Post by Andrei Kirilenko on Mar 2, 2018 8:27:33 GMT
Current Rating: 83
Suggested Rating: 86
You guys gotta start putting some respect on this man's name. I don't even feel like I'm asking for much. He has continued to improve this year, despite being banged up for a good portion of the season. The Suns are improving, he is making his teammates better, and he is a top 10 scorer in the league. The kid averages 25/4.6/4.8.
Exhibit A:
In less minutes per game, he has improving his scoring, passing, and rebounding. His FG% has improved slightly, but the real thing to look at is his 3p%. He is shooting more threes this year and hitting them at a higher rate. His eFG% is a career high. He has also improved FT shooting.
Exhibit B:
Just how good is his scoring? He is 9th in the league in points per game. Yes, Booker is a top 10 scorer in the NBA. I already know you are going to say "but look at FG%!". Booker shoots more threes than most of these guys, so how about looking at eFG%? His 49.8% is higher than DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook. Perhaps he is not elite yet, but he is pretty damn close.
Exhibit C:
Still not convinced? Look at how much he had legitimately improved this year according to advanced metrics. His PER is a career high, and is 6th in the league among shooting guards. His TS% is much improved. His assist % is 4th in the league among shooting guards. His rebounding is improved. His OBPM is 4th in the league among shooting guards. Booker is legitimately a top performing shooting guard in the league. And his improvements this season are incredible. He has even doubled his WS/48 on a tanking Suns team.
Now, I know the one knock against him is going to be defense. And the stats don't back me up a ton on this, but watching him play, he has legitimately improved his defense. He is athletic and long enough to stick with guys. He doesn't fall asleep like Harden or KAT or other guys, and he is active and hustles. He puts in the effort. Defensive metrics, IMO, are typically more a gauge of how good a team defense is rather than individual defense. I am not arguing that he is good on defense, but he is much improved on the court. Hold it against him if you want, but don't let it drive your entire vote.
Suggested Rating: 86
You guys gotta start putting some respect on this man's name. I don't even feel like I'm asking for much. He has continued to improve this year, despite being banged up for a good portion of the season. The Suns are improving, he is making his teammates better, and he is a top 10 scorer in the league. The kid averages 25/4.6/4.8.
Exhibit A:
In less minutes per game, he has improving his scoring, passing, and rebounding. His FG% has improved slightly, but the real thing to look at is his 3p%. He is shooting more threes this year and hitting them at a higher rate. His eFG% is a career high. He has also improved FT shooting.
Exhibit B:
Just how good is his scoring? He is 9th in the league in points per game. Yes, Booker is a top 10 scorer in the NBA. I already know you are going to say "but look at FG%!". Booker shoots more threes than most of these guys, so how about looking at eFG%? His 49.8% is higher than DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook. Perhaps he is not elite yet, but he is pretty damn close.
Exhibit C:
Still not convinced? Look at how much he had legitimately improved this year according to advanced metrics. His PER is a career high, and is 6th in the league among shooting guards. His TS% is much improved. His assist % is 4th in the league among shooting guards. His rebounding is improved. His OBPM is 4th in the league among shooting guards. Booker is legitimately a top performing shooting guard in the league. And his improvements this season are incredible. He has even doubled his WS/48 on a tanking Suns team.
Now, I know the one knock against him is going to be defense. And the stats don't back me up a ton on this, but watching him play, he has legitimately improved his defense. He is athletic and long enough to stick with guys. He doesn't fall asleep like Harden or KAT or other guys, and he is active and hustles. He puts in the effort. Defensive metrics, IMO, are typically more a gauge of how good a team defense is rather than individual defense. I am not arguing that he is good on defense, but he is much improved on the court. Hold it against him if you want, but don't let it drive your entire vote.