Phoenix Suns: Beauty of Chris Paul remains present when needed

The NBA might be witnessing the emergence of some truly talented young floor generals, but Chris Paul is here to remind you that the old guard hasn’t left the building just yet.

On the road against the Dallas Mavericks without Devin Booker for the fourth straight game, CP3 took it upon himself to guide the Phoenix Suns to a 111-105 win. In an individual battle with Luka Duncic, both All-Stars posted 29 points, but Paul also contributed 12 assists and four steals in a badly-needed victory.

The Phoenix Suns needed a win on Saturday night, so Chris Paul reached deep into his bag for a performance that ensured the W.

Heading into the outing against Dallas, the first 17 games of the 2020-21 season had been a mixed review for the new pairing between Paul and the Suns.

Phoenix sat 10-7, a two-game improvement from the same time a season ago with a postseason spot snuggly in place. But Paul’s scoring and 3-point efficiency had dropped to the lowest points of his career, and the Suns were statistically worse at both ends with him on the court.

Nobody believed cause and effect was the link between Paul’s underwhelming production and the seemingly negative impact he had when in the game, not when the Suns had gotten off to a hot 7-3 start. But if winning cures all, losing raises concern.

The Suns lost three straight and five of six. Compounding the issue was a left hamstring strain suffered by Booker that has kept him off the court for 10 days now.

Even the smallest of slumps can come back to bite teams out west. Step one was to stop the bleeding, which Phoenix did in a 21-point win over Golden State on Thursday. Next was holding that towel in place as long as possible, preferably until Booker returned at the minimum. Paul took the first step to ensure that in the shifty, hesitating, in-and-out ways he’s been doing for well over a decade.

How short a time ago it was when Paul was viewed as damaged goods. The surefire Hall-of-Famer was coming off an injury-riddled second season in Houston in which he averaged career-lows in scoring and efficiency among others.

That line of thinking was what landed CP3 in Oklahoma City. After a bounce-back season like no other, it brought him to a Suns team still believing in his ability to push them into the playoff picture. They never needed to justify a trade for one of history’s greatest floor generals, but the details of this most recent win perfectly illustrated all the reasons the deal works so well in their favor.

CP3 had 16 points, five assists and two steals in the fourth quarter alone to pull his Suns away in the final minutes. He was 12-of-13 from the stripe in 35 minutes. The last time he earned that many free-throw attempts was way back on Nov. 4, 2016, when he was still a member of the LA Clippers. His 12 assists are even more impressive when you consider just three turnovers. Phoenix won despite watching Dallas build a lead as high as 15 midway through the third quarter.

Through the ups and downs of Phoenix’s start, it’s easy to forget the chemistry that remains a work in progress between Paul and his new teammates, specifically Booker and Deandre Ayton. Perhaps that helps to explain not only CP’s early troubles fitting in alongside them but also his ability to stand out in their absence.

A middle ground will be found in due time. The Suns are too talented and well-coached for anything less. When that happens, Phoenix might be fighting for homecourt advantage, which means performances like Paul’s most recent outing won’t always be necessary with the depth at Phoenix’s disposal firing from all angles.

But as he’s shown in the roughly year and a half since his lowest point, some of Paul’s best work is still plenty possible. As it did against the Mavs, that’s sure to come in handy in the interim.