Devin Booker vs. Anthony Edwards Full Comparison 2023-24

The 2023-24 NBA season is a little more than 25.0% complete and with it has come a bunch of new narratives and comparisons between players we have begun to address. One of these comparisons is the battle for the title of best shooting guard in the NBA. This comparison has come down to two players during the 2023-24 season, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns and Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Edwards has carried over the momentum from last season and the FIBA World Cup this past summer to help the Timberwolves start their season with the best record in the West at 19-5. Meanwhile, Booker has been elite as well but the Suns have been underachieving due to injuries and a lack of continuity. With their slide in the standings, Edwards has gained momentum as the best shooting guard in the game. Now, we are here to either prove or dismiss those claims.

This is the full comparison between Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards for the 2023-24 season.

Scoring - Devin Booker

When it comes to scoring for these two elite shooting guards, they both possess a wide array of skills that makes them two of the best in the league. Devin Booker is elite in scoring and shooting anywhere from at the rim to three-point range. He can create off the ball by moving around screens and he is lightning-fast off the dribble to create his shots as well.

Edwards is a three-level threat as well but is far more effective when he is in attack mode and getting opportunities to finish with an athletic layup or dunk. Currently, Booker is ahead of Edwards as a scorer with 28.1 points per game on 48.4% shooting from the field. Edwards is averaging 22.0 points on 44.7% shooting through 24 games this season.

Booker is taking over the role as one of the primary scorers with Phoenix, even taking over for Kevin Durant at some points during a game. Edwards has had some excruciatingly inefficient outings where teammates have had to step up and bail him out. When it comes to scoring, Booker has a huge upper hand over Edwards.

Shooting - Devin Booker

As much as Edwards has improved over his first three seasons in the NBA, Booker has a monstrous advantage in the shooting category as well. Not only is Booker scoring significantly better than Edwards is right now, but he is also shooting better from everywhere on the field.

Overall, Booker is shooting 48.4% on 19.1 attempts from the field. Edwards is shooting just 44.7% on the same amount of attempts. Booker’s mid-range game continues to thrive as well with a 47.1% conversion rate from 10-16 feet compared to 40.0% from the same distance for Edwards. When the game moves beyond the three-point line, Booker is shooting 41.0% from three on 4.9 attempts. For Edwards, he is right behind him, shooting 39.4% on 6.3 attempts from beyond the arc.

If those numbers weren’t enough to convince you of who is the better shooter, take true shooting into account as well. Booker’s 61.7% true shooting is significantly better than Edwards’ 56.5% true shooting, making Booker the overwhelming selection for this category.

Athleticism - Anthony Edwards

When it comes to athleticism, Anthony Edwards takes the category overwhelmingly. Edwards has put his athletic ability on display for everyone to see since the moment he came into the NBA three-plus seasons ago. Edwards is a highlight reel waiting to happen, even if the amount of posters he has dished out is dropping at the moment.

It isn't just Edwards’ leaping ability that is an advantage over Booker. His speed on both sides of the ball as well as his strength is visibly greater than Booker’s as well. Booker has much more of a finesse game that requires a different type of athleticism. Edwards’ pure strength combined with his speed and acrobatic style of play makes him the much more athletic player to the naked eye, or even the more experienced one.

Defense - Anthony Edwards

There are quite a few reasons why Anthony Edwards’ defense is superior to Devin Booker’s this season. For one, let’s take a look at the numbers from a simple point of view. Edwards is the only player in this comparison averaging over 1.0 steals per game while both Booker and he average 0.4 blocks per game.

Edwards holds the best defensive rating by a shooting guard so far this season with a 107.1 rating. Booker, on the other hand, ranks in the lower half for the position with a 118.1 rating. Then, there is the fact that Edwards is a part of the best team defense in all of basketball, allowing just 105.8 points per game as a team. Booker’s Suns are struggling in that department, allowing 114.2 points per game and ranking 20th out of 30 teams with a 116.2 defensive rating.

If I had to make a selection for one of Booker or Edwards to get a crucial stop for me on any given possession, Edwards would be my selection 10 times out of 10.

Handles - Anthony Edwards

As I have stated in many previous comparisons, ball-handling skills are way more than the oohs and aahs they generate from fans. Sure, showmanship goes a long way but only if what they do with the ball after is conducive to winning for that player’s respective team.

For that reason, Anthony Edwards gets the advantage in this category by a slim margin. Booker is a great ball-handler, able to get around defenders in the blink of an eye but what he does after is very limited as he relies on his superior shooting for the most part. Edwards can change directions at any moment and finish from almost anywhere, making his handles just a bit more dangerous in my opinion.

Clutch - Devin Booker

As we stated in our 2023-24 shooting guard comparison, Devin Booker leads all players at the position in clutch scoring this season. He is currently shooting 52.0% in the clutch and has scored nearly 75 clutch points in situations this season. Edwards has been the second-most clutch player in the NBA this season as well, shooting 56.5% in the clutch and having scored 67 points in such situations.

Edwards makes up for his lack of scoring in the clutch with his defensive abilities, making big stops that turn into opportunities for others at times. When it comes down to it, both of these players are elite and go-to guys in clutch situations. As it stands right now, Booker is slightly more reliable on the offensive side of the ball which solidifies his selection as the winner of this category.

