Devin Booker became a All-NBA First Team pick for the first time this season. (Photo by Phoenix Suns)
I have to admit I was a little surprised when Devin Booker was recently named to the All-NBA First Team that it was the first such honor.
It just seems like Booker has developed into such a prolific scorer that he would already have earned that type of honor based on what he’s done with the Phoenix Suns, who were 64-18 last season.
Booker averaged a career-best 26.8 points per game and shot 46.6 percent from the field during the regular season in his seventh NBA season. He scored in double figures in every game and had 30 or more points 28 times, including three times during the playoffs.
Not bad for a player who did not start at UK on the 38-1 2014-15 team when he averaged 10 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He did make 58 3-pointers despite his limited playing time and was the 13th pick in the 2015 draft.
All this reminded me of the first time I saw him play at the 2013 Marshall County Hoopfest when he put on a show that was hard to forget with UK coach John Calipari and a ton of UK fans watching.
He scored 40 points in a loss to Ballard and Louisville signee Quentin Snider. He hit from 3. He went left to score. He drove right to score. He got to the basket but also showed off a nifty floater.
Ballard double teamed him — and sometimes triple teamed him because he was not on an overly talented team — but it did not matter. He also got the foul line 24 times and certainly proved he could play through contact without ever complaining.
I thought after watching Booker play that he was going to be special. However, never did I imagine he would be quite as special as he turned out to be.
