Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the NBA daily, even when COVID has ravaged the league.
Chris Paul has led the Suns to the #2 seed in the West.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Camporeale/USA Today.)
Charles Barkley says a lot of nonsense. But I think one thing that he brought up is something to think about.
Why not Chris Paul for MVP?
Yeah, his basic stats don’t stand up. 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 8.8 assists are very good but not mindblowing.
But as we recall, another point guard for the Suns didn’t have statistics that raised eyebrows, either. The current Nets coach and Suns legend Steve Nash averaged 15.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 11.5 assists. And Nash, unlike Paul, is not known for his lockdown defensive skills. And he won MVP for the strength of turning the same team around from 29 wins the season before to a league-leading 62 wins. He became a repeat MVP when he upped his scoring to 18.8 points and still led the league in dimes with 10.5. The Suns won 54 but Nash’s case was made because Amar’e Stoudemire was out for the season, save for three unmemorable games.
So this Suns team had a bit of change but there were still 7 rotation players from last season. Yes, the Suns swept the bubble but they could’ve easily fallen off this season with the same team. But with Chris Paul there, they’re on pace for a 56-win season in a normal campaign. They won an equivalent of 38 games last season. It’s not as big of a jump as what Nash did in 2005 but very impressive, nonetheless. Sometimes, what you do for a team overall supercedes impressive individual statistics. Granted, what Paul has going against him is that the Suns are still a net positive when he’s off the court.
And, yes, Devin Booker is on the team. But he’s always had that kind of production and it was only the bubble that people seemed to see a difference in him. With Paul, the Suns look more of a well-oiled machine. Turnovers are down this season (third fewest in the league) and they are #6 in defensive rating (compared to 17th). Paul has brought veteran leadership, guile, and to keep the flow going on both ends of the floor.
Paul is likely not going to win it; there are sexier picks in Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, James Harden, and even a possible threepeat with Giannis Antetokounmpo. But maybe flash a light on what Chris Paul is doing in Phoenix. I mean, they’re currently #2 in the West after being out of the postseason for 11 years. That has to account for something.
Bullet Passes
The Clippers‘ inconsistency was brought up by Kawhi Leonard recently. What plagued their chemistry last season was having players come in and out of the line-up. It’s been more of the same this season but their defense is a more pressing concern. They’re #18 in defensive rating. They’re also 5-7 in the last 12 games.
We know that Kawhi knows what it takes to win; after all, he has won two championships. Tyronn Lue was a two-time champion and took Cleveland to the title as head coach. But they know that a swoon like this is not going to take them back to another ring. They’ve gotta tighten up defensively no matter who’s on the roster. Staying healthy can obviously be tricky in the league; that can be a crapshoot but locking up teams can be fixed. They’re capable of it.
So much for that Golden State potential run, right? They did beat Utah but they got smacked around by the Lakers.
Julius Randle was upset that he got called for traveling after Kyrie Irving touched the ball on his attempted three-pointer:
I think it was the right call. Randle was certainly peeved about it after the game. I respect Randle’s passion for it.
The Nets won the game but imagine if the Knicks did. Oh, boy.
The Nuggets are climbin’, guys.
And so are the Hornets, who are now 6th in the East. They have won four straight. But if you look at the playoff teams in the East, everyone is kind of hot. The Sixers, Bucks, and Hawks are on 5-game win streaks while the Nets, Heat, and aforementioned Hornets have won four in a row.
NBA Scoreboard
Mar. 15, 2021
Watch This Play
Gordon Hayward caught a Fox.
🚨 GORDON HAYWARD, AND 1! 🚨@hornets 113@SacramentoKings 113
1 minute left: https://t.co/Laecx0GSYx pic.twitter.com/bFw18hr1Pz
— NBA (@NBA) March 16, 2021
Did he say HUM DIDDLY DEE?
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the NBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.
R.I.P. Nala.