By leading the Suns to a berth in the NBA Finals Wednesday night, Chris Paul got rid of a lot of distinctions that he didn’t want, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Among players who had never reached the Finals, Paul had the most All-Star appearances and All-NBA selections, along with the most playoff starts and the most career points.
Those marks all belong to someone else now, as Paul scored 41 points and turned away the Clippers’ best comeback effort with a personal 8-0 run in the fourth quarter. The performance provided some vindication for the veteran guard, whose playoff history has been filled with untimely injuries and blown leads.
“There were questions about his production before tonight, and in my heart I felt like it was a matter of time,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “I didn’t know it was going to be like that, but that’s who Chris is. He was tired and he was still making those kinds of plays — getting to the basket, the 3s, orchestrating everything.”
There’s more on the Suns, who will be playing for a title for the first time since 1993:
- Paul revealed that he had an MRI before the game that showed torn ligaments in his right hand. He also had to deal with a first-round shoulder injury and a bout with COVID-19 after the second round. “Just a week ago, I was here at home (under quarantine in Los Angeles). Couldn’t be there with my teammates,” he said. “It’s been a lot, and I want it not just for myself but for everybody in that locker room.”
- Paul will have a contract decision to make after the Finals, and sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN that he’s leaning toward opting out of his $44MM salary for next season to seek a longer-term deal.
- Devin Booker is among the many Suns players who have turned around their reputations with this playoff run, Windhorst adds. It took Booker six seasons to reach the postseason, but he has averaged 27.0 PPG and has earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, which he will join as soon as the Finals are over.
- Suns players gave plenty of credit to Williams, who turned around a losing situation when he came to Phoenix two years ago, writes Joe Reedy of The Associated Press. Williams was passed over for Coach of the Year honors, but now he has something even better. “Monty coming in, building the culture, him leading us with the preparation meets opportunity. That was these moments right here, and we took it and we ran with it,” Booker said.
Suns look like the favorite to take it all, hopeful to see CP3 get that first ring
The NBA is all about ratings and could see the lowest ratings for the Finals in many years…maybe ever. Basically it’s just about injuries due to a poorly planned off-season. Now the playoffs have simply become uninteresting.
Let me guess, your team got bounced because one of your players were hurt?
“Viewership for the 2021 NBA Playoffs across TNT, ESPN and ABC is up +39% vs. last season.”
link to twitter.com
But some people would rather play NBA2K on TV Executive mode than enjoy the basketball before them.
Most of us that are playing 2k are watching/listening to the games at the same time.
“From last season” which was the pandemic. What about the year before last?
Not picking a side, just saying your data is incomplete too
Wouldn’t a shortened off-season lead to injuries at the beginning of the season, not the end? And if a shortened off-season really led to injuries wouldn’t the NBA stop sending their stars to the Olympics? Has that led to more injuries at the END of the next season?
Stop believing Lebron’s excuses. Athletes get injured all the time. It just so happens that this year there were some major injuries in the playoffs.
No, it would NOT mean all the injuries would happen in the beginning. Injuries can come from wear and tear, from usage; often they happen for no apparent reason. Even Giannis’s wrong-way knee bend can happen because he was too tired to set his body like usual.
You can look at the stats, just not the official NBA stats. Try espn.
Do the benefits of vacations for anyone last only in the first two weeks back? No, it also lies in not wearing down long term, besides refreshing a mind.
Why bother pushing a dumb point? Everyone knew there would be shorted availability this year. At least I knew and said so, and nobody said, No it will be the same.
These are covid days, get over your issues with it. Many bad things have occured because of it; uneven NBA scheduling is hardly the worst result. There’s just more unavailables, too bad. Most of us are still alive.
The NBA does not send players to the Olympics; they just choose to go; basketball players are trained for work more than focus and are not lamed-up like baseball players. And don’t tell me basketball have to focus too when they don’t have to hit a pitched baseball with a stick. And do baseball players ever work. Nevermind, a digression.
Tired of opposing a post. You’re not as smart as you try.
