The Phoenix Suns showed that they're committed to building their team around Devin Booker by signing him to a huge five-year, $158 million max contract extension this summer. At the age of just 21, he'll now have to accept the responsibility of being the franchise player and the pressure that comes with leading his team. There's no doubt that Booker is on the verge of becoming an All-Star and is one of the most talented young players in the league. But does he have what it takes to carry the Suns on his back and make them competitive again?

Handling the pressure

The shooting guard is coming off a career year where he averaged 24.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.

Per The Ringer, only 15 players in NBA history have averaged at least 24 points, four rebounds, and four assists in their third season in the NBA.

The only player to do it who was younger than Booker was LeBron James.

But there are some people that label the youngster as a “good stats, bad team” player. 

With his whopping new deal, the pressure will be on him to rid himself of that tag and start winning. 

Of course, that's easier said than done and it'll be down to the Suns front office to put the right pieces around him to make that happen. 

They have certainly tried to do that this summer via the draft and free agency. 

With the luxury of the number one pick, they were able to select talented center Deandre Ayton who has the potential to be an elite big man. 

They also brought in the experienced Trevor Ariza who previously won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and reached the Western Conference Finals last season as a member of the Houston Rockets. 

But ultimately, the hopes of the team will rest on the shoulders of Booker. 

The former Kentucky product is a born scorer and can put up numbers in his sleep. 

However, with little scoring options outside of Booker, Phoenix has simply needed him to produce at a high level in the three years he's been there. 

With more weapons around him in the form of Ayton, Josh Jackson, Ariza and T.J. Warren, he'll have to become more of a playmaker and trust his teammates more next season to generate team success. 

No margin for error

Players on rookie scale contracts usually get the benefit of the doubt and are afforded the time to develop. Players on max extensions do not. 

Now that he's guaranteed to pocket $158m, Booker will be scrutinised and will come in for criticism when he has bad games and when the Suns lose.

This is the responsibility that comes with being the franchise player and earning the big bucks. 

He may be explosive offensively but one major weakness in his game is on the defensive end. 

That has virtually gone unnoticed since he entered the league but his deficiencies on that end of the floor will now be magnified if he doesn't improve. 

After years of mediocrity and no sense of direction, the Suns seem to have finally put a team together with a plan in place. 

They also have a new head coach in Igor Kokoskov who has the full backing of the front office. 

The Arizona-based outfit is, at last, looking to put Booker in a position to succeed. 

Now that he's accepted the role of leading the team for the next five years, it'll be his job to turn their fortunes around.

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