Suns Struggle Without Chris Paul; Warriors Seize Opportunity To Take Top-Seed
On Sunday night ahead of the All-Star Game, it was announced that Suns’ All-Star guard Chris Paul suffered an avulsion fracture in his right thumb and would miss the next six to eight weeks.
Currently 48-10, the Phoenix Suns hold the best record in the NBA and this is in large part because of Chris Paul’s contributions. The future Hall-of-Fame point guard currently leads the league in assists per game at 10.7 and leads the league in assists as a whole with a total of 619 assists on the season, 126 in front of Trae Young in second-place.
The final day of the 2021-22 regular season is on April 10 and as a result, Chris Paul runs the risk of being out right up until the end of the season. His status for the start of the playoffs is definitely in question at this point and without Paul on the floor, the Suns may really struggle.
Devin Booker is not a primary facilitator and putting him in such a role will take him out from being the team’s “go-to” scoring option. Cam Payne will likely see his minutes increase in the backcourt, but he has not played since January 22 due to a wrist injury.
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Elfrid Payton and newly acquired Aaron Holiday will likely step into larger roles off-the-bench for the Suns, especially if Payne is unable to go right after the All-Star break.
Chris Paul being out is very bad news for the Suns, however, it is really good news for Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, who see an opportunity to win the Western Conference now.
Currently 6.5 games back from the Phoenix Suns, the Warriors definitely have a chance to catch their rivals in the Western Conference at the top of the NBA standings and they will even play one another on March 30, which could turn into a very important game in terms of standings.
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Curry recently put on a show in the All-Star Game, scoring 50 points and claiming the All-Star Game MVP award. With Steph Curry red-hot right now, as well as Draymond Green expected to return in the next couple of weeks, the Warriors are definitely a team to watch down the back-half of the NBA schedule and they could very well be in the midst of what will be another trip to the NBA Finals.
The Warriors have the depth, the defensive tenacity and the star-power to compete for another title, which is why right now may be the point in the season that the Warriors kick things into high-gears and go after the top-seed in the NBA.
