Devin Booker endured a Phoenix Suns era in which he and the team finished at the bottom of the Western Conference three straight years. Viewed then as an up-and-coming star, Booker stayed in Phoenix and is now part of a golden era in the franchise's history.

Booker, who is 26 years old, is the Suns' franchise player and their best player on a 2023-24 roster expected to compete for the team's first-ever championship. He helped lead the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals and has a supporting cast that appears to be his best.

Here is his player capsule, from ClutchPoints:

Year in Review

Booker has improved every year in the NBA. He is still young but a veteran in the league, given he entered it in 2015 as an 18-year-old.

Booker looked like the best player in the 2023 playoffs. He had some games in which he looked like it was impossible for him to miss. And shockingly, he continued his super-efficient, super-human performances throughout the postseason until he suffered a foot/ankle injury in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals versus the Denver Nuggets.

The Suns were the only team to push the NBA-champion Nuggets to six games in the playoffs. Booker was the reason why.

Statistics

PPG: 27.8

APG: 5.5

RPG: 4.5

FG%: 49.4

3FG%: 35.1

Playoffs 

PPG: 33.7

APG: 7.2

RPG: 4.8

FG%: 58.5

3FG%: 50.8

Strengths

Booker is turning into a superstar, if he is not one already. Viewed as a potent scorer, he turned up his efficiency and overall shot-making ability to an unworldly level in the postseason.

Booker became the first player since Michael Jordan to record 295 points through the first eight games of a postseason run. Even with teams scheming around him on defense, Booker showed impressive poise to find his shot and score. He was also very calm with the ball in his hands and averaged over seven assists per game in the playoffs.

He was a beneficiary of Kevin Durant's addition to the Suns. Durant, who is one of the best scorers ever, was double- and triple-teamed in the playoffs. That opened room for Booker to blossom into one of the best players in the NBA.

Incredibly, Booker's impact was just as valuable on defense. He was among the leaders in stocks (steals and blocks) during the playoffs and played with great energy on that end. He had been knocked for his defense earlier in his career but proved the narrative was false.

Booker is a fan of the late Kobe Bryant but is clearly separating himself as a player of his own. He is set to have his first signature shoe release this season and will lead a Suns group that could be the team's best-ever roster, on paper.

He has been the face of the Suns' franchise since he entered the NBA and finally got a super-team he coveted when the team traded for Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal this offseason. Booker, Beal and Durant are the best scoring trio in the NBA and have a chance to create one of the most skilled offensive groups the league has seen.

Key Quotes

Kevin Durant: “I don't understand why this is such a surprise to anybody,” he said of Booker's incredible playoff performances. “He's been doing this since day one.”

Former Suns coach Monty Williams: “He's just grown because of the experiences. He plays winning basketball, we won a little bit and he's been in some big-time games. I think that allows for everybody to see his game expand on a big stage.”

Bradley Beal: “I understand that this is ‘Book Nation.' I understand that this is his stomping grounds, this is his arena. I'm excited for that.”

Development

Booker is regarded as a top-10 player in the NBA. He is viewed as the Suns' second-best player after Durant but clearly showed in the playoffs he is the man to watch for.

Booker will be incredibly important as a potential point guard for Phoenix. The Suns do not have a clear facilitator on their team. Beal is rumored to be the Suns' starting point guard this season, but it is very likely Booker will have a role as a facilitator.

When Phoenix did not have a go-to guard in the past, they famously used “Point Book.” It is something the Suns did not want to do since it meant Booker played out of his natural shooting guard position, but he showed in the playoffs he can thrive as a playmaker.

He had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5 in the playoffs. When you have players like Beal and Durant, it becomes easier to make plays. Booker's assist total should only improve as a point guard this season.

Unfortunately for him, Booker has had a reputation to some as a player who can not perform in elimination games. Two years ago in the Western Conference semifinals, Booker had 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting in a blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks at home.

He was clearly hurt this season, but some criticized Booker for his 12-point performance in the Suns' sixth and final game against the Nuggets in the conference semifinals this season. Some pointed out he has struggled in that scenario, given he also had just 19 points on 8-of-22 shooting in Phoenix's Game 6 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 Finals.

Expectations

Booker has a star duo next to him as he and the Suns look to win their first-ever championship. Phoenix fell short of a title two years ago but has two top scorers next to Booker, who will be expected to lead the Suns to a title.

Booker thrived under Williams and has a new coach, Frank Vogel, to lead him. This is Booker's sixth head coach but arguably his most important one since Vogel has championship experience.

Vogel thrived while developing Paul George, Anthony Davis and LeBron James. He got those players to buy in on defense and that should not be a problem for Booker, who showed elite competitive spirit on that end in the playoffs.

Durant is viewed as the Suns' top star, but Booker is going to have to be the player who leads them to a championship. He spent his entire career preparing for an opportunity like this in Phoenix. He has shown he can thrive in the playoffs and push a team to the championship round.

This year, Booker can solidify himself as a top-five player in the NBA and perhaps an even better ranking if he takes his leadership to the next level. If the Suns win a championship and Booker is the reason why, there is great reason to believe he can be recognized as arguably the best player in basketball as the league transitions away from Durant, Stephen Curry and LeBron James' era.