Big Blue everything: Phoenix welcomes another Kentucky Wildcat
Jun 25, 2015, 6:48 PM | Updated: 7:26 pm
After making Kentucky swingman Devin Booker their first round selection with the No. 13 overall pick, one-third of the Suns roster hails from the University of Kentucky.
With guards Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Archie Goodwin and now Booker on the roster, the Suns will feature a Big Blue backcourt which they hope will land them back in the playoffs.
Like his fellow Wildcat brethren, Booker arrives in Phoenix after spending only one year in the defacto NBA prospect factory that resides in Lexington, Kentucky. Like Goodwin, Booker is the youngest draft-eligible player at the time of his selection, as he won’t turn 19 until Oct. 30. However, coming in with the reputation as a long-range sniper, Booker is a departure from the athletic, slashing type of play that has come to define the respective games of Bledsoe, Knight and Goodwin.
Shooting 41.1 percent from three, Booker ranked second on Kentucky in three-point percentage, and third in scoring, averaging 10 points per game behind Aaron Harrison and the No. 1 pick in 2015 NBA Draft, Karl-Anthony Towns.
How much of an impact Booker has his first year in Phoenix, of course, remains to be seen. The Suns have a cadre of players with similar body types playing similar positions. Bledsoe and Knight are the projected starting guards for head coach Jeff Hornacek, while Goodwin has shown flashes of potential in coming off the bench. If the Suns go small, P.J. Tucker and T.J. Warren figure to be preferred choices in such a scenario.
In the end, not unlike Warren last year, Booker may be forced to bide his time and wait his turn. But this much is certain, Phoenix’s collection of ‘Cats continues for at least one more season.
