The Phoenix Suns are hitting the reset button for the upcoming season. After trading away Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal this offseason, the team’s direction has completely changed.
Their biggest addition? Jalen Green from the Rockets, who came over in the Durant trade. But with a serious gap at point guard, Devin Booker is stepping up to fill the void.
According to Suns insider John Gambadoro, Booker will take over as Phoenix’s full-time starting point guard next season. The team believes he’s ready for the challenge.
This isn’t completely new territory for Booker. Even with Tyus Jones handling point guard duties last season, Booker still led the team with 7.1 assists per game – a personal best for the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
He managed this while still putting up 25.6 points per game.
Jones left for the Magic in free agency this summer, creating the opening for Booker’s position change.
It’s worth noting that Booker’s playmaking has improved dramatically in recent years. Early in his career, he averaged around four assists per game, but that number has jumped to nearly seven over the past two seasons.
“The Suns aren’t forcing him to play PG. Devin Booker wants to play PG don’t get it twisted,” one fan pointed out on social media.
Some might worry that Booker’s scoring will drop if he’s running the offense, but other star guards have shown you can do both. Hawks’ Trae Young led the league with 11.6 assists last season while still scoring 24.2 points per game.
Pistons’ Cade Cunningham put up 26.1 points and 9.2 assists per game last season.
There’s no reason Booker can’t maintain his scoring (around 25 points per game) while dishing out close to 10 assists in his new role.
The Suns aren’t leaving him without backup, though. They’ve signed Jared Butler as a reserve point guard and brought back Collin Gillespie on a standard contract to provide depth behind their star.
At 28, Booker is entering his prime years. This position switch might just be what both he and the rebuilding Suns need right now.
