Devin Booker named to Bleacher Report’s 23 under 23 ranking
Aug 4, 2019, 7:01 PM
Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns reacts alongside Deandre Ayton #22 after scoring against the Boston Celtics during the second half of the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on November 8, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Celtics defeated the Suns 116-109 in overtime.(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
In a Bleacher Report ranking of the NBA’s 23 best players under the age of 23, the Suns’ Devin Booker was 5th overall on the list.
Last season, he recorded 26.6 point per game, 4.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists.
Booker is joined by 21-year-old Suns’ center Deandre Ayton, as the only two representatives of the team on the ranking.
Ayton was placed in the middle of the young NBA talent at 12 overall.
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Bleacher Report awarded Booker his top-five spot because of how his scoring and assist output per 36 minutes compares to some of the leagues legends.
What Booker has done amid his workload is relatively new. Only three other players have matched his scoring and assist output per 36 minutes, true shooting percentage and total court time through their first four seasons: Walter Davis, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson. Of those three, only Jordan owned a usage rate higher than Booker’s 29.
Although Booker and others on the list have solidified themselves as NBA players, some on the ranking haven’t even touched an NBA court during the regular season yet.
Zion Williamson No. 2, Ja Morant No. 16 and RJ Barrett No. 18 all landed on the list despite their lack of professional experience.
Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic received the top spot on the Bleacher Report rankings while the New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson ranked 23rd.
