Suns select sharpshooter Devin Booker at No. 13
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The Phoenix Suns selected Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
Shoot.
Catch. Shoot.
Shoot.
That's what the Suns will be asking of Booker, at least initially. Vaunted as one of the best marksmen in the draft, Booker didn't get the chance to show he could do a whole lot else with the Wildcats. That may indicate a limited skillset, but it could also reflect Kentucky's insane depth, which didn't require Booker to do much more than can 41.1 percent of his outside looks.
Devin Booker goes No. 13 to Suns, so make that 4 lottery picks for Kentucky -- joins 2005 UNC as only schools w/ 4 lottery picks in a draft.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 26, 2015
Working in his favor are the best shuttle-run and agility-test scores posted at the NBA Draft Combine, helping allay concerns he doesn't have the measurements of an NBA defender. But he's limited athletically despite those scores, and it's unclear what he'll be able to contribute on offense beyond spotting up.
Ryan McDonough on Devin Booker being 6-6: "We're not sure he's done growing at 18 years old."
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) June 26, 2015
The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, but the jury's out on Booker's overall potential, even if he fills an immediate need on the Suns roster. Phoenix was tied for 20th in the NBA in 3-point percentage last season.
Hornacek on Booker's shot: "It's a heck of a stroke. He gets it up. It's right above his head where it should be." Easier to teach the rest.
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) June 26, 2015