Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving sees a bright future for Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, and he made it known that he's a believer of the 22-year-old rising NBA talent.
Irving, who will play Booker and the Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Wednesday, revealed that he hung out a lot with the reigning 3-point champion over the summer and pointed that he's seen enough from the young gun to know that he's “absolutely a killer.”
“I’m just a huge fan. Where he is now and where he can go,” Irving told Ashley Nevel in a recent interview. “I just want him to stay level-headed. The environment, don’t let it diminish who you are as talent.”
“A lot of other young guys in this league are just getting a lot of attention for stats they are putting up or what they are doing in their respective conferences. Devin is right along with those guys in terms of talent, if not more talented than certain guys in this league.”
“As you can see I’m a big believer in Devin.”
Irving also compared Booker's present situation with the Suns to his situation when he was with the pre-LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers, suggesting that it's admirable for Booker to become the leader of a team that lacks the necessary pieces to win.
“I don't want to say he's underrated at all,” Irving furthered. “Being a leader of a team, where sometimes the pieces around him aren’t necessarily all that great. For the last few years, he’s had to deal with that. Injuries. I’ve been in a position similar to his at this point in his career.”
Booker, who is now in his fourth season in the league, is yet to make an All-Star appearance. However, he is certainly on his way to becoming one of the faces of the league.
The Kentucky Wildcats product is currently averaging 24.9 points and 6.0 assists per game for the Suns this season, and if he remains healthy, he'll undoubtedly be a contender to earn All-Star honors. Booker played in only 54 games for Phoenix last year.
It will be interesting to see how Irving and Booker will fare when they play against each other. Irving is finding his stride recently — with two 31-point games in the Celtics' last four games — while Booker is coming off a poor shooting performance against the Brooklyn Nets.
Follow Us
Subscribe