Getty Jamal Crawford, NBA free agent
Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul has become a bit of an NBA journeyman as he has played for three different teams in his last four seasons. Many fans began to think Paul was washed in his last year with the Rockets after losing to the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. ‘CP3’ continues to prove that he is like fine wine.
Unlike most journeymen, Paul has made an undeniable impact on the stops that he has made. Before the beginning of the 2019 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder had just a 0.2% chance to make the playoffs and Paul not only led the team to the playoffs, but they were one of the top 5 seeds in the West. Paul is doing a repeat of what he did for the Thunder in his first season in Phoenix.
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Jamal Crawford Says Chris Paul Deserves MVP
The Suns who did not make the playoffs last year are just a game out of the first seed in the west and claiming the crown of the best team in the NBA. Former Nets guard Jamal Crawford thinks what Paul is doing is worthy of MVP consideration.
“Chris Paul is in The MVP conversation in his 16th year,” Crawford said via Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson of Bally Sports. “Only all-time greats can say they’ve done that.”
Crawford spent time with the Brooklyn Nets in last summer’s NBA bubble. Unfortunately, his stint with the Nets was short-lived. Crawford would strain his left hamstring in the first game against the Milwaukee Bucks. He was grateful for the opportunity to get back on the court after 16 months and felt that even the 5 minutes he played let people know that he is still ‘J-Crossover.’
“In those five minutes, I had so many messages,” he said to Nick Friar of USA Today via Nets Wire. “I didn’t have as many messages as when I signed [with the Nets], but I had messages from people in the league like, ‘Man, look like you ain’t even miss a beat.’”
Stephon Marbury Says Paul’s Impact Goes Beyond Stats
Paul’s impact on the game is greater than any stat that could be recorded. His ability to assist in developing the younger players around him is unmatched and is evident with players such as Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In the one year that Gilgeous-Alexander played with Paul, his points per game average jumped from 10.8 to 19.0. Former Nets guard Stephon Marbury is starting to see a similar transformation in Suns’ number one draft choice DeAndre Ayton.
“Those guys look to him for the mind part, not just the basketball part. He’s older and he understands the game. Playing for Doc Rivers he learned a lot and he brought that understanding of basketball to Phoenix,” Marbury said to Scoop B via Bally Sports.
“Deandre Ayton is going to be a monster. He’s one of those kids that people said he wasn’t good, and he couldn’t do this or that, but you can tell he has a good work ethic. By the third or fourth year in the NBA, you figure it out. Once you understand the NBA game, that’s it. Ayton as time goes on, he’s going to get in a position where he doesn’t have to just dunk. Once he gets a turnaround jumper, he’s going to be hard to stop.”
The Suns look like a legit threat as they are in the hunt for the NBA’s top seed. They could end up being a finals opponent for the Brooklyn Nets.
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