Trevor Booker

Trevor Booker
PF, 6’8, 228lbs, 29 years old, 7 years of experience

As ever, a good role playing season for Booker, who has very much emerged throughout his career as a defensive presence and performing the rare feat of improving his rebound rate almost every year. This is especially impressive given that he takes outside jumpers more often now in a way he never used to, which usually means a rebounding rate going the other way. As an expiring contract attached to a quality player, he is a good trade piece (and the earlier the better); should no trade be possible, he is good value as a veteran as well.

Player Plan: One year remaining at $9,125,000. Trade him before the deadline so as to not have to buy him out and receive no return for a player who is worthy of one.

Washington will still need to consolidate this position during the season. The injuries to Porter, Beal and now Al Harrington are exposing a real lack of depth, particularly offensively. Backup point guard Eric Maynor has continued to struggle badly since his injury two years ago, shooting only 32% from the field, whie his backup Garrett Temple is similarly inefficient offensively but without any jump shot range and with more turnovers than assists on the season thus far. At the forward spots, Jan Vesely has finally shown some signs of life yet still provides almost nothing offensively, whilst Singleton and Trevor Booker have been mostly opportunity scorers in the NBA thus far. And the two players who can score off the bench, Harrington and Kevin Seraphin, are liabilities defensively and on the glass.

Trevor Booker

My early proclamations that Booker might be the next Paul Millsap were a bit premature, and overlooked the fact that Booker is about half the rebounder that Millsap is. Jumped the gun a bit there, I did. However, I remain confident in Booker's abilities to contribute at the NBA level, despite his lack of size for the position. Boozer is athletic enough and has improved his face-up game, both the drive and the shot. He'll have to be a small power forward, but he's strong and athletic enough to do that.

Pick 23: Well, scratch Trevor Booker from my second round steals list. Minnesota just took him at #23, to the dismay of the lone Timberwolves fan in the building, and much to the delight of Stu Scott, who gets to rave about the overdue (to him) drafting of a senior.

You can justify drafting Booker at #23. It's a touch high, but his measurements don't appear to have held back his draft stock as much as first thought, and although he is genuinely small for the power forward position, he produces. Booker is a finisher, and athlete, a post-up player and an improving face-up player, who defends with intensity (if not size) and rebounds enough. Jason Maxiell does fine in this league with much the same physical tools, and Booker should be OK too. But he could use some of Maxiell's intensity.

For whatever reason, Booker didn't have to suffer the indignity of a "Must Improve" caption. I guess the caption guy's boss vetoed the obvious choice; "Must Improve: Height."

Trevor Booker - Booker would be the next Paul Millsap, were he not even smaller. Unfortunately, Booker measured out at only 6' 7.5" in shoes, small forward's size in a power forward's game. That said, if he can develop a Craig Smith-like understanding of how to get open, Booker should be able to contribute as a bench scorer and occasional rebounder, even with his lack of size.