Obviously ALL injuries wouldn’t happen at the beginning, but it’s dumb to argue that after having a couple months off they would be more likely to have injuries at the end of the season due to wear and tear when 1)the season was shorter 2) most of the guys that sustained injuries are load management guys (Leonard), guys that are always hurt (Kyrie, AD), guys that sustained freak injuries (Young), when injuries are just a part of the game or 3) when guys routinely play in the olympics during the off-season and don’t get hurt the following year despite having a shortened off-season.
I never said I had a problem with Covid, the injuries, baseball, or any of the other nonsense you rambled on about.
Whoever comes out of the East will lose
Chris Paul deserves all the respect he can get. All time GREAT. I couldn’t be happier than to see him finally in a place he belongs, and deserves, the NBA Finals, hopefully shutting up incredibly stupid haters that have no real knowledge in basketball history. I’m sure there will still be dumb things said about his place in history, but none of that matters, and this just cements the greatness of one of the greatest to ever do it. Still the best 2 way guard, even at his age, and his all time basketball IQ is as high as ever. There are a lot of great PGs in history, some of whom I’ve been huge fans of forever, but besides Magic Johnson, Chris Paul is on top for me. I can probably do a top 10ish off the top of my head, but that’s not important…He has impacted winning almost as much as anyone ever, and this is validation where its due
I’ve said a lot about Chris Paul being what he is here, and to others, over the last several years, having him as a top 4-6 player going into every year, besides last year, where I only dropped him slightly due to others coming up, and the thought of him slightly declining, which also shows just how great he has been, where he has declined slightly, and dealt with a couple of unfortunate untimely freak type injuries, and is still as good as he is. When the rumors were happening 2 years ago, I said 1000% the Heat should trade for him, and he was worth the contract, and worst case, he might opt out and look for a couple of more years, and if anything, the guys going back would likely be gone by that time anyway, which they are…Now they want to sign him in the offseason, but he is about to win the NBA Championship….
Which by the way, a lot of people said I didnt know what I was talking about when I picked Phoenix a little over 3+ months ago. Obviously, it’s not over, and their finals opponents are going to be different than I expected, but they have a really good chance now…damn I wish I had more to put down when they had the odds they did lol
I’m just happy for Chris Paul man…also said a lot of good things about Mikal Brodges before and since his draft, and have always obviously been a Jae Crowder fan, and they have some other players that I like, with James Jones putting it together, but overall, him being in this position was an awesome outcome to this season
Damn you wrote a book for this fool?!?!
Didnt realize a couple of paragraphs needed spark notes…
Chris Paul reminds me of Walter Payton… Small, restless, always balanced, hardheaded guy who kept hanging around until the wave came in.
Suns will be too much for whoever comes out of the East, IMO.
Grats to all those in the Suns realm.
Two years in the Kawhi and pg13 era has lead to a whole lot of nothing ! Expect them to not make the finals next year as well
Haven’t heard Chris Paul talk before last
Nights win. What a weird guy
Props to Monty, but every player on the Suns is a whiney Bish.
So much for another bunch of black-clad corner-shooting slap-crap eye pokers accidently hitting a head while raising their arms too late for the ball.
Who said that not me.
Even though Chris Paul has a reputation as one of the dirtiest players in the NBA, and one of its biggest floppers as well, everyone’s hate for him has turned to love (and respect?) since he is no longer a member of the Clippers or the Rockets organizations. Imagine that.
So, it bothers you that someone might change their opinion of a player simply based on whether he is or is not a member of a particular organization?
I came here to see how Wally would crowbar a Rockets take in somehow. He doesn’t disappoint!
Rofl
Like I keep saying, this is one of the “worst” seasons ever. It’s unprecedented, with all the injuries (COVID included) during the regular season & the playoffs.
From watching in the early 80’s, I can’t ever recall a season like this.
Not to take anything from the SUNS ……. their path towards the Finals has been a “lucky” one, to say the least.
The guy who seemed to be always injured in the most crucial of games, had his script flipped by the basketball gods …….. this time, it’s his superstar opponents who fell like flies with injuries.
Strange, strange season.
Good for the SUNS and whoever wins the East, though.