The NBA All-Star fixture always brings around a lot of hype as the fans get to see all their star players playing side by side. With the hype and excitement, there is also a lot of criticism surrounding the All-Star match as fans often make a list of players who were snubbed but should have been there according to their performances.
One such player who was snubbed from the All-Star match this season was Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker. Most of the fans and critics were in shock when they saw that Booker had missed the cut. Even LeBron James admitted that Booker is one such player who does not get enough respect. Recently NBA Analyst Kendrick Perkins also showed his support towards Booker on ESPN.
A ranked list of top ten players according to their future potential was recently unveiled on ESPN’s The Jump where Booker was at a lowly eighth position only ahead of Bam Adebayo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. When they asked Perkins’ opinion he was quick to disagree with the rankings.
“Hell no! It is far from accurate,” Perkins stated. “He should be top 5, alright! I am tired of this disrespect and they need to put some respect on Devin Booker’s name. I am tired of the All-Star snubs, where he is always a replacement because someone is injured. Listen, this guy is a walking bucket, one of the most prolific, efficient scorers in the game today.”
“He is averaging 25 points, almost shooting 50% from the field, and that team is number two in the Western Conference. Like every single year, he keeps getting better. He has averaged over 24 points over four seasons. And the only other two players to do that were Kevin Durant and LeBron James. He should be ranked higher. I am tired of Devin Booker getting overlooked and disrespected,” he went on explaining his views.
Perkins also reposted the same segment from the show on his Twitter as he was very vocal about the disrespect that is thrown towards a consistent performer like Devin Booker.
The 24-year-old has led the Phoenix Suns on his young shoulders especially the last season in the bio-bubble. The Suns and the NBA received a lot of flak when they were called to feature at the Bubble in Orlando. But a 8-0 record at the bubble led by their young talisman soon changed the perception of the fans. However, currently, things have changed and the Suns are now in a good position in the Western Conference and are definitely looking like a tough contender.
It is true that adding someone like Chris Paul has helped the team immensely and it has also allowed Booker to play more freely. Still the 24-year-old has been a metronome for the team overall. It will be interesting to see how they progress this season, especially with their current form as they are in 2nd position in the West with an ongoing six-game winning streak.
