Devin Booker analysis | How empty are his stats? (2019)

[@ThinkingBasketball]

Thanks for all the support and feedback! Skilled players like this who are on really poor teams can be tricky to evaluate. Going to discuss this idea further on the Thinking Basketball podcast next week.

[@smilinggalaxy]

Please do T Mac!

[@THEREAL_GZUS]

Thinking Basketball the tittle makes no sense 😂

[@chunkin9799]

Can you please please please do an analysis of Jordan's play with the Wizards. People often dog him for not living up to his bulls years at 38 (ridiculous), but people often forget he almost led them to the playoffs and was an MVP candidate before getting injured. I think highlighting that on your channel will give the g.o.a.t more credit than he gets during his time in Washington.

[@MrLeBatave]

Don't you think he'd be a great 6th man if he accepted this role? he makes me think of Lou Williams....

[@weijie2241]

Nice video analysis!. Hope you will do video analysis on different player!.

[@brandongiles2266]

Devin booker been 22 his whole career

[@j.r.2674]

Big facts. FACTS Verse presents. Word. True that. FR.

[@JohnDoe-df8bj]

How does he do that?

[@t-mac1951]

@@JohnDoe-df8bj time machine obviously

[@rudefloridaman1449]

@@t-mac1951 how'd you know time machines halt the aging process

[@Chooong7]

@Helpimfrom Florida there are better aging creams in the future.

[@movementman9777]

His ppg might be inflated but his shooting % is lower than it might be if there were other threats on the Suns. His scoring talent is undeniable.

[@alexl9799]

I think this is true but how many believers in Booker would be satisfied calling him a good 3rd scoring option? There's nothing wrong with having that role, especially on a title contender and that's probably what his best role is but idk if we'll ever get a chance to see him as anything but a primary yet inefficient scorer.

[@ssholla92]

Yet his efficiency at the rim for a guard was elite in NBA history last season. I think only 2 years of Wade's were higher. His TS % for his usage rate was also very high even accounting for having his problems with his 3 pt %.

[@alexl9799]

@@ssholla92 i think a better way to say it is high volume but minimal impact scorer

[@ssholla92]

@@alexl9799 MJ would have been considered a minimal impact scorer on this team. That's how bad they were. I've heard him called, "minimal impact scorer", "low efficiency, high volume shooter who can do literally nothing else", "empty stats guy", and "looter in a riot". All meant to be derogatory.

[@LostCrow1997]

Steve Holler yea he was off this year in his 3pt shooting compared to his previous years where he consistently shot a better %

[@NoFedRevolution]

Damn that defensive motor is low, like a 3 cylinder Toyota Tercel. Dude had his hands on his hips just standing next to the paint. 8:38

[@SubMeInCoach]

Sky Dravier just what happens when ur organisation has no culture

[@mmmarkel]

lol yea, if that was harden or westbrook, ppl would be going crazy

[@gideoncheung8731]

when you thought otto porter was bad... he'd make a regular shaqtin had shaq paid attention lol

[@JoeMama10247]

@@mmmarkel Harden does do that

[@winter9242]

Personally i think its because he is always running the offense and he needs to conserve energy but that just my opinion

[@jayv4619]

Man the last time I was this early, Team USA still had all-stars. Btw this is my favorite basketball channel! Your videos are always a treat.

[@cravycrabs1707]

I mean its fair the young guns in the US team now are the future remember the FIBA team back then consisting of 22 year old Curry 21 year Westbrook 21 year old Kd 23 year old kevin love.. They are the future of the league now so I think its a good exposure for them...

[@ratedpending]

Would like but it's at 69

[@jjez3405]

I think the USA Teams issues is because of PG13. And I don't blame any star player for saying no to playing after what happened. Honestly, if it was me, I wouldn't want to risk my career for free. National Pride isn't going to regrow my ACL if I get injured. Facts.

[@nahuel3256]

you might also like the content of the Dime Drop

[@jayv4619]

@@nahuel3256 yeah man I use to love his content before he started working for bleacher report. But this channel has so much insight

[@mubarakusman9184]

I’m so glad we don’t need to have this conversation anymore. What a player he’s blossomed into.

[@gunavengalasetti4602]

You truly are a legend, you actually went through suns film!

[@khamarilassiter9012]

😂😂😂

[@t-mac1951]

Not even sun's do that anymore

[@gunavengalasetti4602]

@@t-mac1951 HAHAHAHa I busted out laughing when you said that, especially cuz its probably true!

[@abhimanyu_patil]

The one thing you can say about Devin Booker is that he’s improved every year. He’s still very young. I have faith in his ability to improve as a cutter and passer to eventually become above average. His defense, however, looks like it may end up being decent at best.

[@chadingram6390]

He's already well above avg offensively

[@ianbates3435]

if he improved his defense he is a top tier threat

[@Eggmancan]

Great analysis. My worry with Booker is that he is becoming comfortable with losing so long as he gets his buckets, a common trend among young players but worst among alpha dog volume scorers. I think he needs to be the 2nd or 3rd option (you go too far with the 4th option, my man) before he can unlock his true potential.

[@cristianluna-hernandez457]

Yo! I definitely agree with you on booker or just young players in general getting comfortable with losing. I guess that’s why I don’t really blame players for demanding a trade if they are with a losing organization.

[@lilmilkdud6874]

Jom James melo came into the league winning

[@gangtime8705]

Jom James don’t call him a melo or derozan both took their teams to conference finals

[@treyheywood3578]

You dumb as hell. Booker IS A FIRST OPTION. That is such a casual opinion. Obviously be could join lebron or something and be an amazing 2nd option. But book is only 22 and is already an elite scorer and becoming a good playmaker. He will lead a team to playoff runs. And he will win MVPs. I'll bet 1000 dollars on it

[@thelistofjustin1356]

@@gangtime8705 Do people forget how bad the Suns are? I'm a fan I know. Booker is a generational talent the Suns are lucky has been patient with them. He doesn't want to join he wants to lead. That's a trait you want in your star.

[@dylancha3030]

My b-ball iq increases when I watch one of Ben’s videos

[@ratedpending]

My IQ in general increases

[@ratedpending]

@Tripp’le H I enjoy both

[@meredithleavitt5815]

Cant be very high to start w then

[@skateup2291]

Watching this made me realize how much he had progressed now

[@arbernumani3709]

8 months later Booker has improved his efficiency like crazy cuz he finally has some decent role players around him

[@prettyboyswa914]

All thanks to rubio that has helped him. People still sleep on him, just becuase suns have had a bad record. The suns havent been stable intill now with James Jones and Monty.

[@myleslondon5220]

@@prettyboyswa914 yep 2 years later I think honestly they would of made the playoffs without CP3

[@marcr196]

Funny coming back to this now that he's a perennial all star (when not injured)

[@deandrepage1048]

Phoenix Suns finally taking the ball out of Devin Booker's hands so TEAMMATES CAN SHINE. Ricky Rubio being a veteran point guard = a blessing.

[@bigdarim1117]

Not sure if it was intentional, but you make it sound like Booker is ball hogging, he don’t even want to be a primary handler

[@deandrepage1048]

@@bigdarim1117 They tried to experiment with Devin Booker at point guard = worst mistake you could make because Devin Booker was too SHOT-HAPPY in Transition/Fast-Breaks. 😞😞😞 Ricky Rubio is a veteran, looking to pass to EVERYBODY. DeAndre Ayton is a blessed man to have Rubio takeover the 1-spot. Devin Booker didn't feed DeAndre Ayton enough, got his head coach fired after only 1 season.

[@flamezaporiginal2787]

DeAndre Page I didn’t know more assists than, curry, kyrie, kemba, etc. is hoggin.

[@deandrepage1048]

@@flamezaporiginal2787 Got his head coach fired. 😞😞😞

[@deandrepage1048]

@matthew baker #1 Draft Lottery Pick was supposed to be the focus

[@tyrejackson2977]

I love how ppl try to put a cap on a guy that’s 22 yrs old and played with zero nba talent and then praise guys like Tatum/Mitchell who plays with all stars/Defense player of the year every year of there career analytics got y’all outta pocket

[@freddycalipari4242]

this is very true.

[@benjihuynh2970]

I know this is old, but there is some reason for it. The question with every star is how much value do they offer on a championship level team? Even stars as big as Giannis get the question: can he lead his team to the finals. Young guns like tatum or mitchell get credit because they're playing well on good teams. That question remains for ppl like Booker who have only ever put up numbers on a bad team. I agree with you that it's super stupid that the default assumption seems to be that stars can't work on good teams, but I'm only explaining the rationale

[@jastew8814]

He’s analyzing Booker, and with analysis comes critique

[@oludipebolusere6085]

Especially considering that Phoenix haven’t even coached him properly

[@erikeliason8184]

It’s easy to see why this channel is blowing up. You provide insightful and contextual analyses of players without using lazy arguments, and you explain everything with examples and then statistics. Hands down, the best basketball channel on KZbin. Keep up the great work!!!

