Anthony Edwards Praises Devin Booker, Says He Was 'Impressed' by Olympic Performance

Team USA boasted multiple future Hall of Famers on its roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics, but it wasn't one of the heavy hitters who most surprised Anthony Edwards in Paris.

Edwards said Saturday at Fanatics Fest he was "impressed" by the Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker. Booker's defense, in particular, caught his eye.

Booker displayed his scoring prowess early into his NBA career. He averaged 22.1 points per game in his second season, a campaign that included him going off for 70 points in a loss to the Boston Celtics.

The Suns' run to the 2021 NBA Finals then showed the 27-year-old could be a key player on a winning team, something that had been questioned to that point thanks to Phoenix's prolonged futility.

The Olympics could lead to another reassessment of Booker's game after he thrived in a supporting role for the United States. He averaged 11.7 points and shot 56.5 percent from beyond the arc, with head coach Steve Kerr calling him "incredible this entire run" and "kind of our unsung MVP."

It remains to be seen how much of what Booker did in France will translate over to his regular day job.

The Suns can't really afford to have the 6'6" guard play off the ball like he did with Team USA, not when they still have such a top-heavy roster built around him, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

But becoming a more effective two-way player would be a massive boost for Phoenix as it looks to atone for last year's first-round sweep at the hands of Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.