Chris Paul Still Adjusting Game During Early Parts of Season
Things are different this time around for Phoenix Suns PG Chris Paul.
The Point Guard has long dominated NBA courts with precision passing and the ability to perfect the mid-range shot more than any guard during his time in the league.
Paul will go down as one of the best floor generals of his generation, but that won't come without change.
There's been a conscious effort to adapt Paul and what's required of him in his 18th season, which has included taking a step back and allowing others to take over some of his typical duties.
One of those includes having shooting guard Devin Booker take the ball up the court more.
“I think it’s something we all talked about going into the season. We wanted to be harder to guard. A lot of teams last year in the playoffs tried to pick me up full-court, with me being the primary ball handler," Paul said on the adjustment after defeating the Golden State Warriors.
"It’s fine. I can actually shoot. The majority of my career I’ve always been the playmaker, so it’s nice to get a couple of catch-and- shoots. It’s something I have to get used to, because I’m usually creating for other guys, but it’s nice to get some catch-and-shoots.”
The Suns are currently 7-2 and have done plenty more right than wrong thus far. Despite Paul's 10.3 points per game, he's still averaging 10.2 assists (No. 1 in the NBA) and 1.7 steals per night.
Paul is modifying his game to allow others such as Booker and Deandre Ayton to put more fingerprints on each game without much involvement from the Point God.
Suns coach Monty Williams says the team still needs to find a way to involve Paul despite the changes.
“It’s tough. I don’t really have a good answer for that. I think it’s something we have to explore and figure out. As much as we want to facilitate through other guys, we don’t want him to not touch the ball on consecutive possessions down the floor," said Williams after Saturday's win over the Trail Blazers.
"I don’t think that benefits us at all. I do think we have to continue to find a balance though where Mikal (Bridges) brings it up and gets us into something and then gets Chris (Paul) and Book (Devin Booker) with a live ball on the second side. I think that’s adventitious of us but if we go down the floor two or three times and Chris doesn’t touch the ball, unless we’re stealing the ball and laying it up, I don’t think that helps us if he’s not touching the ball for consecutive possessions.
"So as far as rhythm is concerned, it’s a tough one to answer. I don’t know what the proper answer is for that.”
Paul is just figuring things out as they come.
“I am just playing. Figuring it out, for us at this point the regular season is about building. Building for the long run, just game-to-game trying to figure out what can last. So when we get into playoff series to make it where it doesn’t matter who we play against. We just have a way that we are going to play," Paul said.
The Suns have emerged hot out of the gates, defeating some of their toughest projected competition in the West during the process.
The blocks of a championship team are still being built, and part of that process involves the evolution of Paul into whatever the Suns need him to be.
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