[@andrewmaldonado197]

Can you please do one on Karl Anthony Towns

[@theheebs100]

Those two....Booker and Towns......to me are the clear runaway winners of the empty stats award. I don't have faith in either of them to ever do anything significant outside of scoring in the regular season

[@kobewankenobi8926]

theheebs100 Towns is a good deal better than Booker though. Bookers only worth is scoring with the ball at above average efficiency, while being huge negatives on defense and ball movement. Towns is less ball dominant while scoring at elite efficiency, is an elite rebounder, and average on defense.

[@theheebs100]

@@kobewankenobi8926 I can't fully agree with you on this one. the point I have some issue with is trying to make it sound like Towns is a better defender. Yes, in a vacuum Towns is a better defender but 1. not by much (basically towns has some value as on off ball shot blocker, but Booker has some value in getting steals). the issue is that Towns plays a position that has a much bigger impact on the overall defense for a team. Towns has two big issues. 1. he makes mental mistakes allllll the time on defense. 2. KAT is satin soft. this creates problems on both sides of the ball as others, not even just other bigs but guards and wings too, push KAT around like he's not even there.

[@jordankartchner4090]

Towns > Booker

[@atillacnar5785]

@@kobewankenobi8926 booker is more efficient than kobe has ever been dude just a reminder

[@kylek762]

I would like to see an updated video now that he's on a good Suns team.

[@DisappointedNotMadSunsFan]

It is hard to play off ball when your point guards were Isaiah Canaan and Crawford😅

[@meredithleavitt5815]

What about when it was drew bledsoe?...

[@MisterJackson2U]

@@meredithleavitt5815 You mean the Turnover King Bledsoe?

[@nsits5977]

@@MisterJackson2U Booker averaged more turnovers when they played together tho. Nice try

[@mykellharris1]

Leon Jackson II at least Bledsoe was apart of a winning team, unlike bummy ass booker😂

[@TheZombieeeeeee]

@@meredithleavitt5815 i mean it is hard playing off ball when your pg is quarterback and not a pg

[@FodderMoosie]

Maaaan every time I watch one of your breakdowns, I get such an appreciation for viewing tape. I'm trying to get a better eye for basketball, and become less of a general observer and more of a sharp-eyed fan. Your videos help a lot! And now I'm just impatient for the season to start again...

[@colinbock4357]

Whenever I see "Thinking Basketball Uploaded: xyz" I get excited. When it's an analysis, I am the Energizer Bunny.

[@Noahnelson91]

love that you use percentile rather than percentage. that makes a lot more sense and you don't need to know the facts about what others shoot

[@Demi-kid]

AH its crazy how 2-3 years can change. Ya gotta update this video.

[@nofuture_at_all]

I think he would be an automatic bucket whichever team you put him. He already got those numbers at 22. That's amazing!

[@vjsuxujrix9245]

Motor may be higher on d when he isn't the primary scorer as well

[@tlovin2]

This analysis is great. I honestly can't think of many sports analyzers that can break down key metrics and footage like Ben can. Truly extraordinary content that I recommend to all of my friends that love basketball.

[@Improbable]

Great video! Just a minor thing, but you were saying about Booker's footwork when he turns his hips to sprint. I think that is a thing that more and more defenders do as the game has gotten much faster. Definitely something you see Patrick Beverly do. Tony Allen used to that too. I think in your video example, its not so much the hip-leading footwork, but that his positioning to give Rubio that whole paint instead of angling to force sideline.

[@ThemCoolTurts911]

This channel makes me love and appreciate Basketball even more

[@styval4502]

