Monty Williams feels he doesn’t spend as much time promoting his players as he should. The Suns coach has just taken a step to rectify the situation by speaking about one of the little-discussed aspects of Devin Booker’s game: his defense.
” It might sound a little crazy with the way he scores, but I always thought he had the ability and should be recognized in the top five defensive debates because he defends in his position, sometimes on half the pitch, sometimes on the whole, just to change the pace of the game, or to show that ‘I’m the best player and I can defend, not just score’ “, judges the coach, speaking before the game against the ClippersTuesday.
If he is still far from the defensive elite at his post, Devin Booker is no longer the one-dimensional player, obsessed with the “scoring” column. With 106.5 points conceded by his team when he is on the field (out of 100 possessions), his “defensive rating” has for example never been as good as this season. His averages for interceptions (one per game) and against (0.4) are also career highs.
” Book is one of those guys who likes a challenge, and you have to be in great shape to meet them.continues his coach. To post such an average of points (25.5 points) and return to the other end of the field to defend and take rebounds, to occasionally make counterattacks in ‘chase-down’… This testifies to his desire to to be a complete player.“
It must be said that the rear is rather well surrounded to progress in defense. On the wings, he can rely on two players with a recognized “3&D” profile with Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder. Not to mention Chris Paul, 3rd best interceptor in the league (1.9), and nine times selected in the “NBA All-Defensive Team”.
“ We were laughing about it in the locker room, some of my teammates surprisingly congratulated mesays Devin Booker. I explained to them that if the five of us are not on the same wavelength, it is difficult to defend. “A message that is well applied by the back and his team, currently the third best defense in the country.
| Devin Booker | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2015-16 | PHX | 76 | 28 | 42.3 | 34.3 | 84.0 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 13.8 |
| 2016-17 | PHX | 78 | 35 | 42.3 | 36.3 | 83.2 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 22.1 |
| 2017-18 | PHX | 54 | 35 | 43.2 | 38.3 | 87.8 | 0.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 24.9 |
| 2018-19 | PHX | 64 | 35 | 46.7 | 32.6 | 86.6 | 0.6 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 6.8 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 4.1 | 0.2 | 26.6 |
| 2019-20 | PHX | 70 | 36 | 48.9 | 35.4 | 91.9 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 6.5 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 3.8 | 0.3 | 26.6 |
| 2020-21 | PHX | 67 | 34 | 48.4 | 34.0 | 86.7 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 0.2 | 25.6 |
| 2021-22 | PHX | 50 | 34 | 44.9 | 37.2 | 85.8 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 25.5 |
| Total | 459 | 34 | 45.4 | 35.4 | 86.9 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 0.3 | 23.3 | |