Leadership - Devin Booker

Measuring one player’s ability to lead over the other is often a difficult distinction to make. Different teams and the way they are constructed are cause for different leadership roles and approaches to be taken when called upon in those roles.

For the Suns, it may seem from the outside looking in that they have a power struggle at the top of their roster between Booker and star Kevin Durant. That is not the case as Durant has never really been a leader wherever he is, often deferring to the next biggest star on the team to take on and excel in that role. That is precisely the balance that has taken effect in Phoenix with Booker often leading while Durant follows suit.

As for the Timberwolves, they have more than one leader taking on different roles within their organization. Edwards leads by example with his elite play often being a catalyst for the rest of his team. Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels have all been anchors for Minnesota in one way or another. Call me crazy but I prefer the one who can adapt in different situations and lead when the others are not around like Booker has proven to do over time. Edwards is still young and growing into his role as a leader which is almost a certainty to come down the line.

Basketball IQ - Devin Booker

Over the course of games, a player’s basketball IQ can shine in many different ways and many different situations. One of the biggest measures of a player’s IQ on the court is their ability to adapt to these situations and change their play style accordingly. For Devin Booker, he displays the right amount of intelligence to know when he has to be the superstar and score at will or when he is struggling, he knows when to turn into the effective playmaker that he has shown he can be, especially in the new Suns' offense that doesn't have a true point guard leading the way.

Edwards is also a highly intelligent player, there is no arguing with that point but there is still a ton of growth and maturity to add to his game. He has shown glimpses of being wise beyond his ears but he has also shown that he is not quite at the levels that Booker is at with his game just yet. This can definitely be attributed to experience in the league with Booker having a six-year head start.

For now, Booker’s understanding of the game itself and his role within it gives him a slight edge over Edwards. In a few years when we are having this conversation again, I expect Edwards’ IQ to be higher than Booker’s ever was.

Impact - Anthony Edwards

Both Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards are extremely important to the way their team operates on the court as well as their subsequent success. Booker’s offense and playmaking ability certainly have Phoenix operating like a much different team when he is on the court as opposed to when he is off the court. However, they also have a pretty good replacement in Kevin Durant who can be their No. 1 guy whenever they need him to be.

With Edwards, his absence/presence has a much more noticeable impact on his team. Given what he provides as both an offensive talent and his ability to be disruptive on defense, Edwards’ impact is greater than Booker’s. Without Edwards, the Timberwolves need to create from different positions, asking two or three players to make up for what is lost without Edwards. With him, they can rely on his combined skills to make a positive difference for their team.

In another slim margin for a category, Edwards takes impact by a sliver over Booker.

Efficiency - Devin Booker

Finally, we get to a category that isn’t particularly close in favor of Devin Booker. Let’s start with the simple facts. Booker is currently averaging 28.1 points per game on 48/41/91 shooting splits. Edwards is averaging 22.0 points per game on 44/39/85 shooting splits from the field. When it comes to efficient shooting and scoring, Booker already has a large advantage.

Then, you have to factor in turnovers and other things that contribute to a player being deemed efficient or not. For this, we turn to PER or player efficiency rating. Booker once again blows Edwards out of the water with a 24.6 PER rating compared to Edwards who sits at 18.8 currently. We can argue that any of these categories can swing in either direction but when it comes to efficiency, Booker is the one and only choice.

1-On-1 Game - Anthony Edwards

There are many factors that go into determining which player is better in 1-on-1 situations. For me, the choice is fairly easy in selecting Anthony Edwards to be victorious in a solo game against Devin Booker. For one, Booker’s defensive deficiencies in guarding a superior offensive player in isolation worry me. There have been consistent instances of elite talent making Booker look lost on the court when he doesn't have help. I cannot say the same for Edwards.

While he is an incredible offensive talent, Edwards also doesn't need much help when it comes to the defensive side of the ball. Edwards is quick enough to stay in front of most of his opponents on the court as well as strong enough to make them adapt to his presence. These are never good for an opponent in 1-on-1 situations.

With all due respect, I would not expect a 1-on-1 game between these two elite shooting guards to end well for Devin Booker.

Final Result

Devin Booker vs. Anthony Edwards 6-5

This comparison between Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards has hopefully opened your eyes to many facts surrounding this ongoing debate. The first of these facts that must be acknowledged is that it is much closer than previously anticipated. Devin Booker remains the slightly superior shooting guard thanks to his shooting, scoring, efficiency, and IQ but Edwards is hot on his trail with superior defensive play, impact, and ridiculous athleticism.

One thing I hate about these comparisons whether between NBA legends or current players is when someone says “It isn’t even close”. Of course, it is close. There wouldn't be a reason to compare two players without it being a matter of it being close enough to have the debate in the first place.

In the case of Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards, it is extremely close and it is only a matter of time until Edwards overtakes Booker for the top shooting guard spot in the NBA. Edwards is currently experiencing a level of success that Booker did not until much later in his career. This is only going to continue to increase his confidence and growth as a player. Booker has a chance to widen the gap slightly if he can take his leadership and turn it into another run to the NBA Finals. Otherwise, it may be Edwards and Minnesota with the last laugh.