Devin Booker is one of the best players in the NBA. To some, he is one of the top-5 since he has accomplished in the playoffs what had only been done previously by Michael Jordan. Booker, at age 24, scored the most points by a player ever in their first playoff run (602). In 2022, he led the Suns to a 64-win season and would have advanced further if the Suns were not sick with COVID-19. Then, Booker had a nine-game stretch with 311 points on 70% true shooting in 2023, an accomplishment previously reached by just Jordan.

Unfortunately for the Suns, Booker has not been the same player he was in those moments. The four-time All-Star has missed 14 games to injury. Because of that and his extended playmaking, he has the second-lowest defensive rating of his nine-year career.

But don't tell New Orleans Pelicans and former Suns assistant Willie Green that. Green knows how dangerous Booker, who had a 52-point game against New Orleans in January, can be. Via AZCentral:

“Don't remind me,” Green joked.

“Booker's tough. There's a reason that he's one of the best.”

Booker is maybe the Suns' best player even though he plays next to Durant. He stood out in the playoff run, leading the playoffs in scoring.

But he has not been the player the Suns have needed him to be for more often than not this season. His defensive rating by Bball Index ranks in the 17.6 percentile of all NBA players, and his passing lane defense ranks below the 15th percentile.

Frank Vogel, who said in the preseason Booker and Durant were competing as the two best defenders, said in a follow-up from ClutchPoints his star guard's season has been “up and down.”

“I think he really competes,” Vogel said. “He does a great job quarterbacking, that stuff don't show on whatever metrics…I think he's done a great job for us on that side.”

While Booker's scoring and passing remains important parts of his game, his defacto point-guard duties have been given to Bradley Beal. Beal is putting pressure on the rim and opening threes for Eric Gordon, Grayson Allen and even Royce O'Neale to an extent. Drew Eubanks could even benefit since he shot above 35 percent from three in 2022-23.

Booker in his ninth NBA season has been arguably the best player on the Suns for the last 3 1/2 years as they've been the winningest team. He finished fourth in MVP voting in 2021-22 and was twice named an All-Star before his first playoff run, in which the Suns fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals.