Not many in the NBA can boast about being better one-on-one players than Devin Booker. Standing at 6’6″ with a buttery-smooth handle and shot, isolation plays are Booker’s strength, and there’s not much defenders can do if they find themselves on an island with him. Even Jimmy Butler, someone who’s all too confident in his abilities, admits he can’t get the better of Book.
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In a recent appearance on FaZe Rug’s livestream, the Golden State Warriors star was asked a question that not many expected him to be humble about. Streamer Brawadis, a Booker fan, asked Butler who would win in a hypothetical 1v1 between him and the Phoenix Suns star.
Butler, without hesitation, conceded defeat. That’s how revered and feared Booker’s one-on-one abilities are in the NBA.
“Devin Booker, 11-0,” said Butler in response to Brawadis’ question. Knowing Butler, however, there’s a 50-50 chance he was being unserious. He has built a reputation as one of the league’s elite two-way players, with his defensive prowess playing a key role in the Miami Heat’s two Finals appearances since 2020.
Butler is no slouch on offense either. His most impactful performances often come in the playoffs, where he consistently takes his game to another level. That said, it’s hard to say for certain that Booker would wipe the floor with him, so we can probably take that “11-0” claim with a pinch of salt.
Butler may have been on the humble side with his answer, but he’s not wrong to tip his hat to Booker’s greatness. In an offseason scrimmage video from last year, Book showcased just how lethal he can be in iso situations, but nailing a hotly contested three-pointer wasn’t even the most impressive part of it. The fact that he was able to walk his defender down and score while trash-talking him throughout is what makes him really scary to face.
Booker has always been a score-first player, a valuable trait to have in one-on-one situations. However, Jimmy’s game is just a little different, as he has told the media that he’d rather get his teammates involved first and won’t shoulder the scoring burden unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Speaking to Anthony Slater earlier this year, he said, “When it’s my time, you’ll know it’s my time. Until then, I’m going to pass the ball to the open man, get my guys some jumpers, get them out in transition, and we gonna keep winning.”
Jimmy certainly thinks Book can defeat him 1v1, and Book won’t necessarily contradict him about that. But we all would love to see a real scenario that puts the two against each other in a game to 11.
