Kendrick Perkins calls Devin Booker one of the top 3 scorers of the league, but disagrees with the notion that he’s the next Kobe Bryant.
Advertisement
In a recent episode of First Take on ESPN, analyst Stephen A Smith called Devin Booker the next Kobe Bryant. Smith had NBA legend Magic Johnson and co-panelist Max Kellerman agree with him as well.
“It is official, in his first playoff appearance and the brother is the number one option and averaging over 28. Dropped 40 and a triple-double in the first game on the Conference Finals.” Smith said.
The 2x NBA All-Star shot 51.7% from the field, 42.9% from the 3-point line, and was a flawless 100% from the free-throw line during Game one of the conference finals.
However, former NBA player turned analyst Kendrick Perkins recently expressed his displeasure over Smith’s statements. The former Celtic had no reservations about the offensive talent that Booker possessed.
Though while comparing the two players, he called Kobe a menace on both ends of the floor. Perkins further added that the Lakers legend was 12 Defensive All-NBA team out of which 9 were the first team.
Nevertheless, the former NBA champion considered the Phoenix star one of the top 3 scorers of the league, with the likes of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.
Is Devin Booker really on the Kobe Bryant track?
It’s no hidden fact that Booker embodies the Mamba Mentality of Kobe Bryant, who he also considered his idol as well. The Phoenix star never forgets to mention the relevance of Bryant in his game, especially when he has a big scoring night.
In the 6 seasons played so far in the NBA, Booker has averaged 23.0 PPG, 4.6 APG, and 3.7 RPG. The 2x NBA All-Star has shot an impressive 45.5% from the field and 87.0% from the free-throw line.
In the 20 seasons that Bryant played for the Lakers, he averaged 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.7 APG. The 18x NBA All-Star shot 44.7% from the field and 83.7% from the free-throw line during his career.
The NBA legend is a 5x NBA champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 11x All-NBA First Team, and 2x scoring champion, and the list would go on.
Booker’s game bears a sizeable resemblance to that of the late Lakers legend. Both have an elite scoring ability whether it is their mid-range jump shots, fadeaways, or their ability to finish at the rim.
Booker’s iconic 70-point game at the TD Garden in Boston is the closest an NBA player could get to Bryant’s 81-point game so far.
Booker is an elite scorer
In a recent segment of Get Up on ESPN, Kendrick Perkins called Booker the third-best scorer behind Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.
“Devin Booker is the third-best scorer in the NBA, behind Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.”
—@KendrickPerkins 😮 pic.twitter.com/KPU8J7vVsL
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 22, 2021
The Phoenix Star has averaged over 25-points in his last 3 seasons. The Playoffs have really seen Booker elevate his game to another level, averaging 29.0 PPG so far.
It is only a matter of time that Booker would join the club of Durant and Curry, who have won multiple scoring titles in their careers.
