GM Survey: Devin Booker, The 2016-17 Breakout Star
Phoenix Suns Devin Booker received high praise today in an annual NBA General Manager survey.
The annual survey’s answers are mainly used as a gauge for the media and fans to see where GM’s see the state of the league, and the Phoenix Suns hadn’t appeared on the list much recently.
Questions include: Who will win the NBA Championship; Rank the top for teams in each conference; If you were starting a new franchise today and could sign any player, who would it be; and so on.
Of the questions asked, there was only one Phoenix Suns winner:
Which player is most likely to have a breakout season in 2016-17?
To which 31% of General Manager’s answered: Devin Booker.
Devin Booker came on like gangbusters last season, as fellow guards succumbed to season ending injuries. A 19-year old rookie, Booker averaged 13.8 points per game, but it was his scoring and playmaking in the 51 games he started in which he received serious playing time that caught the league’s attention.
Following the All-Star break, when Booker became a focus of the Phoenix Suns’ offense, he averaged 19.2 points per game. Thus, while he averaged just under 6 points less on the season as a whole, his second half output was such that if extrapolated over the course of an entire year, it may be looked upon league-wide as “breakout.”
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However, for Suns fans, that might actually be what we expect.
As a full-time starter, Booker is looking to build upon his rookie year by both raising his scoring output, as well as develop into a more reliable player on defense.
Could Booker average 20+ points per game? With his improved height, can he also become a greater force on the defensive end? Absolutely, and these expectations are validated by the opinions of NBA General Managers.
As a side note, the last Suns player to average over 20 points per game in their second season? Amar’e Stoudemire.
Rookie of the Year?
Also mentioned briefly in this General Manager survey was Marquese Chriss following the question: Who will win the 2016-17 Rookie of the Year?
Though he received less than 10% of the vote (the survey does not mention what percentage he received), it is safe to assume that his strong preseason has helped play into that consideration.
Among rookie leaders in points, rebounds, and blocks, if such a statistical presence could be carried into the regular season with any modicum of consistency, he will likely receive some Rookie of the Year consideration, as Devin Booker did last season.
To read the results of the full survey, click here.