Chris Paul has missed the last three games of the Suns vs. Nuggets series recovering from a groin injury, leaving a hole at point guard for the team.
After the Suns lost Game 5 and fell to a 3-2 series deficit, Paul told Tim MacMahon of ESPN that he is targeting a return for Game 6 if his body allows him.
“We’ll see. I’m trying to.”
Asked Chris Paul about the possibility of him playing Game 6: “We’ll see. I’m trying to.”
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) May 10, 2023
The Suns have gone 2-1 in the three games without CP3, but that could be a result of the home team winning every game of the series. Devin Booker has taken up more playmaking responsibility, but having Paul back could allow Booker to be more tunnel-visioned toward getting the ball in the basket.
Can Chris Paul Make An Impact On The Series?
Even if CP3 isn’t the same point guard he once was, there is definitely value in him being on the court. He has surgical court vision, and the Suns would be better off relying on that as compared to Cameron Payne or Devin Booker. Not that Booker is incapable of it, but he already has a full plate with scoring the ball and clearly struggled to find consistency in Game 5. He has averaged 12.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds so far in the 2023 playoffs.
Paul is definitely not the All-NBA defender he once used to be. It is hard to say Paul’s defense can have an impact outside of talking about intangible stats like ‘defensive IQ.’ Jamal Murray averaged 23.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in games against Paul, so there isn’t an exact science to figuring out his defensive impact.
Any reinforcements for a Suns team that has a thin roster are helpful, so everyone in the locker room will hope CP3 can return in time to save their season.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
