Bruce Brown looks back on Devin Booker’s stellar efficiency in playoffs: “He was making every shot… All green!”
Bruce Brown and the Denver Nuggets faced their toughest test en route to their championship run in the 2023 playoffs against Devin Booker and the Suns. Booker was in the form of his life during the postseason. He averaged 33.7 points, shooting 58.5%, including 50.8% from deep across 11 games.
Brown looked back at Booker's exploits during an appearance on the "Run Your Race" podcast, saying (h/t NBA University):
"Book was making every shot. He was making every shot. Did you see his shot chart? It was all green. In the playoffs, all green!"
Bruce Brown talking about Devin Booker via the Run Your Race podcast on @TidalLeague
“His shot chart, it was all green. In the playoffs, ALL GREEN!”
He’s not wrong… twitter.com/nba_university… https://t.co/9xKUNH8yOm
Devin Booker shot at least 62% five times in 11 games. Simply put, it was no fluke. He was in the rhythm until his last game, where he went 4-of-13 to produce his worst outing of the 2023 playoffs in the Suns' season-ending loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Booker made the most of Kevin Durant's presence on the floor alongside him in this playoff run. He wasn't doubled as often as he was over the last two postseasons. Booker was already an efficient scorer, even with aggressive defensive schemes used against him, so it was always going to be a task limiting him, especially in isolation.
His shot chart (embedded above) is a testament to what he achieved with his skillset as a three-level scorer. He finished the playoffs with the highest scoring average among players who made it to the second round.
Interestingly, he attempted only 6.1 free throws, scoring only 58 of his 371 playoff points from the charity stripe. Needless to say, Booker put on an absolute clinic with his shotmaking in the playoffs.
Kevin Durant opens up the floor for Devin Booker
Devin Booker was among the biggest winners from the Kevin Durant trade for the Phoenix Suns. During his time in Phoenix, before Durant arrived, Booker had never played alongside an equally good scorer, if not better. Durant is arguably the best in the business when it comes to putting the ball in the basket, and he naturally attracts defenses.
That directly impacted the quality of looks Booker got with Durant on the floor, especially in the playoffs. Booker looked comfortable making shots with teams blitzing him, so it's not surprising that he thrived with less defensive attention. However, Booker deserves credit for using that advantage and making shots.
It's never easy to stay as consistent as he did over an 11-game stretch in the playoffs, so the All-Star guard deserves his flowers. Devin Booker will likely benefit more next season with another scorer like Bradley Beal on the Suns. That opens up the floor for Kevin Durant, making Phoenix a scary opponent to face.