Phoenix Suns head coach Earl Watson noted a resemblance between his shooting guard phenom Devin Booker and Houston Rockets superstar guard James Harden, who was out on Sunday nursing an injury.
“I don’t know if I’ve said this publicly before, but he reminds me a lot of James Harden,” Watson said Sunday, according to Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic. “When Devin Booker took off at the end of last season, he was at the point. He had a lot of 30-point games. This year he’s had a 70-point game. It’s not a coincidence.”
Booker has averaged 30.3 points and 8.3 assists per game in his last three outings, getting to be the primary playmaker in the Suns offense with Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight out of the backcourt picture.
The 20-year-old has been a picture-perfect shooting guard throughout the season, leading the team in scoring with an impressive 22 points per game clip in only his second season in the league. But while he's been an undeniable scorer, his ability to create opportunities for others has been evident in this recent stretch.
Booker has attempted a Harden-like 14 and 12 free throws his last two outings, but it has come at the price of 15 turnovers during that two-game stretch — showing a lack of control and immaturity that is bound to come with the heavy minutes and limited experience at the position.
While Harden has had the best season of his career averaging 11.2 assists per game, has also been tormented by a dismal 5.8 turnovers per game average, showing an ultimate inefficiency in what appears to be a mind-blowingly selfless season.
“I think if that’s possible, James will open up the door for (Booker to be a point guard),” Watson said. “You definitely see him with the ball in his hands down the stretch. It depends on the roster and creativity and vision of the program.
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