Devin Booker, Julius Randle named NBA Players of the Week
Two former Kentucky Wildcats were the most dominant players in the NBA last week, leading their teams to perfect records while putting up otherworldly numbers. And now, they have Player of the Week honors to show for it.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and New York Knicks forward Julius Randle have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 20 of the 2022-23 season (Feb. 27 – March 5). The former averaged 36.0 points, 7.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per contest while leading the Suns to a 3-0 record. As for the latter, he averaged 29.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game as the Knicks rolled to a 4-0 record in that seven-day span.
Other nominees included former Wildcats Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets in the West, along with Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers and Immanuel Quickley of the New York Knicks in the East.
Booker and Randle are the fourth and fifth former Kentucky players to earn Player of the Week honors during the 2022-23 season, joining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder (Oct. 31, 2022, Feb. 13, 2023), De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings (Nov. 21, 2022) and Anthony Davis of the Lakers (Dec. 5, 2022).
Playing just 21.5 minutes per game during his time at Kentucky, Booker averaged 10.0 points — third on the team — to go with 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists, shooting 47.0% from the field and 41.1% from the field. He would go on to earn SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors while being named to the All-SEC Second Team and the All-SEC Freshman Team.
The No. 13 overall pick in 2015 has since become a three-time NBA All-Star in Phoenix, averaging at least 22 points per game for seven consecutive seasons, including 27.2 PPG thus far in 2022-23.
As for Randle, he led the team with 15.0 points and 10.4 rebounds in 30.8 minutes per contest, shooting 50.1% from the field and 70.6% at the line. Setting a UK single-season freshman records in rebounds (417), double-doubles (24) and made free throws (204), the 6-foot-9 forward was named a Third-Team All-American, SEC Freshman of the Year and an All-SEC First Team member.
A nine-year pro, Randle has been an All-Star twice, both within the past three seasons. Suiting up for the Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Knicks, he’s broken through as a star in New York, averaging 22.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest over the course of four years.
Two former Wildcats — among an endless list of others — taking care of business in the league.
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