Devin Booker has pledged to shoot the ball more this season, and a former Phoenix Suns standout couldn’t be happier.
Eddie Johnson never turned down a good look during his playing days, and thinks a more selfish Booker this season is going to help the Suns.
“It’s a great thing,” Johnson, who is also the team’s TV analyst, told NextPredict. “He needs to be aggressive. You’ve got to have the head of a snake. He has to be the one. It should not be equal shot distribution. He should be taking the most shots. He should be the one in the fourth quarter being the focus, the hub. That’s how it is, and that’s how it’s always going to be.”
Booker averaged 26.1 points per game last season, shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range. He made his fifth All-Star team and helped the Suns to a surprising 45-37 record when most projected a fall-off after the trade of Kevin Durant.
Booker also averaged 6.0 assists as he tried to be a ball distributor when called upon to play point guard.
However, Booker is a natural scorer, and Johnson says vacillating between the two roles may have hurt him on the court. Johnson wants Booker to always have the mindset to score as he enters his age-30 season with the Suns.
“I’m happy that he’s talking that way (about shooting more), because until now he’s really been like a rollercoaster, up and down with that mindset,” Johnson said. “I think now he understands that he cannot take a back seat to anybody on this team.”
Johnson: Booker Can Lead Suns to Championship
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs reign supreme in the Western Conference, and the Suns have some work to do in order to be a true contender.
They traded for Miles Bridges this offseason and tinkered with the roster as they aim to again qualify for the playoffs.
Booker led the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2020-21 and to 64 wins the next season, though all the other key players on those teams are now elsewhere.
While Booker isn’t normally talked about among the NBA’s most elite players, Johnson says he is talented enough to be the star of a title team.
“If you want to go far and win a championship, you’ve got to have that guy, and he is that guy,” Johnson said.
Johnson: Jalen Green Still Has Upside
Jalen Green will be another key for the Suns in 2026-27. He averaged only 17.8 points and 2.8 assists in 32 games last season while dealing with an assortment of injuries.
At only 24 years old, Johnson is hoping for a bounceback from the former No. 2 overall pick.
“Jalen didn’t get a good shot last year because he got injured,” Johnson said. “So we really don’t know. But he’s in his prime, he’s young. It’s a big season for everybody. Not just Jalen.”
Ex-Suns Star Has Strong Take On Devin Booker