Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Koby Brea (4) shoots against Illinois Fighting Illini forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

What Separates Suns' Koby Brea as Elite Shooter

Originally posted on Phoenix Suns on SI
By Connor Moreno | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 6:06 PM ET

Phoenix Suns rookie Koby Brea has been widely regarded as one of the steals of the draft for his lights-out shooting prowess alone. Even his play in the NBA Summer League drew eerily similar comparisons to Phoenix's franchise legend; Devin Booker.

But what makes Brea such a shooter? His Kentucky coach Mark Pope explained on the PHNX Suns Podcast:

"One of the things about Koby that's different than most of us is, for most of us, the most stressful moment in the game is when we're letting the ball go out of our hands; when we're shooting it. It's the one part where you don't always make shots, it's maybe one of the less controllable parts of the game. And, I actually think that moment, where [Koby] is actually engaged in his stroke, I actually think it's his most peaceful moment on the court.

"Where it's most stressful, that last-second shot, the last moment of the game, that's our most stressful moment. It feels to me like it's where he's most peaceful. He never gets rushed. He could have three guys racing at him, challenging his shot ... but when he gets to his release point, it feels like he's never rushed.

"It's really unique. I've seen very few players that have the feel of peace and unrushability with their shot."

The Suns, as part of the historic seven-team Kevin Durant trade, moved up to the No. 41 pick in the 2025 NBA draft to take Brea along with Rasheer Fleming at 31 and Khaman Maluach at 10.

Brea is looking like one of the biggest steals of the draft midway through Summer League play, which is a huge sigh of relief considering he's part of the trade that ended the Durant era and kickstarted this retooling era the Suns are in now.

It might be a stretch to say that Brea can step in and immediately impact the roster in place of Bradley Beal,

but he should prove to be a nice rotational piece for a team that is aiming to grow together over the next handful of seasons. He'll surely look nice next to Booker,

In fact, Brea revealed that Booker is one of his inspirations and someone he has modeled his game around growing up.

"He's definitely somebody that I've looked up to for a very long time, and I see a lot of me in him and a lot of him in me," he said.

Brea might have been taken 10-20 picks later than he should have, but he has certainly already made waves among the Suns fanbase and is sure to be a fan favorite entering this season.