Great video as always. I don't know if it was just me, but your conclusion and your presentation felt disconnected for the first time in a video I've watched. I thought you were going to build up to say that he had potential to be a second option if he fixed his lazy defense and bad shot selection. Most of the criticisms felt like they were directed at either a lackadaisical attitude (probably from being on the Suns) or being inexperienced. I don't know if I'm the only one who felt this way, but it definitely felt like you were saying he was a good player with some kinks to work out throughout the video and the conclusion turned into that his ceiling was being a third option. For example, these were some of the criticisms you presented: He has poor shot selection, taking pull up threes in transition or shooting early in the shot clock. He eats up a lot of clock with the ball in his hands, killing opportunities. He's idle off ball. He leaves his feet before he decides what he wants to do with the ball. He doesn't get around screens properly, not staying connected to his man or "making himself skinny" as you described it. He isn't a great off ball defender, attributed to his lack of quickness and sloppy footwork. To me, a lot of those just seem like they can be coached out. Basically all of them except for his lack of quickness seem like they aren't physical things holding him back, just no direction from coaches. Something like taking a wide path around a screen seems like something that could be worked on. Shot selection can be worked on. It's a lot of mental stuff with him it seems from this video. And that leads to the main reason I wanted to comment: I wanted to say that I think there is some context you're not giving in this video that's needed for a situation like Devin Booker. I think you do a great job looking at context in a lot of videos, especially when it comes to what the film is saying versus what the box score or a fan's eyes are saying (like in the LeBron defense video). I'm not a Suns fan, but I do recognize the dysfunction in the team -- and I feel like that context at least explains some of the things you were criticizing him for (without excusing him, because great players raise the baseline of their team to a point where this wouldn't happen). Stealing from a Reddit post[1], this is the context I think matters in this case: 1. In four years, Devin Booker has had 54 different teammates. He averages approximately 13.5 different teammates per season. 2. In four years, Devin Booker has had 4 different head coaches. He averages 1 different head coach per season. (And he will get his 5th head coach in his fifth year, as well.) He's been on a lottery team who hasn't drafted (or developed) another player alongside him, and has had over 15 point guards (according to the reddit thread) in these four years while being asked to run the offense at times. I think these give a reason as to why those things look so bad (his defense, his shot selection, etc.). Again, it doesn't excuse him, but I think it gives reasons for why he doesn't try as hard as he could. With this context taken into account, I think your conclusion might have been too harsh. He is really good at scoring, and a lot of his defense is him not caring (not that I think he will become a plus defender, but I think he can turn into an only slightly negative one -- even you thought his on-ball defense was decent). Obviously #1 type players shine through even the worst situations, and Booker going into his fifth year doesn't look to me like he'll make the jump to a status like that in his career. But I do think he could be a #2 guy if he was playing for an organization that focused on winning, and not whatever the Suns have been focusing on for the last four years. I think the next two years will show the "real" Booker. Hiring Monty Williams and giving him 5 years is a good step, and will hopefully give Booker the environment he needs to refine his game. I love watching great basketball, and I think he can be a part of some great basketball. It's up to him to put in the work and show it now. [1] www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/aj1y5v/oc_devin_bookers_first_4_years_in_the_league_54/?st=jz4svilq&sh=922e1315

[@ThinkingBasketball]

See pinned comment. It's less of the dysfunction for me and more about how his skills will scale *combined* with room for growth he still has. I may have been too subtle on the first of those 2 points.

[@1023nick]

This comment really deserves more upvotes. When watching Suns games you could always tell that there were chemistry issues between the team and that they struggled to find a good pace/flow for 48 minutes. Whether it was questionable rotations, playmaking, or lack of talent - it really hindered the Suns this year and specifically Devin Booker, but when he takes over a game the entire arena can feel it and it's amazing. The potential is definitely there.

[@monalisa-bs4zs]

The type of hustle guys like Klay Thompson, Danny green and Matt dellavedova have isn’t coachable. It’s more like an attitude.

[@1023nick]

@@monalisa-bs4zs I would argue that someone like Kyrie Irving suffers from the same lack of hustle but is still considered an elite All Star due to his offensive talent - something that Booker could achieve.

[@MisterJackson2U]

He's only turning 23 and hasn't even entered his prime yet. He'll be just fine.

[@bradstevens4259]

thank the lord you're back !! best basketball analysis on youtube !!

[@deandrepage1048]

Phoenix Suns just put a dent in Booker's stats = more passes to DeAndre Ayton from veteran point guard Ricky Rubio.

[@nosrellom]

Pass happy veteran point guard Ricky Rubio ;)

[@jcw034]

@@nosrellom the thing is this will elevate his effeciency and allow him to be a better scorer as Ruby will get him the ball where he needs it so he can take more efficient and effective shots. He may lose some assist but if he is a solid 28 ppg on 48 or 49% shooting you take it. That may lead him to spend more energy on defense and that could make him a good 2 way player. That is assuming the coach reels him in and makes him buy in.

[@SomethingSeemsOff]

His scoring will stay the same or increase, his efficiency will definitely increase, but he will have less assists. I think that's more than okay.

[@battleform518]

@@jcw034 it's unlikely he'll ever be a good defender.

[@bigdarim1117]

Battle Form all he lacks is intensity, every defensive issue he has is because he doesn’t give a fuck

[@bradleysmith7499]

I can see him being like t-mac. Putting up great numbers but not being the kind of guy who leads his team in deep playoff runs

[@ThuanTran-nv9yb]

But the guy has never led his team to the playoffs. That's the first step. He said the OTHER year was his last year not making the playoffs. Lol

[@shocka2435]

Bradley Smith At least t-mac has made the playoffs. Booker still hasn’t even done that.

