Overshadowed by Suns point guard Chris Paul's late-career pursuit of his first NBA championship and his ascent among the all-time greats at his position, another fascinating big-picture narrative is developing in Phoenix: Devin Booker is establishing himself as the alpha dog of the league's promising next generation.
Once branded as a brilliant individual scorer whose team's failure to make the playoffs in the first five years of his career was blamed on his braggadocious brand of basketball, the confidence with which the 24-year-old Booker has carried himself is now translating to playoff success on a level greater than any of his peers.