The Phoenix Suns hit the jackpot when they were able to nab Devin Booker with the 13th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. With the way Booker's career has panned out so far, perhaps he would have landed on a much higher spot if teams did a redraft this time around.
That's exactly what Chad Ford, a former ESPN NBA draft analyst, did on his NBA Big Board Podcast. He had the former Kentucky stud going third in the re-draft. Interestingly though, Ford — who said he wasn't that enamored with Booker heading into the draft — also admitted that the Suns star actually confronted him during the NBA draft combine about his ranking.
“I was not that high on Booker in the draft — certainly not number two, number three, number five pick,” Ford said, as transcribed by Arizona Sports. “And he actually confronted me about this at the NBA Combine.”
Booker certainly blossomed into a star in the NBA, and not many saw it coming after he played on a stacked Kentucky squad the year before. In his lone season in college, he only averaged 10.0 points in over 21 minutes per game. Even though he showed promise as an elite shooter (41.1 percent from three) with a sweet shooting stroke, it wasn't enough for teams to draft him in the top 10.
The system of college basketball certainly hindered him from showcasing all of his talents. Now in Year 5, the 23-year old Suns guard is one of the most promising young stars in the NBA. Booker can score from anywhere with his polished offensive game and solid efficiency, and he is also a very capable playmaker who can set up the offense for his team.
Prior to the suspension of the 2019-20 NBA season, Devin Booker was having a career year with the Suns. In 62 games, the he averaged 26.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists, while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from long range. Those numbers certainly warrant a top-3 selection in any draft.
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