[@Bezmenov93]

@@shocka2435 he's 22

[@JimboCruntz]

@@Bezmenov93 yeh, people are acting like he hasn't got another 10 years in the league (if injuries don't screw him up, also like TMac)

[@markgonzales5172]

Bruhh he is 22 y’all act like he don’t have room to grow y’all acting like he is in his prime lmao dude still got like 14 more years in the league

[@Flyerman777]

youre like the only channel i would stop what im doing to watch

[@raygivler]

History of my copy of Thinking Basketball: Printed on demand 8/6/19. Arrived 8/8/19. Finished 8/10/19. Loved it. Learned so much. Hungry for more. I guess one of the biggest takeaways for me (which shouldn't surprise me as a data analyst) is that without looking at the data and without a basic understanding of statistics, people basically do not actually understand the game - regardless of their level of involvement. That's not really your point, but a conclusion drawn of the amalgamation of all the individual points. I feel like I've just stepped out of the low end of the Dunning Kruger effect regarding my basketball IQ. Thanks for all you do.

[@andrewhli]

Booker watched your video and now he's one of the best off ball players in the league

[@cameronchappell8265]

I absolutely love your videos. Fair, well thought out, and articulate. I think Rudy Gobert deserves a treatment video. I feel like a lot of NBA fans have a hard time seeing why he deserves his All NBA status. His gravity on both ends doesn’t show up on highlights, and I think you could really show how valuable he is in one of your videos. All respect. I’ve been binging these videos for the past couple weeks. Very, very well done.

[@fmt848]

Id like to see a zach lavine breakdown and his situation with the bulls

[@dannyphantom47]

pervy sageMat I’d say that the bulls have a great young core and a solid 8-9 man rotation, especially with singing Thaddeus young and getting a healthy Markannen and carter back. Maybe they might be good enough to grab the 7-8 seed in this year’s eastern conference

[@alik5972]

@@dannyphantom47 you didn't expect Jim Boylen to happen did you

[@dannyphantom47]

Ali K of course not 😂

[@fmt848]

@@dannyphantom47 lol no one did

[@dannyphantom47]

Fmat I figured that an NBA Coach would have the presence of mind to notice to not call timeouts when his team has numbers in transition, or that Zach Lavine is a certified bucket getter and that the offense should flow through him. Obviously I set my standards too high 😂

[@rtvanharen]

Great analysis. The consensus among Suns fans seems to be that Ayton needs to become the best player on the team, with Booker playing second fiddle to him, if they want to get back to the playoffs.

[@crazyluigi6664]

I thought it'd be them playing just about equal to each other. I mean, we already know Devin can do just fine as it is. It's just DeAndre doing a bit more than he did last season, is all.

[@JohnDoe-rk7ej]

As a suns fan, booker is our franchise player, him alone. and thats all ima say on that

[@crazyluigi6664]

@@JohnDoe-rk7ej For right now, sure. However, I honestly think by year's end, we might say that DeAndre Ayton will be like our own, genuine Shaq to Devin Booker's Kobe Bryant.

[@rtvanharen]

@@crazyluigi6664 Booker's ceiling isn't likely as a number one on a great team. He needs to be someones sidekick if he's going to win a championship

[@crazyluigi6664]

@@rtvanharen Honestly, we'll see about that. And even if it's true, it might be due to DeAndre Ayton making that next step forward.

[@henken__sensei5820]

I need more people to learn about Rui Hachimura To me he's vastly underrated in the draft, Defense, and Offense. He has great foot work And his jumper is beautiful able to extend his range to the 3 with a greenlit midrange jumper, his post game is the best part about him reminding me of Lemarcus Aldridge. His defense is amazing with him rooted in fundamentals he's able to steal the ball and defend the paint like giannis which leads to easy fast breaks and finishes with ease He has problems with playmaking and tends to miss the open man cutting also he has the problem of finishing without energy around the rim He overall stands out to me no other player in the draft plays like him and he make defense exiting to watch I hope you consider making a vid on him

[@mm8436]

I can watch these videos all day! Great analysis.

[@christiananderson5664]

Would love an update on this now!

[@alexandercornett699]

Awesome stuff, hope this is the first of a series of "most intriguing" type profiles for the new season.

[@terrenceharris4430]

I went to Grandville High School and used to practice with Devin and his brother Wade on the Varsity squad. Out of all the people who played in Grand Rapids I didn't expect Devin to go to the NBA. I can see his style hasn't changed much on defense LOL

[@niggilywiggily]

lol

[@TheBCbeasts]

I’d love to see the difference between when this was made and the 2019 - 2020 season. I think he was significantly better on defense this year, now that he doesn’t have primary ball handing responsibilities (thanks to Ricky Rubio).

