NBA analyst compares Devin Booker to Hall of Famer

Now, Perkins isn't wrong about how Booker compares to his current peers. 

Since the playoffs began, the Suns' star is scoring at levels only Jerry West and the late Elgin Baylor have ever reached. (According to CBS Sports' Sam Quinn, he's even paced ahead of Michael Jordan and LeBron James in terms of epic scoring runs in the postseason.)

 It's even more impressive considering that Kevin Durant is still rounding into his springtime form, Chris Paul has been out while nursing an injury and Deandre Ayton continuing to frustrate the heck out of Suns fans.

Yet the point Perkins makes about efficiency is one that is probably not lost on those who long critiqued Bryant for being one of the most inefficient superstars in NBA history. Bryant was called just about every synonym for 'ball hog' you could think of, making him the poster child of the analytics vs. eye test debate that rages to this day. 

That very schism among basketball fans may have compelled Perkins to fend off any dissenters when making the comparison, but it also speaks well to both Booker and Bryant.

For Booker, the comparison to someone he admired growing up would certainly be welcomed as he writes his own story in the NBA history books. For Bryant, whether one agrees with Perkins' point or not, any connection to the game's current era only further validates the legacy he left behind.