Paul is key to Suns’ rise
Veteran guard’s leadership elevates promising young team to contender
Sometimes the easiest way to gauge a franchise player’s value is to watch what happens once he’s no longer around.
The Chicago Bulls owned the 1990s with Michael Jordan, but they have not escaped his shadow in the 20-plus years since his second retirement. While the Cleveland Cavaliers boomed with LeBron James, they have busted throughout his tenures with Miami and
Los Angeles. And the Golden State Warriors have plummeted from dynasty to disaster since Kevin Durant’s departure.
Chris Paul’s former teams have missed him once he’s gone, too. Badly. The future Hall of Fame point guard’s 2017 exit from the Los Angeles Clippers led to the franchise’s first lottery appearance in seven seasons. The Rockets’ 2019 trade of Paul for Russell Westbrook set into motion a two-year collapse that will require years of rebuilding. Oklahoma City’s decision to trade Paul in November has achieved its intended effect for both sides: Paul’s arrival has catapulted the Phoenix Suns up the Western Conference standings, while the Thunder are headed for a tank.
This has been a fascinating odyssey for the 35-yearold Paul, who continues to earn all-star selections and defy doubts about his advancing age. He transformed the Clippers into perennial contenders, helped the Rockets achieve their best record in franchise history and turned the Thunder into last year’s biggest overachievers. But each stop ended in a different flavor of heartbreak, leaving Paul to keep moving in search of a playoff breakthrough that has eluded him for 16 seasons.
After a series of disappointments with the Clippers, Paul finally reached the conference finals for the first time with the 2018 Rockets, only to come up injured midway through the series. His 2019 playoff run ended amid tension with James Harden, and he fell just short of leading the Thunder to an upset of the Rockets in the first round at the Disney World bubble.
In Phoenix, Paul has a well-balanced, unselfish team that will enter the postseason with one of the league’s best records but with relatively little pressure. The Suns’ 140-103 throttling of the Thunder on Friday was their fifth straight victory, and it improved their record to 34-14, good for the West’s second seed. That win helped the Suns match their total from last season, when they went 34-39, and they will soon clinch their first winning season since 2014 and their first playoff appearance since 2010. Phoenix plays at Houston on Monday.
Paul, who is averaging 16 points, 4.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game, has sounded like a happy camper in recent weeks, praising his youthful team’s “spirit,” dedication and off-court chemistry. Suns Coach Monty Williams has noticed an added degree of maturity this season after an unexpected 8-0 run in the bubble.
“One of the things I look for in a group is remorse after a loss,” Williams said after a bounce-back win earlier this season. “We all feel like … you know what. Food doesn’t taste good. Your sleep isn’t the same. You’re overthinking. To me that’s a great sign that guys really care. We have that kind of team.”
Thanks to excellent health for their key players, the Suns are second in point differential, seventh in offensive efficiency and sixth in defensive efficiency. They play steady, deliberate and intelligent basketball, with Paul orchestrating an offense that gets key contributions from Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges, all under 25 years old.
Booker, a two-time All-Star guard who is averaging 25.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, has formed a mutually beneficial relationship with his new backcourt partner. The duo has helped Phoenix improve across the board, including in lategame situations. Last year, the Suns went 16-21 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes. This year, they are 14-11.
“That’s a sign of a team that’s growing,” Paul said after a tight win over the Portland Trail Blazers last month. “The best teams in the league don’t always play great all game long, but when it’s winning time, you lock in and you lock down. We’re doing that.”
In light of the Suns’ surge up the standings,
TNT commentator Charles Barkley has floated Paul as a dark horse MVP candidate, and Williams is sure to get plenty of coach of the year votes. But how this feel-good story ends remains to be seen, and the Suns probably will be a popular upset pick if they claim home-court advantage in the first round.
Paul will need to scale up his minutes considerably in the playoffs, and he will be counting on several key players — including Booker, Ayton and Bridges — who have never reached the postseason. What’s more, Williams is seeking the first playoff series victory of his six-year head coaching career.
In a worst-case scenario, the Suns could face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, should the defending champions slip in the standings with LeBron James and Anthony Davis out injured. Even if Phoenix avoids that land mine, its reward for a dreamy season could be Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks, Damian Lillard’s Portland Trail Blazers or Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors.
To go deep in the playoffs, Phoenix will need Booker to rise to the moment as a closer, Ayton to hold up defensively in high-pressure situations and Bridges to balance the floor with timely outside shooting. But make no mistake: The Suns’ fate remains in Paul’s hands, even after all these years.