26.4 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.2 rebounds on nearly 50% shooting wasn't enough to get Phoenix Suns' star Devin Booker his first all-star nod the first time around with the media. player, and coach vote just a few weeks ago.
Good for him, then, that he was named Thursday as the replacement for Damian Lillard in the league's annual showcase that takes place Sunday in Chicago. Lillard, a shoe-in for the team, pulled his groin last night and announced - as expected post-game - that he wouldn't participate in the game Sunday night, or the 3-Point Contest on Saturday night. Among candidates to replace him in the game were Booker (who will fill in in the three-point contest as well) and Memphis' tantalizing rookie Ja Morant, but when it comes down to it, Booker was the right choice.
The 23-year-old is having the best season of his career, as he's upped his field-goal percentage (46.7% last year to 49.6% this year), free-throw percentage (87% to 92%), and three-point percentage (32.6% last year to 35.8% this year). He is shooting less (18 attempts per game this year vs. 20 last year), but is more efficient. He is trusting his teammates just the same (6.3 assists this year, compared to 6.8 assists last year), with four games of 10 assists. Rather than just be a scorer, he has become well-rounded in all facets of his game, with lines like 44 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds against New Orleans on December 5, and 39 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists against Boston on January 18.
Booker is the unquestioned leader of a young Phoenix team that with experience and growth will become a playoff contender in the not-so-distant future. He is looking for his, but he's also trusting in his teammates, while remaining efficient and effective. One of the marks in the growth of a great player and leader is learning to trust your teammates while also scoring the ball not to the detriment of the team. Booker has done and is still in the midst of that transformation right now.
He is most deserving of his first All-Star appearance this weekend, one that surely will not be his last.
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