Not just a teacher: Phoenix’s Paul says he can still ball
PHOENIX (AP) — Chris Paul is a little uncomfortable with the notion that he comes to the Phoenix Suns as a wise veteran player who can impart his knowledge to the next generation of stars.
Sure, he knows he’s in his mid-30s and time isn’t going backward. Yes, he’s ready to pair with Devin Booker, who just turned 24 and is one of the game’s top young scorers. And certainly, after 15 years, 1,020 regular-season games and 109 postseason games, he’s learned a few things along the way.
But just because he’s got a Ph.D. in NBA basketball doesn’t mean he’s coming to the desert to be a professor.
“I’m not James Naismith by no means,” Paul said grinning. “It’s fun for me. First things first, I’m not just coming here to teach everybody. I’m (Booker’s) teammate. We’re here to hoop, we’re here to compete and that’s the way I approach this.”
Paul, 35, showed he can still play at a high level last season in Oklahoma City, making his 10th All-Star team while averaging 17.6 points and 6.7 assists per game. He’ll be surrounded by Booker, who made his first All-Star game last season, and Deandre Ayton, a talented 7-footer who was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft in 2018.
Now they’ll team with Paul, who knows he has a reputation as a demanding teammate. He said his leadership style has evolved over the years, but he’s still just as driven to win as ever.
“I’m not saying it’s always right, I’m not saying it’s for everybody,” Paul said. “But I’ll never ask you to do something that I wouldn’t do myself.”
The Suns haven’t made the playoffs since 2010 but are coming off an encouraging season. They finished 34-39 after going 8-0 in the NBA’s restart bubble in Florida and narrowly missed a spot in the postseason.