ the other night, he's not a smooth player. His footwork isn't there, he's off balance and awkward. He's making it work, but he doesn't seem fundamentally sound.

Sophomore slump is probably part of it, plus the fact that he's only 20 years old. Our team isn't good and defenses can focus on him. He was too good for SL so our expectations were probably too high coming into this season. I think he'll be fine but I also don't think he'll be a Kobe type. He's a more well rounded offensive player than Ray Allen IMO but will still be somewhat limited his solid, but not elite athleticism.

[Split T]

Warren coming back should help. We need that 3rd offensive weapon. Lineups with tucker/Chriss/chandler are rough. Defense can almost ignore everyone but bled and book.

[Superbone]

I agree that Bledsoe and Knight need to go. Neither of them play the right way that this team needs. That's on McDonough. We should have never acquired Bledsoe or Knight. McDonough has made every possible wrong move when dealing with our PG position from the start and it is a killer. I've said it before but between Dragic, Bledsoe, Thomas, and Knight, Dragic and Thomas were the keepers. Of course he chose Bledsoe and Knight.

[Superbone]

I'll also add that it is a ray of sunshine every time Ulis plays. Between the three, it's no question to me that I'd rather have Ulis controlling the ball than Bledsoe or Knight.

[Danimal]

I like Booker but yes agreed with the general sentiments here

- A franchise desperate for a saviour over hyped him way too much this offseason. If anything it just drew more attention to him from opposing defences. Much pressure on Devin very quickly
- Our offense blows. Devin is forced to create his own looks a lot. We don't run a lot of Ray Allen type plays for him. See him forcing a lot at times
- Needs more offensive weapons around him and better pg play

[Shabazz]

It's not just his self-created looks that are missing. He's struggling on catch-and-shoot opportunities some too.

This is a weird critique, but I feel like the ball is coming out of his hands in an awkward way when he releases it on jump shots. Almost like it's coming off his palm instead of his fingertips. It's something I've noticed quite a bit when watching him this year.

[Danimal]

It's not just his self-created looks that are missing. He's struggling on catch-and-shoot opportunities some too.

This is a weird critique, but I feel like the ball is coming out of his hands in an awkward way when he releases it on jump shots. Almost like it's coming off his palm instead of his fingertips. It's something I've noticed quite a bit when watching him this year.

interesting. I'll watch for this also

[sunshoopjunky]

Booker will be fine. I have never been a fan of encouraging him to adjust his game to become a great player. I feel like he would do just fine with people telling him to work on his game. The great player part will take care of itself. I don't know if that makes sense as much on the screen as it does in my mind. The point is I think Booker is trying to be a great player when he needs to get back to being Devon Booker. I feel like he is really playing outside of himself lately and I think he may even be being coached to play outside himself at this point. But that's another Report.

[The Bobster]

I think some people just expected too much too soon.

I think he could turn out to be an All-Star caliber, but he's not a transcendent talent. He's going to have to improve his defense and will need somebody to get him some easy baskets.

[O_Gardino]

Warren coming back should help. We need that 3rd offensive weapon. Lineups with tucker/Chriss/chandler are rough. Defense can almost ignore everyone but bled and book.

It's sad, because offense is the better part of Chriss' game. We should be running plays for him.

[O_Gardino]

I think some people just expected too much too soon.

I think he could turn out to be an All-Star caliber, but he's not a transcendent talent. He's going to have to improve his defense and will need somebody to get him some easy baskets.

He played like a transcendent talent at the end of last season. We shouldn't expect him to carry the team this season, but he can be one of the best shooting guards in his generation.

[SDC]

book him off the bench. start bledsoe and knight again. ulis and booker in the second unit

[Split T]

Warren coming back should help. We need that 3rd offensive weapon. Lineups with tucker/Chriss/chandler are rough. Defense can almost ignore everyone but bled and book.

It's sad, because offense is the better part of Chriss' game. We should be running plays for him.

Agreed, right now all Chriss seems to be allowed to do is shoot 3's when he's open and crash the offensive boards. Haven't watched tonight's game yet, but box score looks promising. Was Chriss more involved tonight?