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Phoenix Suns 2016-2017 Season Preview: Devin Booker

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The biggest name in Phoenix last season was rookie sensation, Devin Booker.

After a First-Team All-Rookie selection, USA Selection Team, and six 30 point games placed on his resume in a single NBA season, it’s right to expect nothing but the best from Booker in 2016-2017.

It’s unknown whether Booker will start the season at the first or second team shooting guard. Depending on whether Booker or Brandon Knight gets the nod will determine whether Booker will have the opportunity to breakout, even more, this season. It isn’t that Booker coming off the bench will stop him from having a big season. But if he’s able to play more minutes with Eric Bledsoe, he’s going to be able to produce a lot more offense.

2015-2016 season stats: 13.8 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.5 RPG

This season, Booker is ready to go. Whether he’s coming off the bench or starting, he’s going to have a major season. Like said before, Eric Bledsoe is going to clear up a lot more room for Booker to score.

That doesn’t mean Booker isn’t going to be a star as the backup. As we all watched in Summer League, Booker and Tyler Ulis have as much chemistry as anyone in the NBA. Although Ulis isn’t going to draw much attention from defenders, he’ll still be able to benefit Booker.

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Booker is going to be the brightest part of this Phoenix team. He will come into the season after a phenomenal summer and has growing expectations. He will be the focus point in Phoenix. Whether players like Brandon Knight, Eric Bledsoe, Alex Len, or others have a good season or not won’t matter as much as the success of Devin Booker. He is the future of the Suns, and what he does this season is going to speak for years to come.

That being said, he isn’t going to disappoint. Expect Booker to have one of the best seasons’s in the NBA. This future All-Star may claim his spot on the West this season.

With Eric Bledsoe coming back healthy, and a young group of athletes around him, Booker is going to have a free pass to score, score, and score. And that is exactly what he’ll do. Expect Booker to lead the Suns in scoring this season.

What he’ll also do is improve his assist numbers. During Summer League, Booker showed that he could be the leader on the court. He’ll play a lot of minutes with the squad he played with in Vegas. With many opportunities to be the man running the floor, Booker is going to show that he could be a floor general as much as a sharp shooter.

2016-2017 season stat predictions: 24.5 PPG, 5.3 APG, 2.4 RPG

He does need to work on his defense. As he continues to perfect his offensive game, he’ll need to put a bigger focus on the defensive side of the ball.

His most significant flaw is what may leave him on the bench and not the starting lineup. He has all the ability to be a true NBA star early in his career, but he’ll have to improve his ability to guard.

If he can become even a slightly better defender, he’ll be an easy choice for the starting two guard. Besides this single flaw, Booker has everything going for him heading into his second year.

Don’t let it surprise you if Devin Booker’s second campaign surprises you more than his rookie season did.

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