Devin Booker Receives Recognition Suns Fans Already Know He Deserves

One of the primary reasons that the Phoenix Suns have become one of the most consistent franchises in the NBA over the last 40 years rests in one simple area of excelling - drafting well in the mid-to-late draft lottery. 

Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Marion are two of the most glaring examples of Phoenix taking advantage of shrewd scouting without landing a top-five pick, but the best selection the franchise has ever made is none other than Devin Booker.

The franchise's all-time leading scorer has accomplished numerous incredible feats over the course of this decade in the aftermath of Phoenix taking the shooting guard 13th in the 2015 draft. 

Booker's career has been such a resounding success that Joey Akeley of Bleacher Report labeled the 11-year vet the best player at the number 13 slot of the 21st century - narrowly beating out Donovan Mitchell to earn the honor.

Numerous things can be taken out of this conclusion - most conspicuous of all is that Booker remains well on his way to becoming a Hall Of Fame selection down the line. While Mitchell is an exceptional talent at the position in his own right, the Phoenix legend has established himself as a more lethal scorer in playoff settings, while also currently pacing to become a top-10 scorer in NBA regular season history. 

The context of the selection has to mean something as well, as Booker was considered a sharpshooter that was far more likely to become a role player compared to any other outcome. Booker's rise to superstardom only magnifies the value that the Suns found and strengthens his case to earn this distinct honor.

The interesting tie-in for Phoenix is exactly what was aforementioned - the organization continues to nail selections in "non-premium" draft slots, including Stoudemire - who was named as the best ninth pick of the century as well. 

The main source of frustration to tie everything together rests in what could have been in the early years of Booker's career. Phoenix whiffed on draft selections of Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss, Josh Jackson, and Jalen Smith - the "what-if" associated with all of these feel even more consequential now, as there were prospects that the Suns could have selected at each of those spots that would have contributed to winning basketball immediately.

The case can absolutely be made that Booker would be an NBA champion at this stage had Phoenix decided to tread more carefully in his formative years. 

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Kevin Hicks is a contributing writer to SunsRoundtable. He can be reached on X @khicks_21.