Saberestar wrote:Can we all agree finally about Book being the third best player in the history of the franchise only after Nash and Barkley?
He can be easily the best ever in a few years...he is that great.
I don't know how I feel about including Barkley. There are so many ways to consider "best" for all time greats in general and for the Suns.
I'd put Booker ahead of Barkley for a few reasons. He has been a Sun for more years, his whole career, also made the finals, etc. Barkley was a vet we traded for to get us a ring but he hasn't. It's almost like to include Barkley (largely because he had a great entire career) you would have to put CP3 and KD in the mix.
Barkley helped us get to the finals, barely, considering we almost lost in the first round, and then never got past the 2nd round. In his 4th year we didn't even have a winning record I don't think...maybe we were 42-40 but I have 40-42 in my head. We went to two WCF before his arrival.
Nash didn't spend his entire career either. It's hard to compare him too. He made us so good but was he better than Book? I think individual accolades such as MVPs are hard to take into consideration given the competition varies so much. Nash wouldn't have won it in most years.
But I think there is an argument for all 3 of them depending on how you look at it. I'm a huge KJ fan obviously and his career was derailed but if I was looking at something like best first five years for players the Suns had when they were young, KJ was the best for his first 5. Alvan Adams may have had the best rookie year. I don't remember a guy like Walter Davis as much.
But with Book climbing up scoring charts, setting records, and improving his weaknesses like ball handling, turnovers, defense and 3pt shooting really helps him a lot. Had Nash shot as much as Curry did, he might be remembered much better on the all time scale too..maybe too selfish in hindsight, despite the fact I generally like that kind of player.
Easily Book should go down #1 if not already though because he spent his entire career here.....well, assuming he does, but at least he will have spent 10+ years here unless he is traded which is highly doubtful.
The one hurdle he needs to clear is coming up big in a game when facing elimination, of course, unless, we can win titles without ever having to face elimination.