While the whole basketball fraternity believed that Kevin Durant would be the best player leading the Phoenix Suns to their quest of clinching a first championship, the incredible postseason performance by Devin Booker has come up as a surprise. Consistently going on a scoring rampage, D-Book has resurrected the conversations of analysts comparing him to Kobe Bryant.
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Winning Game 3, the Denver Nuggets were sure that Monty Williams’ boys would try and capitalize on the momentum swing. However, even a 50-point production by Nikola Jokic wasn’t enough to prevent the All-Star duo of Booker & KD from leading the Arizona-based franchise to a 129-124 Game 4 win.
Recording a 7th 30-point game in merely 9 outings in the postseason, Devin was simply sensational. His performance so far in the playoffs has been a hot topic of discussion among analysts, which has even gotten him huge praise.
“Haven’t Seen A Player Be This Efficient Since 1984”: Kendrick Perkins
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard has tallied a staggering 36.8 points and 7.4 assists in the playoffs so far.
Devin Booker in the playoffs:
36 PTS – 6 REB – 12 AST – 78% FG
47 PTS – 6 REB – 9 AST – 80% FG
35 PTS – 5 REB – 6 AST – 48% FG
27 PTS – 4 REB – 8 AST – 53% FG
47 PTS – 8 REB – 10 AST – 70% FG
30 PTS – 9 REB – 7 AST – 48% FG
45 PTS – 6 REB – 3 AST – 62% FG
38 PTS – 1 REB – 9 AST… pic.twitter.com/uWqhfAT5YI— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 8, 2023
Kendrick Perkins was one of many analysts who couldn’t stop gushing over the former Kentucky Wildcat’s run. Regarding the 26-year-old as the best player in the playoffs, Perks commended Booker on ESPN’s recent-most episode of “First Take”.
“With all due respect to Steph Curry, with all due respect to Jokic, with all due respect to Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, James Harden, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Jimmy Butler… Devin Booker has been and is the best player in the playoffs.”
Apart from being the NBA’s postseason scoring leader, the 3-time All-Star is also #1 in several stats – transition points, points on the drive, points on pull-ups in the midrange, and isolation points.
The 38-year-old also ranked D-Book’s current postseason run as the most efficient one since 1984. Yes, according to Perkins, the All-NBA member has had a more efficient postseason offensive run than the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant, among several other legends to set foot on the hardwood.
“When you talk about getting buckets at a high level, when you talk about dominating the game the way that he’s been doing. I haven’t seen a player have a run, offensively, and be this efficient ever and I was born in 1984.”
Perkins finally agrees to compare Devin Booker to Kobe Bryant
Ever since the Phoenix leader joined the league, he has been compared to Kobe. While a majority of enthusiasts agree so, Kendrick was one such personality who was “appalled” by this comparison. However, a couple of years after blasting Max Kellerman and Stephen A Smith for their comments, the former Celtics player apologized to SAS.
Calling him the “sole reason” as to why PHX has tied up the Western Conference Semifinals, Perkins concluded his statements with:
“He’s a younger version of Kobe. And if anybody disagrees with that, they’re out of their damn mind and they haven’t been watching basketball. He is the sole reason why this team is why they end up in the position they in right now and tied this series up.”
.@KendrickPerkins says Devin Booker has been the BEST player in the playoffs:
“He’s a younger version of Kobe. And if anybody disagrees with that, they’re out of their damn mind and they haven’t been watching basketball.” pic.twitter.com/VryZfWYYJU
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 8, 2023
Devin has been outstanding, to say the least. Certainly, he will not be slowing down until the Suns are crowned the 2023 NBA champs.