[@billyhickman93]

A comparison between him and Lavine would be a banger because god do people love to argue that comparison.

[@Loris71734]

The fact that this video had 1.1k likes and 6 dislikes when I’m seeing it shows how great your content is

[@LLPOF]

Booker's weaknesses can be easily strengthened with the right coaching and more experience. His weaknesses can also be exacerbated with the wrong coaching and experience. This video was an excellent analysis.

[@CheckTMOW]

This is no longer hypothetical, Booker has succeeded on a winning team. Booker has improved a lot. At least I think so.

[@Denji3000]

Devin Booker is super underrated. If his team wasn’t so garbage he’d be a all star hands down.

[@humbertoaranda9502]

You were right

[@BoonZer0]

Hey Thinking Basketball, who are your favorite Basketball KZbinrs? Thinking Basketball and the NBA Storyteller make youtube great in such contrasting styles. Like any NBA fan, I'm looking for more greatness.

[@swaglikevana]

I think a lot of his offensive woes are also attributed to him playing on a bad team. The defense locks in on him as he's the only real threat on offense and he's still more effective than a lot of players. If he had someone like a chris paul or mike conley, or any defensive shooting pg, he and the team would be so much better

[@edvardbegby5660]

Damn this aged well

[@dongkim5538]

Please do Kyle Lowry. He's very divisive with nba fans with his intangibles, advanced stats, wild playoff performances (2015 wizards vs 2019 bucks/warriors series), leadership, and more.

[@shocka2435]

DONG KIM He gets too much hate. Sure, he’s not a superstar Curry-like player, but he’s still a great PG that benefits his team in many ways.

[@dongkim5538]

@@shocka2435 agree 100% hes my fav player haha

[@exillens]

@@shocka2435 Not "great" but above average solid

[@dylanpatel2328]

Been a fan since the backpicks top 40 and the content just keeps improving! Keep it up Ben, the KZbin channel and podcast are both amazing!

[@stephenleavitt1003]

At the time of this video, good analysis. Right now, looks a bit dated, but I'll wait the whole season before deciding. Also, you don't quite take into account the fact that he has improved every year. I can see him growing into a number 1 or 2 best player on a legitimate contender. Other than those couple things, great video!

[@isaacperlak6469]

I love this guy he actually makes analytics interesting and I learn something every video ! Keep up the good content!

[@darrellludlow]

Very detailed breakdown. Well done.

[@Blackie1715]

This could use an update

[@yves-veltthomas455]

It should

[@LuckyLuca2]

Can you explain what defensive impact metrics are?

[@ThinkingBasketball]

Stats series coming this summer...

[@kevinjrngantchou1703]

CJ McCollum is one of the craftiest and most underrated players. Please do an analysis on him

[@atro1566]

I actually believe he’s better than Booker

[@JoeMama10247]

@@atro1566 lol how? There's literally no argument for him being better

[@atro1566]

Mason 1 UMMM PLAYOFFS???

[@JoeMama10247]

@@atro1566 You do realize basketball is a team game right?

[@kevinjrngantchou1703]

To think that DBook is better than CJ solely because of ppg is absurd. Being the 2nd option has its limitations. CJ is kind of like a Klay Thompson minus the great defense. You can't just expect them to have a crazy ppg when the gameplan set doesn't make them primary scorers.

[@lilnizal]

Love your podcast ben🙂

[@Icenspelgude]

Can’t wait to see your analysis of incoming rookies. And incredibly great content as always. This is my favorite basketball channel on KZbin

[@yourfriendlyneighbourhoodvue]

Adrian Dantley excelled too

[@govols2214]

Do a podcast for best rebounders and defenders/other categories! Love the content

[@TerriProductions]

"Soft like charmin" love the Kobe reference for a Kobe like player!

