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Steve Kerr's rotation decisions for Team USA have been the talk of the town during the 2024 Paris Olympics. With Team USA fielding such a stacked roster, a few talented players are bound to lose out in minutes. But amid all the hullabaloo, Devin Booker has managed to stand out thanks to his consistent body of work for the team, and he has reaped the reward of a consistent rotation role in the process.
Booker has been one of the only three mainstays in Kerr's Team USA starting lineup to this point in the Olympics, joining LeBron James and Stephen Curry as the only players to start in their games against Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico. Kerr clearly values Booker's offensive versatility, as he has adapted quite well to playing more of a supporting role — which is not too easy of a transition for players who have grown accustomed to being the man for their respective NBA teams.
“He's probably been the guy who's been most adaptable to go from a different role in the NBA to a new one here. He's such a big scorer in the league, but just like in [the 2021] Tokyo [Olympics], he's adapted to being an on-ball guy, ball mover, the offense clicks when he's out there and the defense is really good. That's why he's started every game and seems to be good with any combination,” Kerr told reporters on Monday, via Blake Niemann of Cronkite News.
Steve Kerr discussed Devin Booker's adaptability from his role with the Suns to Team USA:
"He's probably been the guy who's been most adaptable to go from a different role in the NBA to a new one here. He's such a big scorer in the league, but just like in Tokyo, he's adapted to… pic.twitter.com/91i4L0LcXC
— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) August 2, 2024
Devin Booker is a highly-malleable player who can play a high-volume scoring role both as a ball-handler and as an off-ball player who comes off screens and spots up for open threes.
The Suns utilized him as a point guard this past season and he responded by averaging his most assists per game, so it's not like he's incapable of playing a bigger role. But with Team USA turning over playmaking duties to LeBron James, they need someone to thrive despite not having too many touches, and Booker has shown that he is capable of doing so at the highest level possible.
Devin Booker, a certified Team USA pillar
Devin Booker has spent the majority of his playing career as a shooting guard, so he knows how to play off of high-level playmakers. The Suns might have him miscast as a primary playmaker, similarly to what they did to him from 2017 to 2019, but seeing him flourish with Team USA shows that Booker is a ceiling-raising player as well.
Booker spent a few years of his career playing alongside elite playmakers in Ricky Rubio and Chris Paul, so he knows how to make the most out of playing with a ball-dominant (yet unselfish) primary ballhandler. With Team USA, everything aligned for Booker to flourish, and he has also embraced a selfless attitude — similar to the one Stephen Curry has been displaying throughout his career — that's necessary to compete for a gold medal.
Meanwhile, the likes of Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum have had to adjust to playing smaller roles. As a result, Kerr hasn't exactly given them the minutes and the role that seem more in line with their body of work in the NBA. Those two could learn a thing or two from how Booker is making the most of his opportunity and is being rewarded for doing so.
