Suns’ Booker, Paul ranked by The Ringer as top 20 players in NBA
May 5, 2021, 7:16 AM
Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns talks with Devin Booker #1 during the second half of the NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Phoenix Suns Arena on December 29, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
It’s time for everyone’s favorite exercise that we all totally agree on and don’t argue about at all!
The Ringer released a list of its top 25 players in the NBA, using a panel of four writers.
As expected, Phoenix Suns guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul both made the cut.
Booker was ranked 20th: The Ringer’s Rob Mahoney went into detail about the threat Booker is for opposing defenses:
There’s proof of that in the Suns’ minutes without Paul, when Booker runs even more pick-and-roll and keeps the offense absolutely sizzling. It doesn’t really matter whether he’s surrounded by starters or reserves; there’s always a way for Booker to get going, to improvise a bucket through relentless creativity. As a genuine three-level scorer, his power comes from possession. Defenders don’t have much choice but to take every hesitation and shot fake seriously. The next one could be the pull-up that puts the game away.
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Booker is notably ranked one spot lower than Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal. Those two have a real case as being the best two-guard in the league, depending on how you want to classify Los Angeles Clippers wing Paul George, Miami Heat wing Jimmy Butler and so on.
Paul finds himself a bit higher than Booker at No 12. Here’s The Ringer’s Dan Devine on how Paul has changed the Suns’ identity and potential.
Booker’s the headliner, but the Suns operate like a classic CP3 team: slow-paced and careful with the ball, elite in the half court, disciplined on defense, excellent in crunch time. He augments both Phoenix’s poise and its snarl.
Bringing in Paul to replace Ricky Rubio promised to raise Phoenix’s floor. But Paul continuing to play at this level also vaults the Suns’ ceiling, all the way up to the rarefied air reserved for title contenders.
Again, if we’re including Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden and Dallas Mavericks wing Luka Doncic as point guards, which we probably should, The Point God is placed as the fifth-best point guard. The game’s deepest position has Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry fourth and Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard 11th, along with Harden eighth and Doncic 10th.
MVP frontrunner and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic holds the top spot on The Ringer’s list, followed by Los Angeles Lakers wing LeBron James and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