[@paulippolito4251]

Bookers an elite scorer who can score from all levels and handle the ball when needed to. Having Rubio get Ayton involved more this year is going to help booker a ton because it’ll take the ball out of his hands in situations he’s not fully comfortable in yet. If he gets a good team around him and especially a guard who can distribute decently, he can be a great player on a great team

[@deez9805]

I think people forget that 1) He’s 22 so his room for growth is still astronomical. 2) He was a 6/7th man in college. Considering where he was drafted, dude is a stud. An absolute steal turning into a star

[@roryoliver6743]

D Book just had his worst 3pt% of his career, but he had a hand injury healing for a good part of the season. His ability to finish with both hands came from spending the offseason working only with his left!(right uand broken). Book is a killer and he's been forced to play the Point Guard, this season he should get his 3pt% back to 37% or higher while being a killer 2nd option. Also please mention he was playing with guys like Isaiah Cannan, Dragan Bender, Quincy Acie, Jimmer and other assorted trash players

[@jpickup6]

The final comments seem rather scathing compared to public opinion

[@RV1AND]

The final comments basically confirmed the stats are empty, which is pretty much the consensus among non-Suns fans. That said, he's only 22 so it's certainly possible there's more room to grow.

[@MisterJackson2U]

@@RV1ANDThis empty stats take is so odd to me. Scoring points as the #1 target on a terrible team put MJ on the map, but in this era it's "empty stats" somehow. Smh.

[@Buckdawg]

@@MisterJackson2U What it means bro is, that anyone can shoot a certain number of shots to "get theirs" as a number one option, when there are actually no other options, ie: on a bad team. But has that player really earned that amount of shots? Would they still have that level of useage on a team with legit high caliber talent? Would Booker even start on Golden State? Would he even average 20ppg on the Clippers? If not, then he's not A1 talent. Just a volume shooter on a team with no other options. Therein lies the term, "empty stats, bad team". Which Booker absolutely is. And I've seen every NBA game he's played in. Can he become A1 talent? We'll see. He's improved each year, and now has a better squad than ever. So who knows..

[@MisterJackson2U]

@@Buckdawg I think you've got Booker confused with someone else. Dude is efficient as fuck. There is no "certain" amount of shots to little or large for him. He plays basketball in the flow of the game. It's okay not to like him, but you just making up shit and saying it's facts isn't gonna do much for me. Would he, could he, did he torch that playoffs bound GS last year with his bad team? Yes he surely did. Terrible example. Volume shooters he is not. A simple Google search would teach you that. Curry shoots more than him to score less points. Volume shooter? Lol. Next!

[@exillens]

@@MisterJackson2U MJ stats had his team as a perrineal playoff team even before he won a ring. LeBron was taking Boobie Gibson and Donyell Marshall to the finals and deep runs, Booker can't even win 30 games. FOH with that dumb comparison

[@brettrobbins2707]

kinda like James Harden, since you spend so much energy on offense you stand there with your hands on your hips for defence

[@chadingram6390]

@Mohamed Abdi And in his prime, Booker is 22. Go look at Hardens stats when he was 22

[@wilchan8681]

@@chadingram6390 and harden not the main guy in the team too .. they have KD and russel as the main guy .. but booker dont have anyone .. all the defense know who they should keep his eye on, but he still drop the point .. that is more impressive if we talking about both harden and booker in the same year ..

[@WatersAbove77]

brett robbins howcome jordan could do both better than everyone

[@brettrobbins2707]

@@WatersAbove77 maybe better conditioning idk, league was slower and tossed into the bigs a lot more for guards to kinda do nothing unless thier man had the ball, no zones back then either. Plus that's why Jordan is the goat where harden is just a scorer like melo. Few years after thier careers they wont be remembered much

[@WatersAbove77]

brett robbins yeah i dislike the players who have the no defense only offense mentality. I think no matter who you are if your in the nba, your athletic enough to make an impact on defense. As long as you have heart you’ll be good on defense.

[@zmcdaniel24]

As a Suns fan I'll admit I've been depressed for nearly 2 decades. Any decent talent we get the organization wastes. 😢

[@ucondrew]

It is possible given more stability Booker’s development will increase even more as he enters his prime years age 25-30. The Suns, while having previously been the worst run team in the league, have made a surprising turn with James Jones as GM, putting Booker and Ayton in a position to be successful next season. In the 2021 season, the Suns are set to have $50 million in cap space, while still keeping Ayton and Bridges on their rookie contracts. This gives the Suns insane potential for being a title contender, being able to sign somebody either as good as, or better than Devin Booker.

[@ashwathkapilavai9017]

best b-ball analyst on youtube. maybe a video on kemba walker? wondering how he can fit in w the celtics

[@DitterBitter]

Make a new vid on book

[@schnier0179]

Very nice channel! Could you do one of Ricky Rubio? Even here in Spain people say he is not worthy of being a nba starter. I'd like to watch your analysis on this matter. Thanks and keep doing what you do

[@joshchakravarty7206]

It’s crazy how underrated he is

[@sirz11]

update video?

[@nicholasrose4448]

Ahh I love your uploads

[@number1sun]

Rubio is going to get Booker and Ayton both tons of easy buckets this season.

