Getty Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns reacts during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Phoenix Suns floor general Chris Paul has played with some sensational talent throughout his illustrious NBA career. But even one of the game’s top point guards has to remind himself of just how much talent this Suns roster has.
While speaking with Duane Rankin of AZCentral.com, Paul spoke about his mentality when it comes to running the offense and trying to share the ball with his teammates. Although Paul wants to be a facilitator, he also admitted that there’s time where he needs to look for his own shots.
“When you’re playing with this much talent and guys who can score and shoot. I think a lot of times I catch myself trying to find them knowing that I have the ball just about every possession…of course seeing the way they guard KD, I’m going to have to shoot more. ”
Paul’s teammates found themselves urging the crafty floor general to hunt for his own shot on offense. That resulted in CP3 finishing with 22 points and three assists on 9-of-14 shooting Tuesday night.
Phoenix Suns Continue to Roll With Playoffs Looming
The Suns defeated the Spurs 115-94 on Tuesday, April 4. Phoenix has now won seven of its last 10 games, including a current six-game winning streak. The win also improved the teams record to a perfect 7-0 when Kevin Durant has been on the floor.
After finding themselves in risk of falling down the standings, the Suns have stood their ground and taken their play to another level. With just three games remaining on their schedule, the Suns now have some breathing room in the Western Conference.
Phoenix (44-35) now finds itself in fourth place in the West with 2.5 games separating them from the Golden State Warriors (42-38). While the Suns have been sensational with Durant on the floor, the rest of the team has continued their stellar play.
Superstar guard Devin Booker has been outstanding during the teams six-game winning streak. He’s averaging 26.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 45.5% from the field, as well as 90.6% from free throw range.
Suns Playoff Picture Starting to Present Itself
Phoenix understood that they needed to take care of business during the final stretch of the regular season. If they did, the Suns would have the ability to be in control of their own destiny. After rattling off six consecutive wins, Phoenix has officially clinched a spot in the NBA Playoffs, as they await their potential opponent.
In one of the most competitive Western Conference battles in recent years when it comes to seedings, Phoenix has a number of opponents they could face in the opening round. Those teams could include the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers or Los Angeles Lakers. Speaking to the media after Tuesday night’s win against the Spurs, Devin Booker even commented on how hard it’s been to monitor.
“I don’t know. It’s too hard to keep up with. We’re focused on what we have here…”
There’s still too much time for things to change in the Western Conference seedings. As Booker hinted in his press conference, Wednesday night’s game involving the Clippers and Lakers could have implications when it comes to the Suns’ potential opening round opponent. For now, Phoenix will look to focus on their own paths as they will take on the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, April 6.