LENDING A HELPING HAND
Suns’ Paul climbs NBA assists list
The Suns’ Chris Paul is now No. 6 on the NBA all-time assists list, 250 behind Magic Johnson.
Chris Paul didn’t know he passed the legendary Oscar Robertson on the NBA all-time assists list until halftime of Saturday’s lopsided win at Memphis.
“I’m always locked into the game and (Suns assistant coach Randy Ayers) came up to me and put his arm around me and he was like, ‘You know you passed ‘The Big O,’” Paul said. “I didn’t know at the time that I had.”
With 9,891 career assists going into Monday’s home game against Portland, Paul was just 250 behind Magic Johnson, who stands fifth on the all-time list with 10,141 assists. Former Utah point guard John Stockton is No. 1, with 15,806.
Although grinning when asked if he could catch Johnson this season, Paul chose to talk team goals instead of individual pursuits.
“I’m trying to pile up wins,” said a still
grinning Paul while rubbing his chin.
Paul’s focus may be elsewhere at the moment, but his backcourt mate, Devin Booker, wants the Phoenix Suns to do their part help him pass another Hall of Famer.
“Magic’s next to get in that top five,” Booker said. “So we got to make some shots for him.”
‘I call him by his first and last name’
After all, Booker was the one who tracked down the game ball so the team could present it to Paul in the visiting locker room at FedExForum.
“Everything for real,” said Booker when asked what it mean to retrieve the game ball for Paul. “Just being a part of history, man. That’s Chris Paul right there. I say it every day. I call him by his first and last name ‘cause that’s how I grew up saying it.”
A laughing Cameron Payne said Paul came into the locker room and “let everybody know he did something amazing again.”
Can’t blame him if he did. Things like this don’t happen everyday.
“That’s amazing and a blessing and I just feel so honored and humbled to be a part of this team when he did it,” said Suns coach Monty Williams as Paul passed Robertson with an assist to Mikal Bridges for 3 that gave Phoenix a 41-23 lead with 7:05 left in the first half.
Sooner than later?
Paul only needs to average 5.83 assists through Phoenix’s remaining 43 games on this NBA-shortened 72-game schedule to enter that top five. If Paul does that, he’ll not only make even more history, but it’ll likely mean the Suns continued having a big season.
Averaging 8.5 assists this season, Paul generating close to six a night seems easy enough. If he continues to average that, Paul will pass Johnson just 30 games from now.
Paul’s had a recent history of injuries, though. He’s already missed a game this season with a sore hamstring, but Williams is monitoring his minutes on multiple levels.
“We just try to be aware of how he’s looking in games,” said Williams, as Paul is averaging 32 minutes a night. “Try not to give him long spurts until we need it, which usually happens in the fourth quarter.”
Paul is 35 years old.
So he’s been doing this basketball thing for more than a minute.
The 10-time all-star has played 1,048 regular-season games and 109 in the postseason.
Paul has put in major work, and put his body through wear and tear, but between becoming a vegan in 2019 and taking better care of himself, he’s still going strong.
“He’s pretty diligent about his diet,” Williams said. “In the weight room every day. I don’t think he misses a day of weight room activity and treatment. I think a lot of that is a part of why he’s been successful in his 30s. So there’s a level of trust there when I ask him about how he’s feeling, he knows he can tell me if he’s been winded. I try to get him out as soon as I can.”
‘Hey, man, I’m reading their defense’
Having Payne playing at a high level as a backup point guard and E’Twaun Moore as an option at the one is giving Williams confidence to sit Paul for stretches.
Payne scored 19 points in Saturday’s win as he continues to learn from Paul.
“It’s unreal just to see his focus and all the things he take into account when he’s out there on the floor,” Payne said. “We were on the bench for the last game (at New Orleans) during a timeout and he just gave me another nugget.”
Then in his best Chris Paul voice/facial expression, Payne said, ‘Hey, man, I’m reading their defense. I know what the offense is going to do.’”
That’s the 19-assist game, a season high for Paul.
That’s also just two shy of tying a career high he set November 6, 2007 against the Los Angeles Lakers when playing for New Orleans.
“He was getting everybody the ball in the perfect spot,” Payne continued. “It’s just little things like that you pick up over time, but with Chris Paul being there telling me, it’s coming a little bit faster.”
Options and what ifs
Moore has given Phoenix good minutes off the bench since he started getting consistent action late last month. Williams still has Jevon Carter and Langston Galloway available and if worse comes to worst, Booker can play the one – and play it very well.
So let’s say the Suns play their remaining 43 games, which includes Monday night’s against Portland.
That’ll be a challenge with the pandemic, as Arizona, despite a downward trend in case counts, still reported an average of about 1,500 cases per day over the past week. Phoenix still has three postponed home games to make up. The Suns will play one of those March 4 against Golden State.
If Phoenix plays all its games and, say, Paul misses seven for whatever reason. He’d then have to average seven assists to pass Johnson.
That’s also very doable.
The better question may be how quickly Paul surpasses Johnson, especially when considering how well Phoenix has been shooting the ball of late.
Red-hot Suns
Check out Phoenix’s shooting percentage in its last three games.
• Feb. 16 vs. Brooklyn (L) – 54.5% (16of-37 on 3s)
• Feb. 19 at New Orleans (W) – 58% (22-of-39 on 3s)
• Feb. 20 at Memphis (W) – 53.5% (24-of-46 on 3s)
The Suns have been sharing the ball, as they’re sixth in the NBA in assists at 26.6. So there may be nights Booker has more than Paul or four Suns have five each. Williams said the team is learning how to play off Paul, Booker and Deandre Ayton, whose dives to the basket generate open 3s, but Paul is the primary ball handler. As long as he’s finding the open man and Phoenix keeps shooting at a high clip – and keeps winning – Paul will have his hands on another game ball for passing Magic by the end of his first season in Phoenix.