[@rentinghouseseveryday3739]

I love the content this guy makes keep it up bro.....😁

[@shaunsimon9189]

Honestly looking at the situation now, I would say the answer is a big YES.

[@ChampionsClub2030]

What about now

[@camarijaybooth]

Dev is reminding me of Tracy mcgrady he’s a dangerous scorer but unfortunately the wins isn’t adding up

[@ssholla92]

Ben, are you going to do a revisit on Booker? Did he improve those areas that you said he struggled on, like off ball movement, efficiency and passing? Kevin O'Connor just did a vid on the Suns and Booker.

[@biggame315]

Man there’s only so much YOU know or can possibly know without being apart of the league or the Suns. Nothin empty about what he’s doing.. 30 teams he can’t win a ring and make the playoffs every year at his age, on his team, in his conference, in this era. He gonna be ready when his time comes so make sure there’s a video posted about it when it does come.

[@treyheywood3578]

FACTS. The suns are gonna be very good soon. He has MVP talent

[@amlansanyal9663]

I got accepted into Mensa watching Ben Taylor's videos and listening to his podcast

[@AreYouFNQRAZII]

This aged well😅

[@stevenwhiters8928]

This new media is toxic the empty stats narrative should only apply to players who are inefficient... or veterans but a young player playing on a terrible team with bad coaching I hate when people say that whey young team made playoffs without any productive vets?not one

[@jakecarlson9111]

You should’ve looked to see his offensive fit on the ultra-talented Kentucky team he was on

[@gremcilia_immermurin]

I'm glad I found this channel. One of the few actual great bball analysis channels out there. Great stuff.

[@devinczd]

Now we know his stats ain’t empty at all. no cap 🧢 😤

[@84766T]

Wtf. This is great stuff mate!

[@benflis1618]

I think it’s impressive because everyone who plays the suns know where they’re going with the ball every night, but he still puts up 26

[@pesky19]

Love your channels, and really look forward to every analysis

[@Psyko967]

Booker showed a lot of improvement this year in the Bubble and I could see him being a Brandon Roy type of player on a good team, hopefully without all the injury history. Time will tell...

[@randomcat5262]

Oh god this was pessimistic (though well reasoned). Booker is an all star and leading a winning team now, so please analyze him again!

[@blacknetsmed]

Oh brother, Booker is not even close to being the best player on the team. he's 6th on his OWN team in Box Plus Minus, he's 5th on his OWN team in VORP while leading the team Usage Rate(that is not good). Chris Paul is the main reason why that team is good.

[@dominictrinh441]

He finally went back to the old music :)

[@alexjones4467]

What’s really interesting is devin booker has the 3rd highest two point percentage in the past 20 years only behind wade in the year he won the championship and someone else I don’t remember. So if he is able to keep that or regress a little but go back to his normal 3 point percentage he can average some crazy points. And I don’t understand what you guys mean empty stats like he does all this very efficiently. I think booker has great potential and can’t wait to see what they do this year!

[@imnolongerascaredofthedark8927]

D'Angelo Russell breakdown would be great. He's a driving/finishing skill away from being a top 3 PG in the league.

[@exillens]

Russell knows how to make a team better and pace an offense. He's a way better impact player than Booker and Towns, even plays defense better. All this to say your assessment is right. Judging by his summer pick up games he seems to really be working on his finishing at the rim game too

[@MrMathsimon]

FINALLY! A discussion on his Empty Stats. Thank you for this Video!

[@chrisandersonlv]

Did anybody else notice almost all of those games they were losing 😂 as a Suns fan you learn to laugh instead of cry post Steve Nash.

[@LeBronJames-ss9ij]

I think suns is a bit underrated going into the season. Rubio, Book, Saric, Ayton. They should be really good in scoring. But defense is not that good. I think they should have 30W

[@crazyluigi6664]

I think they'll probably have more than 30, if I'm being honest. Ricky's legit as fuck as a point guard, Dario's honestly underrated, and the bench has pretty much been upgraded as well. In fact, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they pull off another season like the 2013-14 season and surprise people with it by winning more than most people anticipate from them. Not enough to obviously top the division (at least not when Golden State and L.A. are on board), but I think just enough to fight for a playoff spot.

[@flamezaporiginal2787]

Bro you forgot Oubre He is goated

[@LeBronJames-ss9ij]

@@flamezaporiginal2787 yup I forgot his name so I didn't put it but he's a great two-way player. That's a starting 5 that is full of young guys besides rubio

[@jtdrawoh4595]

Still maybe the worst team in the west