After one game, Stephen A. Smith is of the belief that Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker is the best player in this series, and not Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith needed to see one game between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers for him to say Devin Booker is the best player in the series and not LeBron James.
Did Smith really say Booker is better than James? Kind of, sort of. He does recognize that Booker is the best player on his team, and his team will probably advance over the Lakers because Los Angeles forward Anthony Davis has to play better. Davis cannot afford to be neutralized by Deandre Ayton in the low post. While James’ prime is closing, Booker is ascending into his.
It was only one game, but the Suns do not seem to be afraid of the Lakers at all in this series.
"[Devin Booker] was the best player on the court. It wasn't LeBron, it wasn't Anthony Davis, it's Devin Booker."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 24, 2021
—@stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/STdSefu2Pi
Stephen A. Smith: Devin Booker is the best player in the series, not LeBron James
Unless you are Tom Brady or Phil Mickelson, Father Time will eventually win. James has been arguably the best player in basketball for over 15 years easily. However, he is firmly on the wrong side of 30, and has had his issues with injuries since joining the Lakers three years ago. All the while, Booker and the Suns have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NBA this season.
While you have every right to be impressed by what Booker and the Suns have done this year, let’s see them hand James his first first-round exit of his NBA career first. It has not happened yet. This is the Suns’ first foray into the NBA Playoffs in over a decade. A top-two seed should be able to win home playoff games in the first round, even if their opponent features King James himself.
Phoenix may advance over Los Angeles, but it is way too early to crown Booker and the Suns.