Charles Barkley Upsets Shaquille O’Neal By Pitching for Chris Paul for MVP

If there is anyone who deserves the most credit for the Phoenix Suns’ incredible success in the season so far, it has to be Chris Paul. His addition gave the Suns an experienced point guard and has provided much-needed veteran leadership.

Although Devin Booker is leading Phoenix in stats, if it weren’t for CP3, there is a rare chance that the Phoenix Suns would have been one of the top teams in the Western Conference. However, does this mean that Chris deserves more respect than he gets? Well, Charles Barkley believes so.

Chris Paul for MVP?

Paul’s arrival has been instrumental to the Phoenix Suns‘ prowess on both ends of the floor. Not only does he bring his A-Game to the floor every night, but his ability to come through during clutch moments also adds to his playmaking.

The last time Chris was part of an MVP race was in 2007-08 and he finished second to Kobe Bryant. However, his injuries pulled him back, but he is still considered a top-notch PG in the league.

The Suns were tenth in the West last season, only thanks to their 8-0 run in the Orlando Bubble. And now, they are standing second with a 36-14 record, a seven-game winning streak, and just beat the team heading the West, the Utah Jazz. This goes to show how much things turned around for the Suns after Paul joined them.

Hence, Barkley backed CP3 and wants him to not only get more respect but also be considered for MVP. “I am going to say this for the last time. Earlier this season, LeBron was MVP and Joel Embiid. Then James Harden was the MVP. You guys got to start giving my guy Chris Paul love for MVP.”

Shaquille O’Neal did not show approval

While most wouldn’t disagree with this, Shaq’s disgruntled sigh after Barkley’s comments was enough to understand his opinion on this statement. The MVP race is packed with contenders who are proving their worth this season.

From Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard, Bron, Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul is far from this race. He is averaging 16.2 points, 8.8 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in his first season with the Suns. This means he still has far more to do before he can be counted in for the MVP race.

Nevertheless, the Suns just defeated Jazz 117-113 in overtime. With the way things are going, it won’t be surprising if they stole their top spot as well. Do you think Chris Paul and Co. can do that?

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