While Team USAWhile the list of future 2024 Summer Olympic Hall of Famers included several players, it wasn’t the Big Three of LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant who made the cut. Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards‘ watch out for Paris.
Antoine Edwards joins Kevin of the Phoenix Suns Durant and former NBA player Jalen Rose for a chat. talk about his experience With Team USA at the Paris Olympics, the 23-year-old shared an unexpected revelation.
“(Stephen Curry) had great games. (Kevin Durant) had great games. (LeBron James) had great games. But (Devin Booker) it was like defending the best player, stopping shots. Because Book (can) go up to 70. I’m not going to lie, I was impressed watching him,” the young Timberwolves superstar said.
Devin Booker is the guy who sticks for Team USA
Booker averaged 11.7 points, 3.3 assists and 0.5 steals in 22.0 minutes per game during the Olympics. His high shooting percentages (56.8 percent overall and 56.5 percent from three-point range) were partly the result of careful shot selection. Unlike his NBA duties, he was not considered the primary offensive force.
By the end of the tournament, Booker was arguably the team’s sixth option, behind Durant, Edwards, James, Curry and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
Anthony Edwards, who faced Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns on the NBA court multiple times with a 1-11 record, gained new perspective on Booker while being teammates during the Olympics.
Booker’s defense shines at Olympics
In addition to his goalscoring abilities, the 27-year-old Booker took on the role of a defender on the ball, a responsibility not usually associated with him in the NBA. In the semifinals against Serbia, the American team found itself in a difficult situation, trailing 63-76 at the start of the fourth quarter.
While Stephen Curry orchestrated the offense, Devin Booker focused on containing point guard Vasilije Micic. After each basket, Booker immediately put pressure on Micic, disrupting his concentration during the first moments of possession.
At one point, Booker skillfully blocked Micic while Curry had possession of the ball, opening the way for Chef Curry to score an easy layup. Booker’s tenacious defense kept Micic completely in check, resulting in zero points and zero assists for the Serbian point guard in the final quarter.
Booker has consistently honed his skills to remain a highly effective scorer, even when he carries most of the offensive load. While he hasn’t reached the 70-point mark since that standout night in his sophomore season, he has managed to score 45 or more points in at least one game each season.
Leading the Phoenix Suns on offense
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Last season, he scored 62 points against the Indiana Pacers in late January. But his scoring prowess is only part of the story.
The Suns’ run to the 2021 NBA Finals demonstrated that the 27-year-old could be a crucial contributor to a successful team, dispelling any doubts that lingered due to Phoenix’s prolonged struggles leading up to that point.
Despite his impressive offensive skills, Booker has long been considered a defensive liability. Known for focusing on scoring rather than defense, he averages less than one steal per game over his career and often expends more energy on offense than stopping opponents from scoring.
What made Booker’s performance at the Paris Olympics so impressive was his dedication to defense. While the offensive load was spread across many talented players, no one anticipated that Booker would take his defensive role so seriously.
The Olympics could prompt a reassessment of Booker’s skills, as he has excelled in a supporting role. Team USA head coach Steve Kerr praised him as “incredible throughout this series” and described him as “kind of our unsung MVP.”
