Suns' Devin Booker Continues to Impress at Olympics

The Phoenix Suns' guard could be coming with a vengeance this NBA season.

Aug 1, 2024; Paris, France; Devin Booker and Stephen Curry attend the womenís gymnastics all-around during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Bercy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- Devin Booker will be entering his 10th season in both the NBA and for the Phoenix Suns this fall, but he has one more goal in sight prior to the commencement of the 2024-25 season: win gold at the Olympics.

He was too unestablished and young to play in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games - but unsurprisingly managed to leave a lasting impression playing for the Select team that scrimmaged against the actual squad.

Five years later, he went from being the best player on a Suns team that was arguably 20 seconds away from winning an NBA title to heading to Tokyo under strict medical guidelines and seamlessly adapted to being a supporting cast guy on a team led by future teammate Kevin Durant.

This summer, Booker comes in as a former two-time All-NBA player, four-time All Star, and MVP candidate who is considered one of the best players in the world.

His abilities would typically warrant high volume play, but the presence of other superstars such as Durant, Steph Curry, and LeBron James inherently make it that some players sacrifice a natural role for the betterment of the team.

Head coach Steve Kerr has frequently stressed that Booker is among the most important pieces on this team due to his adaptability - and he has virtually done nothing but prove Kerr correctly.

"You just never know when your night is going to be," Booker stated in the post game interview on the court after dropping a team-high 18 points after coming off of a rough 3-for-9 shooting performance against Puerto Rico.

"Locking into the details of the game is an important part, defending at a high level, it's what the team needs."

And that he has. Booker has played virtually every role that has been asked of him while also dealing with inconsistent playing time.

That hasn't mattered much, as Booker is playing his best defense since the Tokyo Olympics and appears even more comfortable in the "jack of all trades" role compared to back then.

That is simply evidenced by the contrast in three-point shooting between 2021 and 2024. In 2021, Booker shot 5-for-15 from deep, while he is a blistering 10-for-16 in 2024, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

What does this ultimately mean for his upcoming campaign in the Valley?

To be consice - many things.

Booker appears to be genuinely joyful in this Olympic run, willing to play whatever role necessary to ensure a U.S. victory. He appears much more willing to uptick his three-point volume, which will certinly bode well with new head coach Mike Budenholzer's philosophy on offense. Booker also appears to be continuing to still grow on and off the court with Durant, which should be telling that the duo is far from being a finished product.

Lastly, the sacrifices Booker has made show what a truly impactful player he is - he has built a strong case for being a top three player on one of the best rosters ever assembled and is averaging double figures on relatively low volume.

Imagine how Booker is going to approach 2024-25 with a much larger role.