San Antonio phenom Victor Wembanyama cements the Suns guard’s elite status, selecting the sharpshooter for a hypothetical dream team of modern icons and respected league statesmen.
Five-time NBA All-Star Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns is heading into his 12th season in the league seeking to bring the franchise their first ever championship.
While numerous roadblocks have prevented this from becoming a reality at this time, the 29-year old Booker remains one of the most respected figures in the league - including by San Antonio Spurs megastar Victor Wembanyama.
The 22-year old included Booker in his starting lineup in a hypothetical five-on-five featuring the last 10 cover athletes for the NBA 2k video game series. Booker slides in alongside Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Wembanyama in this circumstance.
Booker falling in place in this lineup not only asserts himself as one of the more established stars in the league, it also shows how highly valued the superstar guard is across the league. This follows previous praise that Booker has been the recipient of from fellow stars such as Lillard and LeBron James, who once labeled Booker as the "most disrespected player in our league."
This is on the heels of Indiana Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton stating that his desire to play alongside Booker burned strong ahead of the 2020 NBA draft. The moral of all of the praise flowing in is that Booker is a player that peers deeply respect and even hold a desire to play alongside. He is a statesmen of the game at this stage, while also being seen as a current-generation superstar. He is being recognized for still evolving as a player as well - even when the consensus from the outside is the contrary.
Where will this status that transcends Phoenix take Booker over the rest of his career? While the Suns don't hold control over much of their draft chest, they do roster numerous promising players leading a youth movement, including rising center Khaman Maluach.
The hope is that the cast comprising of Maluach, rookie Koa Peat, and others will either improve enough to become cost-controlled foundational pieces for a title hopeful, or that they will evolve into valuable trade assets over the next year-plus.
Ultimately, Wembanyama and Booker are unlikely to team up in reality. This still presents the possibility that the two-time All-NBA selection is destined to take the court with another co-star that will (in theory) elevate the Suns back into consistent title contention.
Booker is slated to open up his 12th season in preseason play against the Detroit Pistons on October 5.
