The Phoenix Suns made a splash when they decided to trade for Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder. He had turned around a team that previously wasn’t thought of as having much for expectation and nearly took James Harden and the Houston Rockets out of the NBA playoffs.
Paul has followed up his impressive year with the Thunder by helping to lead the Suns to a dramatic turnaround. Phoenix is now No. 2 in the Western Conference standings. As a result, some NBA executives believe that he deserves a spot on the All-NBA Second-Team, while some even see him as deserving of an All-NBA First-Team nod.
“I’ve had multiple front office executives argue that Paul should be first or second on All-NBA ballots,” Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer wrote. “What they’re really arguing for is an acknowledgment of the unmeasurable yet known impact he makes beyond the stat sheet. It will be fascinating to see what other voters decide. The voting process this season has been more difficult than any other I’ve been a part of since 2016-17.”
Paul has posted averages of 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.4 steals while co-leading the Suns with Devin Booker to a 48-20 record. A win percentage of .706 trails only the Utah Jazz across the whole NBA. The floor-general presence that Paul has provided has given Phoenix a robust overall boost on offense and he has provided a needed impact on defense, too.
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There will be hefty competition for Paul when it comes to making one of the All-NBA Teams. Stephen Curry is a lock to be on the First-Team while Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook will be in the mix. It seems as though Paul will fall either in the Second-Team or Third-Team territory.
It remains to be seen how far Chris Paul and Devin Booker will lead the Phoenix Suns in the NBA playoffs. It appears to be a wide open competition with plenty of the top contenders dealing with injuries. Regardless, it will be fascinating to see what kind of contract extension Paul will command in the offseason, which will be certainly something to watch in NBA rumors.
