- Slug: Sports-Suns Booker,500
By MEHEE KIM
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – Devin Booker showed up as an unproven 18-year-old in July. Nine months and 82 games later, he’s the anchor on which the Suns hope to dig out of their annual lottery hole.
The shooting guard picked 13th in last year’s draft out of Kentucky will return next season with a target on his back – and he can’t wait.
“It just builds on the pressure for me next year and when I say pressure, it’s a good pressure,” said Booker. “To have high expectations, that’s what I want. Can’t wait for next year.”
Booker finished fourth in scoring among rookies, averaging 13.8 points, most among shooting guards. He averaged 17.7 minutes, seventh among rookies. That and his maturity beyond his years turned heads league-wide as the biggest bright spot in an otherwise dark season.
“I learned a lot, Booker said. “I don’t act as young as I am and everyone stressed that to me throughout the year, just the maturity that I have for a 19-year-old. And that I really do belong in this league. I never doubted it, but I think a lot of people did with me being the youngest player in the league. They doubted how can a 19-year-old play in the NBA? But I think I’ve proved to people that I belong there.”
It didn’t come without trial and error.
“It was a lot to adjust to, but at the same time this is the opportunity I’ve always wanted,” Booker said. “I’ve been saying it all year. It’s unfortunate that some of our players went down, but opened up a chance for me to play and I got an experience a lot of rookies don’t get to. I think it will impact the rest of my career.”
The Suns finished with a disappointing 23-59 record, their sixth straight year missing the playoffs. Injuries and the firing of Jeff Hornacek clouded the season, but Booker and Tyson Chandler said the hiring of Earl Watson boosted the team moral.
“It was a change,” said Booker. “I think at one point in the season we had a mindset where we accepted losing and that’s why we went on a big streak of stringing together a lot of loses. Once Coach Earl took over, we didn’t accept losing anymore. We were fighting in games even when we were 15, 20 behind late. We fought back to almost win a lot of games.”
Chandler agreed.
“It was a tough season with the changes that were made and injuries we had to battle through but I was proud of the guys the way that we continued to fight throughout the season, especially down the stretch,” Chandler said. “Guys showed a lot of character. Guys stepped up and I think it will be very beneficial throughout the summer and coming into next season.”
Chandler applauded Watson on raising the players to their full potential.
“He elevated Markieff Morris before he left, Alex Len grew. And we’ve all seen what Book did.”
Off-season for the Suns is underway. Booker is looking forward to working on his game and spending time with family in Minnesota and Michigan. But he will be back.
“This is home for me,” Booker said.