Revisiting The Unfortunate and Injury-Ridden Postseason History of Phoenix Suns Star Chris Paul

Chris Paul and post-season injuries have always had a hand-in-glove relationship. The Point God has been down this road far too often in his stellar career, where injuries in key post-season matchups have derailed championship aspirations. While Paul’s teams came woefully close to making it to the finals, they always seem to catch the injury bug in key moments.

With the latest developments in the Suns camp being a positive COVID test result for the MVP candidate, the timeline for his absence remains unclear. John Gambadoro broke the news on Twitter, in a bombshell that further took the fans by surprise, on a morning that has seen loads of drama across the NBA.

Paul’s playmaking and passing ability, along with his role as a floor general for Phoenix this season was phenomenal. But with him out for the near future, it puts added pressure on Devin Booker, Monty Williams, and DeAndre Ayton. Ayton and Booker are both in their 1st post-season. And even though they showed no signs of stage fright, the Conference finals are a different ball game. That is a stage where they will miss Chris Paul while he is in isolation.

Also, even when CP3 returns at some point in the next round, whether his performances will stay the same, remains to be seen!

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Chris Paul and injury: A wobbly relationship

The Point God and season-ending injuries go way back. Everyone remembers the Lob City Clippers, and their inability to win a title even with the levels of star-power they possessed.

But what usually gets left out is that Paul suffered two season-ending injuries in back-to-back years that left Clipper Nation thirsting for a championship. Whether it was an injured hamstring in 2015 with LA up 3-1 against Houston or a broken hand against Portland in 2016, he just couldn’t catch a break!

In 2018, Houston was a growing powerhouse, with Paul by their side. They had amassed a 65-17 record and gained the 1st seed in the West, over Golden State, who then had Kevin Durant. In those playoffs, a conference finals matchup between the two teams, with Houston up 3-2 was at one of the biggest “what-if” junctures in NBA history.

But as fate would have it, CP3 pulled his hamstring and missed Games 6 and 7. And given that Houston lost Game 7 by just 9 points, pundits have always continued to ponder over what could have been.

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Is Chris Paul’s legacy on the line?

There is no debate on whether CP3 is a modern day legend, or that he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Even though injuries have played spoil-sport in terms of winning championships, the 36-year-old is one of the greatest point guards and leaders in the game’s history.

The Suns PG at this stage in his career has showed no signs of slowing down in his quest for a championship. He just finished 5th in MVP voting, losing out to Jokic, who he then swept in the 2nd round series against the Nuggets. Paul has averaged 15.7pts/4.1reb/8.7ast in these playoffs, while also battling through an injured shoulder.

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Coming to the road ahead, Chris Paul’s health will be the priority numero uno for Phoenix in the coming days. While the Suns don’t play the winner of the Clippers-Jazz series till sometime next week, it is probable that Paul will miss Game 1 of the series because of isolation protocols, while being monitored on a day-to-day timeline.