![]() ![]() In an April 4 win over San Antonio, he hit 4 of 6 from deep. Over the past month, Paul, always the playmaker, has been more willing to let it fly. With Durant and Booker requiring so much defensive attention, Paul and others have gotten open looks. ![]() But what’s really impressed him lately is Paul’s shooting. Per Basketball-Reference, the 6-foot Paul hasn’t dunked in a game since the 2015-16 season, so it’s easy to understand Ayton’s surprise. Thirty seconds later, Paul cut from the right wing, caught a lob pass and dunked again. “Chris Paul just dunked the ball,” Ayton said. While the big man answered a question about Durant, something across the gym caught his eye. As the Suns finished a recent practice, Deandre Ayton met with reporters. Why not rely on that level of experience?” “What’s Chris played in? Like 1,000 basketball games? Seven hundred playoff games? That’s impossible, but you get the point,” Williams said. To Williams, Paul understands how he thinks and how Phoenix plays. He did it often after the Suns acquired Durant, trying to figure out how everything would work. He did it one recent night, talking strategy with Paul for 20 minutes. Suns coach Monty Williams leans on this expertise. That’s the way you learn plays or sets in the way that you sort of anticipate what’s going to happen in the last two minutes of a game.” ![]() “To some, it might be boring, but I like to do it. “I watch games all day, every day - every day,’’ Paul said. Smith University, Paul told followers that he planned to watch the Grizzlies- Pelicans and Clippers- Mavericks later that night. While watching an HBCU game between Xavier University of Louisiana and Johnson C. 15, Paul discussed his basketball addiction. Paul’s basketball viewing is actually legendary.ĭuring an Instagram Live session on Nov. He said Paul holds teammates accountable, and guys respond because they recognize how much he cares and studies the game. But he played better near the end of the season, and his influence remained strong.īooker this week praised Paul’s leadership, noting how it never turns off. His 55.5 true shooting percentage was his lowest since his second year. Playing more off the ball, the 12-time All-Star averaged a season-low 13.9 points (along with 8.9 assists) during the regular season. Paul this season was limited to 59 games, mostly because of heel and hip injuries that occurred before the All-Star break. “All that other stuff, that ain’t it right now.” And right now we got a one-track mind, and that’s to focus on Game 1 against the Clippers,’’ he said. ![]() “For me, I’m going to compete day-in and day-out. He added that he felt blessed to still play at a high level, a sentiment he recently repeated during an interview with TNT’s Taylor Rooks.Īsked Saturday whether it was difficult to find that peace, Paul wouldn’t let his mind go there. While he’d continue to fight his butt off to win a championship, he was at peace. Paul said that, not long ago, just the question itself would’ve made his stomach tighten, but that was no longer the case. After listing all of Paul’s accomplishments, host JJ Redick asked his former teammate if he needed a championship to validate his career. In early 2022, seven months after the Suns lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals, Paul appeared on “The Old Man and the Three” podcast. But we’re in a numbers-driven era right now, so you’re going to have a bunch of people that’s going to make the Hall of Fame. “It’s going to look a certain way to where it’s going to get you here. “We play in an era where you’re going to get numbers,’’ Pierce said in a “Showtime Basketball” video. In February, Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce said they think a championship should be required for Hall of Fame admission. He’s also three weeks from turning 38, and with next season’s contract only half guaranteed ($15.4 million of $30.8 million), it’s reasonable to ask a familiar question:Īlongside Durant and star guard Devin Booker, could this be Paul’s last chance to win a title?Ĭhampionships have always elevated a player’s status, but with each passing year, they seem to take on greater importance within the sport. He’s among the best point guards in the sport’s history, ranking third in career assists and steals. In his 18th season, Paul has long secured Hall of Fame credentials. Paul, however, remains an intriguing storyline. As the fourth-seeded Suns set to open their Western Conference playoffs Sunday against the fifth-seeded LA Clippers, much of the attention has focused on Kevin Durant and whether he can help lift Phoenix to its first NBA title. ![]()
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