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Devin Booker continues ascent into superstardom as Suns inch closer toward NBA Finals

With Chris Paul helping lead the backcourt, Devin Booker looks to lead the Suns to their first Finals in over 25 years.

Phoenix Suns v Denver Nuggets - Game Four Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

No one thought the Phoenix Suns would be where they are. Many were anticipating this team not turning into a serious title threat for a few more seasons. However, they went out and traded for Chris Paul.

His leadership mixed with the transcending stardom of Devin Booker Deandre Ayton has helped create a powerhouse in the Western Conference. After taking down the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, the Suns swept the Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets.

Now, it’s not quite time to call them the best in the West, especially as Anthony Davis was injured for the last several games and they played a Nuggets franchise void of their second-best scorer.

However, that shouldn’t take anything away from what former Kentucky Wildcats star Devin Booker has done.

The former Cat is averaging 27.9 points per game this postseason, the 12th most of any player and 6th most of those still playing. The guard has always been an elite scoring threat, but he’s turning into much more than that.

For starters, after taking on the league’s best regular-season defense and the conference’s third-best team, Booker is still shooting 48.7% from the field. He’s drilling 2.3 triples per game as well.

While that’s all great and sounds like he’s been impactful, it gets even better. Booker has taken the load upon himself to not just score but also to distribute. He’s dishing out 4.8 assists per game which is slightly more than his regular-season average.

Nearing 40 minutes per game, Booker also hauls down 6.8 rebounds per game. It’s just been an impressive stretch. This is the biggest stage that Booker has played on in his entire NBA career, and he’s stepping up to bat and thriving.

The Suns will now have several days off as the Clippers and Jazz have at least one more game to play. That said, it shouldn’t matter who they take on because the Suns, who have shooting, stardom, and rebounding, should be able to give either team all they can handle.

After five seasons in the league, Booker has finally been able to shine thanks to a front office that believes in him and their other draft picks. His Suns could be the favorite with the Nets accumulating injuries as well.

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