ESPN.com: Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker a lottery pick who stood out in Summer League

The Phoenix Suns chose Devin Booker with the 13th pick in this year’s NBA Draft because the former Kentucky Wildcat can shoot.

True, there are other things they also liked about the 6-foot-6 guard with good athleticism, but his ability to shoot is what really helps him stand out.

And once he got that shot going in the Las Vegas Summer League, everyone got a chance to see what exactly has the Suns so excited about his future.

It’s also why David Thorpe, in an ESPN Insider piece going over lottery picks who stood out during summer league, put Booker on the list.

Key summer-league stats:
15.3 PPG, 40.0 FG%, 40.0 3P%

Booker helped the Suns make it to the Vegas title game and has a chance to be an elite-level skill guy with some athleticism. He missed his first eight 3s in Vegas before hitting 12 of his final 22 attempts, but was aggressive in hunting shots overall. He also showed good explosiveness on his pull-up jumper in the paint, an excellent way to always get a good shot off.

With a shot as good as his, it was a smart plan for him to be aggressive this summer, though he’ll likely be more cautious early in his career.

Booker’s summer line included a 31-point outburst in the summer league semifinals, with 15 of them coming from the 3-point line.

What kind of role the Suns have in mind for Booker this season remains to be seen. Just 18 years old, there will likely be some growing pains as he transitions from a top college prospect to a consistent NBA player.

Furthermore, it has been proven time and time again that summer league success does not necessarily beget quality play once the regular season begins. That said, no one should be upset that Booker did exactly what he was supposed to do — if not even more than that — when given the opportunity to play big minutes in Las Vegas.